Roughly 80 people out of 6,000+ applicants receive the Gates Cambridge Scholarship each year. That translates to an overall acceptance rate of about 1.3%. But the real story is more nuanced than a single number suggests.
acceptance rate
acceptance rate
Note: these numbers are approximations based on publicly available data and scholar reports. Gates Cambridge does not publish exact figures every year. The key insight is that once you reach the interview stage, your odds improve dramatically to roughly 35-45%.
| Scholarship | Applicants | Selected | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates Cambridge | ~6,000 | ~80 | 1.3-5% |
| Knight-Hennessy | ~9,000 | ~80-90 | ~1% |
| Rhodes Scholarship | ~4,000+ (global) | ~100 | ~2.5% |
| Marshall Scholarship | ~1,200 (US only) | ~50 | ~4% |
| Chevening | ~65,000 | ~1,800 | ~2.8% |
| Fulbright | ~10,000+ (varies) | ~2,000 | ~20% |
A significant portion of the 6,000 applicants tick the Gates box without understanding the criteria or putting serious effort into the Gates-specific essays. If you've done thorough research, written compelling essays, and secured strong references, your effective odds are better than the headline rate suggests.
Some fields (STEM, public health, development economics) tend to have more applicants, while others (niche humanities, arts) may have fewer. Gates Cambridge values disciplinary diversity, which means being in a less represented field can work in your favor at the shortlisting stage.
At this level of competition, most rejections aren't because applicants are weak — they're because there are simply too many excellent candidates for too few spots. Some scholars describe their selection as partly lucky: the right panel, the right year, the right alignment of interests. If you're rejected, it says very little about your quality as a scholar.
The acceptance rate is low but the cost of applying is zero (beyond the standard Cambridge application fee). If you have a genuine reason to study at Cambridge, apply.