Most Prestigious Scholarships in the World
Talk to Expert
Beyond the normal college, government and external scholarships, there are scholarships known for their reach, coverage and popularity among international students. This article sheds light on the most prestigious scholarships in the world.
Given the high cost of education abroad, students always remain on the lookout for a 100% scholarship that not only pays their tuition fees but also covers their living and travelling expenses. For these reasons, the scholarships that cover most of the student’s expenses of studying abroad become the most chosen and popular scholarship worldwide in no time. We have listed some of such prestigious scholarships in the world for international students looking to study abroad but at an affordable price.
Top 10 Most Prestigious Scholarships in the World 2025-26
Check out the list of the most popular scholarships in the world below. We’ll provide details on each of these in the coming sections.
| Most Prestigious Scholarships 2025-26 |
|
|---|---|
| Rhodes Scholarship |
Gates Cambridge Scholarship |
| Commonwealth Scholarships |
GREAT Scholarships |
| Chevening Scholarship |
DAAD Scholarship |
| Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships |
GKS Scholarship |
| Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships |
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programs |
Let us now understand what these prestigious and well-known scholarships have to offer to the students going to study abroad.
Predict your IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE in just 4 steps!
Rhodes Scholarship (UK, Oxford University)
The Rhodes Scholarship is provided to students coming to study at the University of Oxford. The applications for Rhodes Scholarships for the academic year 2025-26 are now closed, however, students must be prepared to fill out the application forms for the 2026-27 session in June 2025.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship provided to students pursuing a postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford. This merit-based scholarship covers Oxford University’s course fee for most postgraduate programs and also provides a stipend (£19,092 per annum as of 2023-24) to students to support their living costs for up to three years. The scholarship further covers the university’s application fee, visa fee, International Health Surcharge (IHS) fee, two economy-class flight tickets to and from the UK at the beginning and the end of the program and a settling-in allowance upon arrival in the UK.
Benefits:
| Application Fee |
Visa Fee |
International Health Surcharge (IHS) fee |
| To and fro flight tickets |
Stipend |
Settling-in allowance |
Gates Cambridge Scholarship (UK, Cambridge University)
80 full-cost Gates Cambridge Scholarships are provided to international students each year to study any available postgraduate and PhD programs at the University of Cambridge. The scholarship covers the university’s composition fee for the chosen course, a maintenance allowance (£21,000 for 12 months as of 2024-25, for up to 4 years for PhD), to and from economy flight tickets at the beginning and end of the course, visa cost and International Health Surcharge (IHS) fee.
Additionally, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship also covers discretionary components such as academic development funding (ranging from £500 to up to £2,000) which can be used for attending conferences and courses, dependent children allowance (1 child), cost for fieldwork, maternity/paternity funding, and hardship funding for any unforeseen difficulty faced by the scholars.
To be considered for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, applicants must fill the fill out the admission form and fill in the Gates-Cambridge portion of the funding section.
Benefits:
| Application Fee |
Visa Fee |
International Health Surcharge (IHS) fee |
| To and fro flight tickets |
Stipend |
Cost of Discretionary components |
Commonwealth Scholarships (UK)
The prime scholarship program of the UK, the Commonwealth Scholarships aims to support the postgraduate studies of those meritorious international students who wish to bring about a change in the world but cannot support the cost of their education on their own. The scholarship is available only to students who are citizens or residents of a commonwealth country.
Available for both master's and PhD, the Commonwealth Scholarship applications are open for the 2025-26 year.
Benefits:
| Application Fee |
To and fro flight tickets |
Stipend |
GREAT Scholarships (UK)
Co-funded by the UK government, the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign, the GREAT Scholarships contribute a minimum of £10,000 towards the tuition fees of a 1-year postgraduate program. There are 26 GREAT scholarships for Indian students to study in participating UK universities in 2025-26.
