About this opportunity
The Gates Cambridge Trust is running its Class of 2027 round. Round one closed on Wednesday 14 October 2026, and the timeline page states the round two dates: "
Application timeline
* Dependent on your course either Tuesday 8th December 2026 or Wednesday 6th January 2027". The applicant's course therefore fixes which of the two dates applies.
Gates Cambridge is a full cost award for postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. It covers the University tuition fee, a maintenance allowance and the travel and visa costs of the route, and the Trust publishes no single cash figure because the components depend on the course and visa route.
Nationality is not a barrier for the relevant routes. The Trust admits applicants of all nationalities, with the PhD routes and a defined set of master's courses open to citizens of every country, so Nigerian and other African applicants sit inside the stated pool for those courses, competing for places at one of the world's oldest universities with the scholarship footing the full cost.
What you receive
- Full cost coverage for postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge, tuition, maintenance, travel and visa costs
- Round two entry for the Class of 2027 with a deadline set by the applicant's course
- A global cohort of Gates Cambridge scholars across PhD and defined master's routes
Who can apply
- Applicants of all nationalities for the PhD routes and the defined set of master's courses, which covers Nigerian and African applicants
- An intended postgraduate course at the University of Cambridge for the Class of 2027
Who should not apply
- Round one closed on Wednesday 14 October 2026, only the round two window is live
How to apply
- Identify your Cambridge course and check which round two date it carries, 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027
- Prepare the Gates Cambridge application alongside the University admission
- Submit before your course deadline in the round two window
Selection process
- Applications are assessed against the Trust's criteria with course-dependent round two deadlines
Sources and verification
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