Rhodes Scholarship
Founded in 1903 from the will of Cecil Rhodes, the Rhodes Scholarship is the world's oldest and arguably most prestigious international fellowship. It funds two (sometimes three) years of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford — covering full tuition, college fees, a generous stipend, and return flights. Sri Lankan applicants apply through the Rhodes India constituency, which selects up to five scholars annually from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives combined.
University of Oxford
External Organization-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
Fully Funded (£20,000+ stipend/yr)
Duration
2 Years (extendable to 3)
Extras
Tuition + College Fees + Flights
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Age 19 to 25
Must be aged 19 to 25 on 1 October of the year you would take up the scholarship. The Rhodes India constituency (which covers Sri Lanka) follows this standard age window.
Outstanding Undergraduate Record
Bachelor's degree completed by July of the entry year, with academic excellence — typically a first-class honours degree from a Sri Lankan or international university.
Sri Lankan Citizenship or Residency
You must be a citizen of Sri Lanka OR have lived in Sri Lanka for at least five of the last ten years. The India constituency selection committee meets in Delhi for final interviews.
Character + Leadership
Rhodes seeks 'character, commitment to others, and the potential for leadership' — demonstrated through extracurriculars, public service, sports, or impact projects. Pure academics alone are not enough.
account_tree Application Process
Apply online by end of July
Submit via rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk — personal statement (1,000 words), CV, academic transcripts, 5-8 references, and a recent passport-style photo. Application opens early June each year.
Shortlist + reference review
Selection committee reviews applications through August-September. Shortlisted candidates are notified in October and invited to interview.
Final interview in Delhi (or virtual)
Final interviews for the India constituency are held in November in Delhi, typically over a two-day weekend with a dinner and panel interview. Sri Lankan candidates are flown to Delhi at the constituency's expense.
Secure Oxford admission
Successful Rhodes Scholars must separately apply to and be admitted to a graduate programme at Oxford by the relevant Oxford deadline (typically January for entry the following October).
Why Rhodes at Oxford?
Over 120 years of alumni include heads of state, Nobel laureates, Olympians, and tech founders. The Rhodes community at Oxford lives at Rhodes House and provides lifelong networks; the Sri Lankan Rhodes alumni network remains small but exceptionally well-placed.
~100
Scholars / Year Worldwide
#3
QS World Ranking 2026
120+ yrs
Continuous History (since 1903)
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