Knight-Hennessy Acceptance Rate
The numbers are sobering. Applications have nearly tripled since 2018 while cohort size has stayed relatively stable. For the 2026 cohort, 87 scholars were chosen from 9,223 applications.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
2 min read
Updated Oct 5, 2026
The Selection Funnel (2026 Cohort)
- 1Applications9,223 applications
Every application submitted for the 2026 cohort.
- 2Eligible5,144 eligible applications
Applications count as eligible when the applicant also applies to their Stanford degree program. In 2023 it was 3,733 of 7,119.
- 3Video stage~500 video invitations
Sent on a rolling basis in January.
- 4Finalists~180 finalists
Online interview plus Immersion Weekend at Stanford.
- 5Scholars87 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The 2026 cohort, the most global to date.
What the funnel tells you
- Application to video (about 5%): your essays and recommendations need to place you in roughly the top 5% of all applications (about 10% of eligible ones) just to get a video invitation.
- Video to finalist (about 36%): if you get the video invite, your odds improve significantly. About one-third advance to the finalist stage.
- Finalist to scholar (about 48%): nearly half of finalists are selected. These are the best odds in the entire process.
- Overall (under 1%): end to end, fewer than 1 in 100 applicants becomes a Knight-Hennessy Scholar — 0.94% of all applications for 2026, or 1.7% of eligible ones.
Year-by-Year Data
| Cohort | Applicants | Selected | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | ~3,200 | 51 | ~1.6% |
| 2019 | ~4,400 | 75 | 1.7% |
| 2020 | ~5,000 | 76 | 1.5% |
| 2021 | ~5,400 | 80 | 1.5% |
| 2022 | 6,742 | 70 | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 7,119 (3,733 eligible) | 85 | 1.2% |
| 2024 | ~8,000 | 90 | ~1.1% |
| 2025 | 8,570 | 84 | 0.98% |
| 2026 | 9,223 (5,144 eligible) | 87 | 0.94% |
The 2026 figures, the 2025 application count (8,570) and the 2018 cohort size (51) come from Knight-Hennessy’s media FAQs. Cohort sizes for 2022–2025 and the 2022 and 2023 application counts come from KHS cohort announcements. Application counts for 2018–2021 and 2024, and the 2019–2021 cohort sizes, are approximate, based on public statements from KHS leadership. The 2019 rate looks higher because the program was scaling up cohort size.
How It Compares
Full comparison →| Scholarship | Acceptance rate | Annual scholars |
|---|---|---|
| Knight-Hennessy | <1% | ~84–90 |
| Rhodes | ~1.3% | ~100 |
| Marshall | ~3% | ~50 |
| Gates Cambridge | ~3% | ~80 |
| Fulbright (U.S.) | ~15–20% | ~2,000 |
KHS has the lowest acceptance rate, but the comparison isn’t perfectly apples-to-apples. Rhodes and Marshall restrict by nationality. Fulbright has many more slots. Gates Cambridge only funds Cambridge. The real question isn’t “which is hardest?” but “which is the best fit for you?” See our full comparison guide.
Considering Multiple Scholarships?
Full comparison →Compare KHS side by side with Rhodes, Marshall, Gates Cambridge, and Fulbright. Full comparison →