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If you aim to study at a university ranked among the world's top 100, this page collects international scholarship programs offered by those institutions. The list is based on the Times Higher Education 2020 World University Rankings and the 2020 QS World University Rankings. Each entry links to the university's own funding pages, so you can check current details and apply directly.
United States
Harvard University: Top 7 in World University Rankings & Top 3 in QS World University Rankings
The Harvard Committee on General Scholarships runs programs for international students at Harvard's graduate and professional schools. Scholarships and fellowships are open to students from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and United Kingdom. Other funds support students from Arab League Countries, Asia, Canada, China, England, France, Greece, Pacific Islands, Philippines and Poland.
California Institute of Technology: Top 4 in World University Rankings & Top 5 in QS World University Rankings
Stanford University: Top 4 in World University Rankings & Top 2 in QS World University Rankings
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Top 5 in World University Rankings & Top 1 in QS World University Rankings
University of California, Berkeley: Top 13 in World University Rankings & Top 28 in QS World University Rankings
United Kingdom
Oxford University: Top 1 in World University Rankings & Top 4 in QS World University Rankings
Oxford has a limited number of undergraduate scholarships for international students. Around 10 scholarship programs exist for students from selected countries and regions. The main undergraduate scholarship for developing country students is the Reach Oxford Scholarships.
For graduate study, hundreds of scholarships are available. Examples include the Clarendon Scholarships and the Rhodes Scholarships. Fully funded scholarships are open to students from UK & Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, and North America.
University of Cambridge Top 3 in World University Rankings & Top 7 in QS World University Rankings
Imperial College London: Top 10 in World University Rankings & Top 9 in QS World University Rankings
University of Edinburgh: Top 30 in World University Rankings & Top 20 in QS World University Rankings
University College London: Top 15 in World University Rankings & Top 8 in QS World University Rankings
London School of Economics and Political Science: Top 27 in World University Rankings & Top 44 in QS World University Rankings
King's College London: Top 36 in World University Rankings & Top 33 in QS World University Rankings
University of Manchester: Top 55 in World University Rankings & Top 27 in QS World University Rankings
University of Warwick: Top 77 in World University Rankings & Top 62 in QS World University Rankings
University of Bristol: Top 87 in World University Rankings & Top 49 in QS World University Rankings
University of Glasgow: Top 99 in World University Rankings & Top 67 in QS World University Rankings
Canada
University of Toronto: Top 18 in World University Rankings & Top 29 in QS World University Rankings
The University of Toronto offers two major admission awards: the University of Toronto Scholars Program, valued at $7,500, and the President's Scholars of Excellence Program, which includes a $10,000 entrance scholarship in the first year. International secondary applicants may also be considered for the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program if nominated by their high school. This program recognizes students with exceptional academic achievement who are leaders in their school.
For graduate programs, financial support is available to highly qualified international students from a variety of sources at the University of Toronto. These are listed at this link.
University of British Columbia: Top 34 in World University Rankings & Top 51 in QS World University Rankings
McGill University: Top 42 in World University Rankings & Top 35 in QS World University Rankings
Switzerland
ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology: Top 13 in World University Rankings & Top 6 in QS World University Rankings
ETH Zurich supports outstanding Master's students through two programs: the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) and the ETH-D Scholarship.
Under ESOP, students receive a scholarship for the duration of their program plus specific supervision. It covers full study and living costs during the Master's degree. Under the ETH-D Scholarship, students receive a partial stipend for living and study expenses (CHF 7'500 per semester) and a tuition fee waiver.
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne: Top 38 in World University Rankings & Top 18 in QS World University Rankings
Australia
University of Melbourne: Top 32 in World University Rankings & Top 38 in QS World University Rankings
The Melbourne Scholarships Program is one of the most generous and wide-ranging in Australia. It recognizes outstanding academic achievement of students from Australia and around the world. The University also provides access to students who might otherwise be excluded by socio-economic, cultural, geographic and other disadvantages, and offers a range of opportunities for those applicants.
For undergraduate studies, the main program is the Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarships, which awards tuition fee remission valued at $10,000 up to approximately $138,000. For graduate studies, the University offers the Melbourne International Research Scholarships (MIRS), which covers living allowance, relocation grant, insurance, thesis allowance, and paid sick, maternity and parenting leave.
Australia National University: Top 50 in World University Rankings & Top 29 in QS World University Rankings
University of Sydney: Top 60 in World University Rankings & Top 42 in QS World University Rankings
University of Queensland: Top 66 in World University Rankings & Top 47 in QS World University Rankings
University of New South Wales: Top 71 in World University Rankings & Top 43 in QS World University Rankings
France
École Normale Supérieure – Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris: Top 45 in World University Rankings & Top 53 in QS World University Rankings
Every year, the ENS organizes an international selection that allows about thirty of the most promising international students, in Science or Humanities, to follow a two or three-year course at the ENS. They receive a monthly stipend of approximately 1,000 Euros and accommodation on the ENS campus.
