Inspiring Excellence Scholarships

Recognising outstanding international students, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Achieve the outstanding

The Inspiring Excellence Scholarships at Durham University offers £5,000 or £10,000 towards tuition fees for international students starting a postgraduate taught programme and £5,000 or £10,000 towards tuition fees per year for international students starting an undergraduate degree for the 2026/27 academic year.

A top 100 university

Our global reputation for employability reflects the quality and relevance of our education and research.

We're a world top 100 university, every year since 2010 in the QS World University Rankings

We have a global reputation for employability, being ranked 64th for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2026.

University of the Year 2026

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. We are also joint runner-up University of the Year for Graduate Employment. Explore our league tables.

The prestigious rankings are widely regarded as the definitive guide to UK universities. We score highly across the board in the areas that matter to students, including teaching and graduate outcomes. We are now in the top five for all three major UK rankings for 2026.

Our strong academic reputation is testament to the international impact of our world-leading academics and the strength of our industrial and business partnerships.

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Postgraduate: overview of our £5K and £10K scholarships

This highly competitive scholarship is open to international students applying to postgraduate taught programme at Durham University for the 2026/27 academic year.

The scholarship is offered in two award types:

Inspiring Excellence £5K – £5,000 in tuition fee discount
Inspiring Excellence £10K – £10,000 in tuition fee discount

Selection will be based on an applicant’s achievements and their potential to make a positive impact after completing a postgraduate degree at Durham University.

The scholarships are open to all new international students who meet the eligibility criteria.

To be eligible for Durham Inspiring Excellence Postgraduate Scholarship, applicants must:
- have applied to a one-year, full-time (in-person) taught MSc, MA, LLM or MDS qualification (MBA, MSW programmes and MA in Theology and Ministry are excluded).
- start postgraduate studies at Durham University in September 2026.
- be classed as an overseas student for fee-paying purposes.
- self-funded and not already be in receipt of any other scholarship, fundings or from the university or any external institutions.
- meet or exceed the entry requirements for the programme applied for at Durham University
- complete the Inspiring Excellence Postgraduate Scholarship Application Form.

Apply for our £5K or £10K scholarship

Please ensure you have submitted an academic application, with all supporting documents, via the postgraduate online application portal for one of our eligible programmes.

Postgraduate Applicant Portal

Apply for postgraduate study.

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Undergraduate: overview of our £5K and £10K scholarships

This highly competitive scholarship is open to international students applying to an undergraduate degree programme at Durham University for the 2026/27 academic year.

The scholarship is offered in two award types:

Inspiring Excellence £5K – up to £15,000 for three-year programmes (£5,000 per year)
Inspiring Excellence £10k – up to £30,000 for three-year programmes (£10,000 per year)

Selection will be based on an applicant’s achievements and their potential to make a positive impact after completing an undergraduate degree at Durham University.

To be eligible for Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship, applicants must:
- have applied to full-time in-person undergraduate programme at Durham University (BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission and BA (Hons) in Theology and Religion are excluded).
- have a valid UCAS ID.
- start undergraduate studies at Durham University in September 2026.
- be classed as an overseas student for fee-paying purposes.
- self-funded and not already be in receipt of any other scholarship, fundings or sponsor from the university or any external institutions.
- meet or exceed the entry requirements for the programme applied for at Durham University.
- confirm Durham University as your Firm choice by the UCAS reply deadline.
- complete the Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship Application Form.

Apply for our £5K or £10K scholarship

Please ensure you have submitted an academic application, with all supporting documents, via UCAS for one of our eligible undergraduate courses.

UCAS Applicant Portal

Apply for undergraduate study.

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Studying at Durham helped me to find new solutions to global problems, preparing me for industry.

Gnaneswari Lagisetti

MSc Renewable and Sustainable Energy, India

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Being an international student at Durham University

Hear from our students about what being an international student at Durham University is really like.

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Get in touch

If you have any questions about whether you are eligible for a scholarship or the application process, get in touch with our International Office.

Ask us about your eligibility