ADB-JSP vs MEXT, JJ/WBGSP, Chevening and Commonwealth
If you’re deciding which scholarship to prioritize, here is an honest side-by-side with the four alternatives most often mentioned alongside ADB-JSP.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
4 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Head-to-head comparison
Five scholarships that serve overlapping but distinct applicant profiles. The differences matter more than the similarities.
| Factor | ADB-JSP | MEXT | JJ/WBGSP | Chevening | Commonwealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funder | Japan (via ADB) | Japan | Japan + World Bank | UK (FCDO) | UK (FCDO) |
| Degree level | Master's only | Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, research | Master's only | Master's only | Master's, PhD |
| Who can apply | 40 ADB developing member countries | Almost all nationalities | 87 developing countries (2027 list) | 160+ countries and territories | Eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries |
| Work experience | Required: 2+ years | Not required (most routes) | Required: 3+ years | Required: 2+ years | Varies by award type |
| Age limit | 35 (waivers only with Japan's endorsement) | Under 35 for research students (born on or after 2 April 1992) | None | None stated | None stated |
| Study location | 27 institutions in Asia-Pacific and the US (17 in Japan) | Japan only | 44 programs globally (not home country) | UK only | Typically UK |
| Monthly stipend (est.) | JPY 147,000 (~USD 1,000) in Japan | JPY 143,000–145,000 (research students) | Varies, not published | Reported GBP 1,516 London / GBP 1,215 elsewhere (2026/27) | GBP 1,712 (GBP 2,000 in London), 2027/28 |
| Annual awards | About 130 (131 in 2025) | Not published as one figure | Not published | ~1,500 | 624 new awards, all CSC programmes (2025–26 plan) |
| Residence required | Yes — must be in home country | No | No home-residence rule | No formal rule | Yes — permanent resident of an eligible country |
| Income criteria | Yes — under USD 25K individual / 50K family preferred | No | No stated threshold | No | No |
| Return obligation | Yes — signed commitment, 2 years | No formal obligation | Yes — signed commitment | Yes — must return home for at least 2 years | Yes — signed undertaking to return home |
| ADB employment ban | Yes — 2 years after the program | None | None (World Bank staff and their relatives cannot apply) | None | None |
| Interview | Usually no (some institutions) | Depends on route | No | Yes — mandatory | No formal interview |
Full guides: MEXT, JJ/WBGSP, Chevening, Commonwealth.
Which scholarship fits which profile
Choose ADB-JSP if:
- You're based in your home country in the Asia-Pacific and have 2–5 years of professional work in a development-related field
- You want to study in Japan or at a top institution in Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Philippines) rather than the UK
- Your income falls below the USD 25,000 threshold (this actively helps your application)
- You are a female applicant (explicit preference — a real advantage)
- You genuinely plan to return to your home country and are comfortable with a signed commitment to do so
- Your field of study aligns with environmental management, public policy, international development, engineering or health
Choose MEXT instead if:
- You're a recent graduate without 2 years of work experience yet — MEXT has no work experience requirement.
- You want to study in Japan specifically and your priority is Japanese language study or immersion.
- You want a PhD rather than a master's — MEXT fully funds doctoral programs.
- You're based abroad — MEXT has no ADB-style rule that you must be living and working in your home country. Check the rules of the embassy or university route you use.
If you are not selected for ADB-JSP, MEXT can be a parallel option while you strengthen your profile for a later ADB-JSP application.
Choose JJ/WBGSP instead if:
- You have 3+ years of development work — JJ/WBGSP's work requirement is higher, but so is the prestige of the World Bank association.
- You want to study in Europe, North America or Australia rather than Asia.
- You're from a country outside ADB's list but inside JJ/WBGSP's 87-country eligible list for 2027.
- You're currently working abroad — JJ/WBGSP has no home-residence rule, though you cannot use it to study in the country where you live.
Choose Chevening instead if:
- You want to study in the UK and have strong English language skills and leadership experience.
- You are comfortable with — and good at — interviews, since Chevening requires a mandatory interview.
- Your work is more oriented toward leadership, policy influence or journalism than technical development fields.
- You want a scholarship with a strong alumni networking emphasis — Chevening's alumni community is one of the most active globally.
Can you apply to ADB-JSP and another scholarship at the same time?
Yes — applying to multiple scholarships in the same cycle is common and not prohibited by ADB-JSP. Chevening and Commonwealth explicitly state that simultaneous scholarship applications are allowed. MEXT applications go through a separate government channel and don't conflict with ADB-JSP timing.
The practical constraint is that you're applying to universities at the same time, which multiplies the document preparation workload. Two scholarships in one cycle is a sensible limit for most people — beyond that, application quality tends to drop.
If you receive multiple offers, you can accept only one. Declining an ADB-JSP offer after accepting it is not the same as declining before — check the terms of each acceptance letter carefully.