Top 20 Excellence Scholarships for Outstanding International Students

Most scholarship programs are merit-based, which means winners are picked for academic merit or for other strengths such as leadership, athletics or the arts. People often call these excellence scholarships, because they go after the brightest and most talented students. The list below covers the most popular merit-based scholarships out there.

Merit-based scholarships are the focus of this page.

Merit-based Scholarships offered by Foreign Governments

Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA)
Graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad can research and study in the United States for one year or longer at U.S. universities or other appropriate institutions. Funding runs for the duration of the study and includes tuition, textbooks, airfare, a living stipend and health insurance.

Chevening Scholarships (UK)
This is the UK government's global scholarship programme. It gives awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world so they can take postgraduate courses at universities in the UK. Most Chevening Scholarships cover tuition fees, a living allowance at a set rate (for one individual), an economy class return airfare to the UK and additional grants for essential expenditure. Some Scholarships cover part of the cost of studying in the UK, for example tuition fees only or allowances only.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Canada)
The Vanier CGS was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. The scholarships go towards a doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD) at participating Canadian Universities. Each is worth $50,000 per year for three years.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (France)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs developed this program so French higher education institutions can attract the best foreign students for Master's and PhD degree programs. Holders receive a monthly allowance and other expenses such as return trip, social security cover and cultural activities. It does not cover tuition fees.

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
Graduates from all fields can pursue doctoral or postdoctoral research at one of the public funded universities or recognized institutions in Switzerland. The scholarship covers a monthly allowance, tuition fees, health insurance, lodging allowance and more.

Merit-based Scholarships offered by Global Universities

Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)
These go to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK for a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The award covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge: the University Composition Fee and College fees at the appropriate rate, a maintenance allowance for a single student, one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course, and inbound visa costs.

Rhodes Scholarships (UK)
Established in the will of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, the Rhodes is the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious international scholarship program in the world. These postgraduate awards support exceptional international students from selected countries at the University of Oxford. A Rhodes Scholarship covers all university fees, a personal stipend, health insurance, and airfare to and from the student's home country.

Clarendon Scholarships at University of Oxford (UK)
The Clarendon Fund is a major graduate scholarship scheme at the University of Oxford. Awards rest on academic excellence and potential across all degree-bearing subjects at graduate level at the University of Oxford. They cover tuition and college fees in full plus a generous grant for living expenses.

Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships (Australia)
This is a partial tuition fee scholarship for outstanding students taking an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at Macquarie University North Ryde campus. The amount is varied up to AUD$10,000.

University of Maastricht Scholarships for High Potential International Students (Netherlands)
These are made available to talented students from outside the EU/EEA who follow a Master's programme at Maastricht University. The scholarships cover tuition fee, living expenses per month, insurance and visa costs.

Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students (Netherlands)
The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship Programme (LExS) is open to outstanding Non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a master's degree programme offered at Leiden University. Awards come in the form of €10,000 of the tuition fee, €15,000 of the tuition fee, or total tuition fee minus the home fee.

Utrecht University Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
A number of outstanding prospective students get the chance to pursue a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a selected number of fields at Utrecht University. The scholarship can be awarded as tuition fees OR tuition fees plus 11.000 euro living expenses.

Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
The Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships (AES) go to exceptionally talented students from outside the EU who take eligible Master's Programmes offered at the University of Amsterdam. The AES is a full scholarship of €25,000 covering tuition and living expenses.

TU Delft Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
Delft University of Technology offers the Justus & Louise van Effen scholarship, which gives financial support to excellent international MSc students wishing to study at TU Delft. The scholarship covers the tuition fees and a monthly allowance for living expenses.

ENS International Selection Scholarships (France)
Every year the ENS runs an international selection that lets the most promising international students, in Science or in Humanities, follow a two or three-year course at the ENS. Scholars receive a monthly stipend of approximately 1,000 Euros and a room on one of the ENS campuses.

ETH Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
ETH Zurich supports excellent students wishing to pursue a Master's degree at ETH with two scholarship programmes: the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) and the Master Scholarship Programme (MSP). The Excellence Scholarship consists of a grant covering living and study expenses (CHF 11,000 per semester) as well as a tuition fee waiver. The Master Scholarship Programme consists of a partial stipend for living and study expenses (CHF 6,000 per semester) as well as a tuition fee waiver.

University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships (Switzerland)
The Faculty of Science of the University of Geneva offers scholarships for outstanding students from any university who wish to pursue a Masters of Science Programme offered by the Faculty of Science. The Excellence Fellowship consists of a grant amounting to CHF 10,000 to CHF 15,000 per year.