Chevening Scholarship (UK)
The Chevening Scholarships are provided to students from diverse backgrounds to study in the UK. The awards are available for 1-year full-time postgraduate program and cover the complete tuition fee. The applications for the scholarship are currently closed and students must keep visiting the official website to avoid missing out on the next application dates. Some other benefits of the Chevening Scholarship for Indian students include:
| Complete tuition fee |
A monthly stipend |
Travel grant to travel to and fro from the UK at the beginning and end of the course. |
| Visa application fee |
Arrival allowance |
Travel grants to attend Chevening events across the country |
DAAD Scholarship (Germany)
The DAAD Scholarships are provided to international students willing to pursue their higher education in Germany. The scholarship is also available for exchange students in Germany. The scholarship is aimed at boosting German education in the world and provides support to international students in terms of tuition fee coverage, living costs coverage, travel expense coverage and more. Available for all bachelor’s, master’s and PhD courses, the DAAD Scholarships provide the following benefits:
| A monthly stipend (€934 for graduate students and €1,300 for doctoral students - 2025) |
Tuition fee |
Health, accident, and personal liability insurance while studying in Germany |
| Flat-rate travel allowance to travel to and fro from Germany |
Funds for language course |
One-off research allowance |
Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships (Japan)
The Monbukagakusho MEXT Scholarship is an initiative of the Japanese government to increase its mutual understanding with foreign countries and increase the strength and resources of Japanese universities. For this reason, winning a MEXT scholarship gets you an exemption from the college tuition fee (for most courses and colleges), a monthly living allowance based on your course and duration, and a round trip airfare. The application forms for the MEXT Scholarship are closed for the current year. Students willing to avail of the MEXT Scholarship for the year 2026 must start checking the official website from the second week of May 2025.
GKS Scholarship (South Korea)
The GKS Scholarship is the prime scholarship offered to international students to study in South Korea. The GKS Scholarship is a fully-funded scholarship that is offered by the government of South Korea for meritorious international students. The application forms for the GKS Scholarship for the academic year 2025 are soon to be opened and one must check the official website often to apply for this prestigious scholarship.
The scholarship is open to students who wish to pursue either a master’s, doctoral or research program in South Korea. The scholarship provides the following benefits:
| A monthly stipend of $1,000 |
Airfare |
Tuition fees |
| Health insurance |
Korean language training |
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Canada)
The Vanier scholarships can be availed for pursuing a doctoral program in Canada. Named after the first francophone Governor General of Canada, Major-General Georges P. Vanier, the Vanier Scholarship is provided for doctoral courses in any of the following subjects:
- Health research
- Social sciences and humanities
- Natural sciences and engineering
The scholarship provides a whopping amount of $50,000 per year for a period of three years during the doctoral studies. Note that there is no provision for self-application for the Vanier Scholarships in Canada, the candidate in fact must be nominated by his host institute/college/university that has a quota for doing so.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programs (France)
The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program was established to attract the top meritorious students from countries outside France. The scholarship can be availed for pursuing a master’s or PhD program in France. It must be noted that applications are only accepted from the French higher institutes; so you must be nominated by your chosen host institute in France to be considered for this scholarship. Several benefits included with this prestigious France Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program are:
| A monthly allowance of up to €1,181 for master’s courses and €1,800 for doctorate-level courses. |
International transportation |
National Transportation allowance |
| Insurance |
Housing search assistance |
Cultural activities |
Some other prestigious scholarships from different countries are:
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
- Australia Awards Scholarship (Australia)
- Erasmus Mundus Scholarship (European countries)
- Netherlands Government Scholarship (Netherlands)
- Government of Ireland Scholarships (Ireland)
- K.C. Mahindra Scholarships for Post-Graduate Studies
- Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships
- Chinese Government Scholarship (China)
- McCall MacBain Scholarships (Canada)
- Rotary Foundation Global Study Grants
It must be noted that it’s not only the monetary benefits that the students receive on winning one of these most prestigious scholarships, rather they also get the chance to be an esteemed scholarship alumni. These scholars often get the chance to attend the events conducted by the scholarship-providing bodies and are also very well-regarded during their course of study in college.
