Applications are now open for the 2027 Rhodes West Africa Scholarships. The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully-funded postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study full-time at the University of Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarship is merit-based, with the purpose of developing public-spirited leaders, and to promote international understanding and peace through an international community of Scholars.
The Rhodes Scholarship programme is the oldest (established in 1902), and perhaps the most prestigious international scholarship in the world. The selection criteria for the scholarship are as follows:
- Academic excellence: The University of Oxford is one of the most competitive graduate environments in the world, and applicants must, at a minimum, meet the entry requirements of their chosen course. Most successful applicants will exceed these minimums. (candidates will have a greater chance of successful admission if they have a First Class Honours or GPA of 3.70/4.00 or higher, or equivalent).
- Energy to use their talents to the full, as demonstrated by success in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, including where teamwork is involved
- The Virtues: truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness, and fellowship.
- Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in their fellow human beings.
WORTH
- The Rhodes Scholarship covers University of Oxford course fees, as well as providing an annual stipend.
- For the 2026-27 academic year, the stipend is £20,400 per annum (£1,700 per month) from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation. Please note: this is not sufficient to cover partners or dependents.
Following selection for the Scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover:
- The fee required to apply to study at the University of Oxford
- Fees for a student visa and the associated International Health Surcharge (IHS), which enables international students to access the UK’s National Health Service
- Two economy class flights to and from the UK, for the beginning and end of studies in Oxford.
On arrival in Oxford, Scholars receive a settling-in allowance, and Scholars who transition to a second course of study in Oxford will receive assistance to cover the fees for visa renewal and further application for IHS.
ELIGIBILITY
- Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen of one of the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Principe, and Togo.
- Residency: You must have been resident in one or more of the countries listed above for at least five of the last ten years.
- Age: You must meet either of the following criteria:
i. You must be aged 18-24 on 1st October 2026 (i.e., you must have been born after 1 October 2001 and before 2 October 2008). OR for medical, dental, pharmaceutical, law and engineering students, to allow you to complete your professional internship
ii. You must be aged 18-25 on 1st October 2026 (i.e., you must have been born after 1 October 2000 and before 2 October 2008) OR for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual
iii. You must be under the age of 27 on 1st October 2026 (i.e., have been born after 1 October 1999) AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after 1 October 2025 - Academic achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a Bachelor’s) by the application deadline, and you must have an academic background and grade that is a First Class Honours Degree or equivalent.
In the case of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy courses, the highest classification your University awards, e.g., a Distinction, would be considered equivalent to a First Class Honours Degree.
DEADLINE: August 27, 2026
To apply and for more information, visit here