Inspiring Excellence Scholarships

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

Achieve the outstanding

The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship awards an annual tuition fee discount of £5,000 or £10,000 to exceptional, self-funded international students demonstrating outstanding academic potential. This prestigious, application-based partial scholarship is open to international applicants applying to eligible undergraduate or postgraduate taught programmes at Durham University for the 2027/28 academic year. Applications will open in October 2026; you may register your interest by completing the Inspiring Excellence Scholarship 2027 - Expression of Interest Form.

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 49th for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2027.

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, application-based partial scholarship is open to self-funding international applicants seeking admission to an eligible postgraduate taught degree programme at Durham University for the 2027/28 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 is based on the applicant's scholarship application responses, academic achievements and potential to make a positive impact after completing a postgraduate degree at Durham University. In addition, nationality diversity and balance across programmes will also be considered in the selection process.

To be eligible for the Durham Inspiring Excellence Postgraduate Scholarship, applicants must:
- Be self-funded and not in receipt of any other scholarship, funding award, or sponsorship from Durham University or any external organisation.
  
  Durham alumni are welcome to apply for the Inspiring Excellence Postgraduate Scholarship; however, the scholarship cannot be combined with the Durham University Alumni Discount. Successful applicants will be asked to choose from one of these awards.
- Be classified as overseas student for tuition fee purposes.
- Hold a valid Durham Student ID
- 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
- Meet or exceed the entry requirements for the programme applied for at Durham University.
- Commence postgraduate studies at Durham University in September 2027.
- Not be progressing to Durham University via the Durham University International Study Centre.
- Submit Durham 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, application-based partial scholarship is open to self-funding international applicants seeking admission to an eligible undergraduate degree programme at Durham University for the 2027/28 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 is based on the applicant's scholarship application responses, academic achievements and potential to make a positive impact after completing an undergraduate degree at Durham University. In addition, nationality diversity and balance across programmes will also be considered in the selection process.

To be eligible for the Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship, applicants must:
- Be self-funded and not in receipt of any other scholarship, funding award, or sponsorship from Durham University or any external organisation.
- Be classified as overseas student for tuition fee purposes.
- Hold a valid UCAS Personal ID.
- 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 from this scholarship scheme.
- Select Durham University as Firm Choice by the UCAS reply deadline.
- Meet or exceed the entry requirements for the programme applied for at Durham University.
- Commence undergraduate studies at Durham University in September 2027.
- Not select Durham University as Insurance Choice.
- Not be admitted to Durham University through Clearing.
- Not be progressing to Durham University via the Durham University International Study Centre.
- Submit Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship Application Form.