Hence, if you get a chance to avail yourself of any of these scholarships, seize the opportunity and provide your best details in the application form.
This was all about the most prestigious scholarships to study abroad. If you wish to study abroad, then you can get assistance from Shiksha Counselling Services for free. You can also drop your queries in the comments section below.
Q: Â Is MIT costly for Indians?
Q: Â Is it worth studying at Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia?
Melbourne Institute of Technology Australia (MITA) is largely regarded as one of Australia's top institutions. It has a solid reputation in engineering, business, and science.
To begin with, Melbourne Institute of Technology Australia provides a world-class education with an emphasis on hands-on learning. You will be able to gain practical knowledge and abilities in a range of disciplines. Furthermore, the institution provides a wide range of courses and programmes that will provide you with the skills and knowledge required for a successful profession.
Second, the university is well-known on a global scale. It has the highest graduate employability rate in Australia. This is due to the great level of education and possibilities provided by the university to its students.
Third, the university boasts a broad and vibrant culture. While learning, you will be able to pursue your hobbies and meet like-minded people. This will aid in the development of your professional chances and the formation of strong relationships that will continue long after you graduate.
Fourth, the institution provides a wide range of facilities and services to make your studies more pleasurable and productive. You will be able to locate
Q: Â What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?
There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.
Q: Â Why choose to study in BSBI Germany?
A few of the reasons to study at BSBI Germany campus are:
- Central Location: The main campus of BSBI Germany is located in the heart of Berlin. It is located in the historical building of Alte Post. The neighborhood surrounding the campus has shops, restaurants, and cafes
- Diverse community: When students join BSBI, they are going to witness a diverse student cohort of over 100 nationalities
- Affordable education: Berlin is one of the best value European cities that lead to high-quality education, making it one of the most affordable cities in Europe to live and study in
- Dedicated career and employment support: BSBI Berlin a range of career support services to its students
- Academic excellence: The teachers at the school are experienced industry professionals who pass on their expertise through hands-on teaching methods
Q: Â What is the University of Canada West acceptance rate?
As per some unofficial sources, the University of West Canada acceptance rate is 80%, which means out of every 100 applications, around 80 are selected, which makes it fairly easy to get selected into the university.
The university gives preference to students having higher grades or have exceptional academic or research experience. Hence, having higher grades increases your chance of getting selected at University of West Canada.
Here is the list of eligibility requirements to get into Canadian Universities.
Q: Â What is Switzerland universities acceptance rate for international students?
There are many top ranked universities in Switzerland that offer the best education to students. We have mentioned below Switzerland universities acceptance rate for international students:
| Switzerland Universities | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich | 27% |
| University of Zurich | 19% |
| University of Geneva | 21% |
| University of Fribourg | 8% |
Q: Â What is the PTE requirement for Stanley College Australia?
The PTE score for international students must be in the range of 50-57 for Stanley College Australia. However, students are expected to fulfill other English language proficiency tests along with PTE. The table below is the English language proficiency score for all the tests required at Stanley College:
Exam | Score Required |
|---|---|
Overall 60-78 | |
6.0 | |
50-57 | |
Cambridge English Advanced | 169 |
Q: Â Is IMI Switzerland public or private?
Established in 1991, IMI is a private school for higher education in hospitality in Switzerland. The institution began operating at Hotel Waldstaetten in Weggis municipality with 55 students and 10 faculty members. In 1997, IMI launched its present-day campus in Kastanienbaum. It received the membership of the Pacific Asia Tourist Association (PATA) in 1999. IMI has authorization from the government-supported accrediting body EduQua ever since 2005.
Priya Garg is a seasoned content writer and editor. With her rich experience in content writing, teaching and research & analysis, Priya believes in providing only the correct information which is also up-to-date. H... Read Full Bio
Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae
MIT is not costly for Indian students. Applicants can study BTech program at affordable tuition fees as compared to other BTech colleges in the USA. The MIT BTech fees is around INR 50 L to INR 52 L.