Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last checked: 19 October 2026
Quick answer
The Clarendon Fund is Oxford’s largest graduate scholarship scheme: over 200 new, fully funded scholarships each year for new Master’s and DPhil students of any nationality. It covers course fees and a living grant, and there is no separate application, because you are considered automatically when you apply to your course by its December or January deadline (Oxford).
Oxford does not publish an acceptance rate for Clarendon. It says only that the awards are highly competitive. We give the numbers Oxford does publish below.
Rules, grant amounts and deadlines are set by Oxford each year and by each course, so confirm them on the official pages before you apply.
Clarendon Fund key facts
| Detail | What Oxford says |
|---|---|
| Level | New full-time or part-time Master’s and DPhil courses |
| Awards | Over 200 new scholarships a year; 2025/26 is the 25th intake |
| Nationality and field | No restriction by nationality, ordinary residence or field of study |
| Covers | Course fees, and a living grant for the period of fee liability |
| Full-time living grant | At least the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend; Oxford quotes £20,780 for 2025-26 |
| Application | None separate: apply to your course by its December or January deadline |
| Selection basis | Outstanding academic merit and potential |
| Scholar community | Over 700 on-course scholars from around 70 nations (Oxford) |
Source for every row: Oxford’s Clarendon page and its applicants page.
What the Clarendon Fund covers
| Item | What Oxford says |
|---|---|
| Course fees | Paid in full for Home and Overseas fee status. Oxford’s pages say “course fees” and do not list a separate college fee, so check your offer letter |
| Living grant, full-time | An annual grant of at least the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend rate. Oxford’s page quotes £20,780 for 2025-26; we did not find a published figure for later years |
| Living grant, part-time | A study support grant of a sixth, a third or a half of the UKRI minimum rate, stated in your offer letter |
| How long | Normally the period of fee liability. Charges after that (continuation charges) are not covered |
| Modular courses | The annual award fee (maximum two years), registration fee, dissertation fee and the minimum number of modules |
Oxford adds that the part-time grant may be reduced if your fees cover other costs, such as residential accommodation (applicants page). Visa and health surcharge costs are not mentioned on the Clarendon pages, so plan for them separately and check your offer letter.
How selection works
Oxford describes four stages (applicants page):
- Nomination. Academics in your department assess your course application and nominate candidates to their division.
- Shortlisting. Divisions, and the Department for Continuing Education, meet in February or March to review nominations and shortlist the top-ranked nominees.
- First offer (CB1). Most initial offers are sent by the end of April.
- Funding breakdown (CB2). Once your bespoke package is confirmed, from April into the summer, you receive the breakdown and your college placement.
The criteria are an outstanding academic record, future potential and aptitude, and motivation. Oxford says the majority of successful scholars usually have at least a first class honours degree or its equivalent, and gives a 3.7 on a 4-point scale as a GPA benchmark. An exceptional Master’s can offset a moderate first degree.
Unsuccessful applicants are not contacted. If you have not heard by mid-June, Oxford says to assume you were not awarded. A few late nominations can happen over the summer if nominated students withdraw.
Clarendon deadlines
Clarendon has no deadline of its own. Your deadline is your course deadline, and Oxford says almost all courses have a December or January deadline, which is the latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships. A November deadline, where a course has one, is also considered and is more likely to bring an earlier decision. Applications for a March or later deadline are not eligible for Oxford scholarships (Oxford, when to apply).
Dates are set per course. For example, the DPhil in Philosophy lists 12:00 midday UK time on Tuesday 5 January 2027 as the final deadline for 2027-28 entry (Oxford course page). Check your own course page for its date and time.
How competitive is the Clarendon Fund?
Oxford does not publish an acceptance rate or per-department quotas, so we do not give one. Percentages you see elsewhere are not backed by an Oxford source.
What Oxford does say: over 200 new scholarships a year, selection by outstanding academic merit and potential, and that the awards are highly competitive. Because every Oxford course applicant who meets the deadline is considered, the size of the pool depends on how many apply to your course, and Oxford does not publish that for Clarendon.
Clarendon vs the Rhodes Scholarship
| Clarendon Fund | Rhodes Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| How you apply | Automatically, through your Oxford course application | Separate Rhodes application |
| Awards | Over 200 new a year | Over 100 a year |
| Covers | Course fees and a living grant | Oxford course fees and an annual stipend (£20,400 in 2025-26), plus the application fee, student visa and health surcharge, two economy flights and a settling-in allowance |
| Basis | Outstanding academic merit and potential | Merit-based, to develop public-spirited leaders |
| Timing | Your course deadline, December or January for most courses | Applications closed; expected to reopen in 2027 for entry in 2028 |
Sources: Oxford for Clarendon and the Rhodes Trust’s scholarship page and key facts. Rhodes eligibility depends on the constituency you apply through, so check the Rhodes Trust site for age and nationality rules.
Eligibility and how to apply
Our Clarendon eligibility guide explains who can be considered, the academic standard Oxford describes and the English language rules. Our how-to-apply guide walks through the application, the documents, the references and the fee. Looking at other routes to a funded degree? See the fully funded scholarships hub.
Related guides:
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate application for the Clarendon Fund?
No. You are automatically considered when you apply to an eligible Oxford course by its December or January deadline. Oxford says there are no separate scholarship application forms.
Is the Clarendon Fund fully funded?
It covers course fees and a living grant for the period of fee liability. The full-time grant is at least the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend (£20,780 in 2025-26 per Oxford). Continuation charges are not covered, and Oxford’s Clarendon pages do not mention visa or health surcharge costs.
What is the Clarendon acceptance rate?
Oxford does not publish one. It says the scholarships are highly competitive and that there are over 200 new awards a year.
Can international students get a Clarendon scholarship?
Yes. Oxford says there is no restriction by nationality or country of ordinary residence.
When do I find out if I have a Clarendon scholarship?
Most first offers (CB1) go out by the end of April. If you have not heard by mid-June, Oxford says to assume you were not awarded, because unsuccessful applicants are not contacted.
Can I apply after the course deadline?
No. Clarendon uses your course deadline, and Oxford says applications for a March or later deadline are not eligible for Oxford scholarships. A few late nominations can happen over the summer if nominated students withdraw.
Are part-time students eligible?
Yes. Part-time students receive a study support grant of a sixth, a third or a half of the UKRI minimum rate, as stated in the offer letter.
How we researched this
Last checked: 19 October 2026. We read Oxford’s Clarendon page and applicants page, its graduate “when to apply” page, a sample course page and the Rhodes Trust pages.
Limits: Oxford does not publish an acceptance rate, a 2026-27 or later grant figure, or course deadlines in one place, so we give none of these. We could not confirm whether the course fee includes a separate college fee. Check your course page and offer letter before you rely on any figure here.
This page is for general information. LearnViaHub is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or the Rhodes Trust.
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, with 6+ years of research experience in international education — including GPA systems, scholarships, student financing, and study-abroad guidance — for students worldwide.