Clarendon Fund Scholarship

University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Scholarship overview

The Clarendon Fund is the University of Oxford's largest graduate scholarship scheme, with over 230 new fully funded scholarships in 2025/26 and about 700 scholars on course. It is core-funded by Oxford University Press (£10.7m allocated to the 2025-26 cohort) and supplemented by partnership awards from colleges, divisions, departments and trusts (about £9.3m in 2025-26).

There is no separate application. Everyone who applies for a full-time or part-time DPhil or Master's course by the relevant December or January funding deadline is automatically considered. Awards carry no quotas by nationality, fee status or subject.

Award Information

Apply for a new full-time or part-time Master's or DPhil course by the December or January deadline for the course.
No restriction by nationality, country of ordinary residence or subject; Home and Overseas fee status students are both eligible.
Students currently on a Master's who re-apply for a DPhil or a second Master's are eligible.
Holders of a deferred graduate offer are not eligible.
Current students continuing the same degree at Oxford next year are not eligible.

Full course fees (Home and Overseas).
Full-time scholars: living-expenses grant of at least the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend; at least £20,780 in 2025-26.
Part-time scholars: study support grant of a sixth, a third or half of the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend, set in the offer letter.
Duration is normally the period of fee liability; continuation charges are not covered.
Modular part-time courses: compulsory fees such as the Annual Award Fee (maximum two years), Registration Fee, Dissertation Fee and the minimum modules required.

Deadline is the December or January graduate admissions deadline for the chosen course.
Divisions review nominations in February or March; most initial offers (CB1) are sent by the end of April.
Applicants not contacted by mid-June should assume they were unsuccessful.

Choose a Master's or DPhil course and check its December or January deadline.
Submit the graduate course application by that deadline; no separate scholarship form is needed.
The department nominates candidates to its division for Clarendon.
Successful candidates receive a CB1 offer letter, then a CB2 funding breakdown letter once partnership awards are matched. Details: official page.

Official links

How to apply (official)

How selection works

Outstanding academic record: usually at least a first class degree or equivalent (for example GPA of at least 3.7 out of 4); exceptional Master's results can offset a moderate first degree.
Future potential and aptitude, judged from references and research proposals.
Motivation, judged from the personal statement and referees' reports.

Other scholarships