Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa
The Rhodes Trust (Rhodes House, University of Oxford)
Three fully funded postgraduate scholarships per year at the University of Oxford for citizens of Ghana and 17 other West African countries and territories aged 18-24 (up to 26 in defined cases) with First Class Honours. 2027 round closes 27 August 2026, 23:59 GMT.
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Eligibility
- Who can apply
- Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea and 13 more
- Education required
- Bachelors completed
- Age
- from 18 up to 26 (Aged 18-24 on 1 October 2026 (born after 1 October 2001 and before 2 October 2008); 18-25 for medical, dental, pharmaceutical, law and engineering students; under 27 on 1 October 2026 if your first degree was completed after 1 October 2025)
- Fields
- Any field of study
- Language
- Must meet the University of Oxford's English language requirements or submit a letter requesting a waiver
- Residency
- Resident in one or more of the eligible West African countries for at least five of the last ten years
- Also required
- Citizen of one of the 18 eligible West African countries/territories
- First Class Honours degree or equivalent (highest classification/distinction for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy)
- Able to attend the in-person final interview in November 2026 (Abuja, Accra or Lagos)
- Must research and apply for an eligible full-time Oxford postgraduate course; some courses have early-December Oxford deadlines
About this opportunity
The Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa funds at least two years of full-time postgraduate study (master's or DPhil; up to three years for a DPhil) in almost any field at Oxford from October 2027. Three awards a year cover Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Mali, Benin, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe and Saint Helena.
You must be a citizen of one of these countries, have lived in them for five of the last ten years, hold or be completing a First Class Honours degree and be aged 18-24 on 1 October 2026 (18-25 for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law and engineering; under 27 if your first degree ended after 1 October 2025). It pays Oxford fees, a stipend (GBP 20,400 in 2025-26), visa and health surcharge, two flights and a settling-in allowance. Final interviews: in person, November 2026.
- Level
- Master's, PhD
- Where
- United Kingdom
- Duration
- At least 2 years; up to 3 years of fees and stipend for a DPhil
- Number of awards
- 3 per year for West Africa
- Difficulty
- Very high · about 12 weeks to prepare
Funding
Fully funded
- tuition
- stipend
- travel
- visa
- health insurance
All Oxford course fees; annual stipend of GBP 20,400 (GBP 1,700/month) at the 2025-26 rate; student visa fees and Immigration Health Surcharge; two economy flights to and from the UK; settling-in allowance. Stipend is not sufficient for partners or dependants.
What you will need
- Reference letters (4)
- Personal statement
- CV / résumé
- Academic transcripts
- Passport or national ID
- Language test (e.g. IELTS/TOEFL)
- Other documents
Four (minimum) to six (maximum) referees, at least three academic; personal statement of no more than 1,000 words; academic statement of maximum 450 words; CV (within the form); official transcripts; at least two identity documents (birth certificate, national ID, passport, voter's card or notarised affidavit); English-language evidence or waiver letter; head-and-shoulders colour photograph.
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