University of Oxford - Clarendon Fund

Clarendon Fund scholarship

You will receive a scholarship worth full scholarship to study for a Master’s or PhD at the University of Oxford. Your full tuition fees will be covered, and you will also receive a living expenses allowance of at least about EUR 24,500 per year (£20,780 in 2025/26) if you are studying full-time. The allowance covers the standard living costs of a single student in Oxford. The funding applies for the entirety of your ‘fee-paying period’, i.e. the period during which you are officially charged tuition fees. For most Master’s programmes, this is one to two years, and for a DPhil (as the University of Oxford refers to the PhD) it is several years. Part-time students receive a smaller study grant instead, amounting to one-sixth, one-third or half of the full rate. You will also become a member of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association, a network of around 700 scholars from approximately 70 countries. The fund is Oxford’s largest scholarship programme and is primarily financed from the profits of Oxford University Press.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are applying for a new full-time or part-time Master’s programme or a DPhil programme at Oxford. PGCert and PGDip programmes are excluded from this.
• Field of study: Open to all disciplines, from African Studies to Zoology.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities and from all countries are welcome to apply.
• Grades: You have achieved excellent results, typically a degree with a ‘very good’ grade or an equivalent qualification (for example, a grade point average of 3.7/4.0 or higher). Very good Master’s results can compensate for a rather average first degree.
• Your plan and motivation: Your references, your research proposal and your personal statement demonstrate great potential and a genuine aptitude for your chosen field of study.
• New to the course: You cannot continue a degree programme at the University of Oxford that you have already started, nor can you take up a deferred offer. However, it is possible to transfer from a Master’s programme to a DPhil programme or to a second Master’s programme.

How to apply

There is no separate scholarship application form. You will automatically be considered if you apply for your Master’s or DPhil programme by the application deadline in December or January. Your faculty will nominate its best candidates, the academic department will draw up a shortlist, and successful applicants will usually receive a response by the end of April.

How realistic are your chances?

Clarendon is open to all disciplines and nationalities and is Oxford’s flagship scholarship; as such, it attracts top candidates from around the world, and competition is fierce. However, more than 230 new scholarships are awarded each year, which slightly improves the chances of success. Selection is based almost exclusively on academic excellence; consequently, first-class grades and a compelling research proposal are crucial for standing out from the crowd. Securing a place at Oxford is the first hurdle.