École Polytechnique: Top 93 in World University Rankings & Top 60 in QS World University Rankings
Japan
University of Tokyo Scholarships: Top 36 in World University Rankings & Top 22 in QS World University Rankings
A variety of scholarships are available for students who wish to study at University of Tokyo. One is the University of Tokyo Fellowships, which provides a research grant to privately financed international students with an excellent academic record. Recipients receive a monthly research grant of ¥200,000 or ¥150,000 during the standard period of their program (up to one year for research students).
Students can also study an undergraduate or research program at the University with a scholarship from the Japanese government, specifically the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho (MEXT)).
The University also offers externally funded scholarships (e.g. public corporations, foundations) that are available to international students.
Kyoto University: Top 65 in World University Rankings & Top 33 in QS World University Rankings
Singapore
National University of Singapore: Top 25 in World University Rankings & Top 11 in QS World University Rankings
Eligible students will be considered for NUS administered scholarships through their application for admission to NUS. These scholarships include the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship (AUS) (for ASEAN nationals, except Singaporeans) and Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship (for Asians except Singaporeans). There are also scholarships offered by external organizations available.
Nanyang Technological University: Top 48 in World University Rankings & Top 11 in QS World University Rankings
Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong: Top 35 in World University Rankings & Top 25 in QS World University Rankings
The University offers merit-based entrance scholarships for top-ranking students admitted to their undergraduate programmes. The HKU entrance scholarships may go up to a value equivalent to a FULL tuition fee waiver plus accommodation and general living allowance per year, and are renewable to cover your entire undergraduate study at HKU. The scholarships are supported by generous donors, external organizations and governmental bodies in Hong Kong as well as overseas.
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: Top 47 in World University Rankings & Top 32 in QS World University Rankings
China
Tsinghua University: Top 23 in World University Rankings & Top 16 in QS World University Rankings
Currently, Tsinghua University offers a number of scholarship programs to international students: Chinese Government Scholarship, Beijing Government Scholarship, Tsinghua University Scholarship, and Confucius Institute Scholarship. The Chinese Government Scholarship is mostly full scholarship and open to both degree program students (undergraduate and graduate) and visiting/exchange students. The Beijing Government Scholarship and Tsinghua University Scholarship are tuition scholarships and open to degree program students.
The Schwarzman Scholars Program, recently introduced, aims to give the world's best and brightest students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and professional networks through a one-year fully-funded Master's Degree related to Public Policy, Economic and Business, or International Studies at Tsinghua University.
Peking University: Top 24 in World University Rankings & Top 22 in QS World University Rankings
South Korea
Seoul National University: Top 64 in World University Rankings & Top 37 in QS World University Rankings
Seoul National University offers generous scholarship programs for international students both for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The University offers scholarships through the Global Korea Scholarships. Moreover, there are a number of major scholarship programs for graduate studies including the SNU Global Scholarships which covers tuition fee, living expenses, airfare, and housing cost.
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology: Top 110 in World University Rankings & Top 41 in QS World University Rankings
Netherlands
Delft University of Technology Scholarships: Top 67 in World University Rankings & Top 50 in QS World University Rankings
A variety of scholarships are awarded to TU Delft admitted students with exceptional promise and outstanding academic achievement by the university, specific faculties, departments and industry partners. Consideration for these scholarships requires students to have been admitted to their MSc programme. One of these scholarships is the Justus & Louise van Effen scholarship which is open to all international students and open to any of TU Delft's MSc programmes.
Amsterdam University: Top 62 in World University Rankings & Top 64 in QS World University Rankings
Leiden University: Top 67 in World University Rankings & Top 118 in QS World University Rankings
Utrecht University: Top 75 in World University Rankings & Top 120 in QS World University Rankings
Belgium
KU Leuven Scholarships: Top 45 in World University Rankings & Top 80 in QS World University Rankings
KU Leuven offers a number of scholarship programs for EU and non-EU international students. The scholarships are targeted to different regions and countries. KU Leuven also offers masters courses funded by VLIR-UOS Scholarships which are fully funded scholarships targeted to developing country students. The university also offers departmental scholarships such as Science@Leuven Scholarships.
Ghent University: Top 123 in World University Rankings & Top 130 in QS World University Rankings
Sweden
Lund University: Top 96 in World University Rankings & Top 92 in QS World University Rankings
The Lund University offers the Lund Global Scholarship for top students from all countries outside the EU/EEA. They also offer programme-specific scholarships. The Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals allows international students to study Bachelor's, Master's, PhD and post-doctoral levels at Swedish Universities including Lund University.
Uppsala University: Top 102 in World University Rankings & Top 116 in QS World University Rankings