by Last verified: 19 October 2026. We checked these University of Leeds scholarships against the university’s official scholarships directory, course pages and GOV.UK.
Leeds has published its scholarships for September 2027 entry. For international students, the main awards are the International Excellence Scholarships, worth £3,000 (three thousand pounds), £6,000 (six thousand pounds) or £16,000 (sixteen thousand pounds), and the automatic International Regional Scholarships. Better still, Leeds lets you stack some of them. Here is who qualifies, the deadlines and how much you could save.
University of Leeds scholarships for 2027 at a glance
| Scholarship | Value | Who qualifies | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters International Excellence | £3,000, £6,000 or £16,000 fee discount | Any international fee payer with a 2:1 or equivalent | Round one 28 February 2027; round two 16 May 2027 |
| Masters International Regional | An automatic £6,000 (six thousand pounds) fee reduction | Only passport holders of Egypt, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the USA or Vietnam | Ongoing; no application needed |
| Undergraduate International Excellence | £3,000, £6,000 or £16,000 | Any international fee payer entering Year 1 | 11 April 2027 |
| Undergraduate International Regional | An automatic £5,000 (five thousand pounds) fee reduction | Passport holders of Nigeria, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Canada, the EU and others | Ongoing; no application needed |
All of these awards are tuition discounts for the first year only. In other words, they do not cover living costs or accommodation.
Masters International Excellence Scholarship
This is the award most of our readers should target, because it is open to every nationality.
Eligibility checklist
- You must be classed as an international student for fee purposes.
- You need a conditional or unconditional offer for an eligible full-time taught Masters starting September 2027.
- You must be self-funded or partly funded.
- You need at least a 2:1 Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, achieved or predicted.
- Show strong professional and personal skills through work experience or extracurricular activities.
The MBA and fully online courses are excluded. Instead, MBA applicants can look at the separate MBA Excellence Scholarships.
Deadlines and results
- Round one: apply by Sunday 28 February 2027; results by 2 April 2027.
- Round two: apply by Sunday 16 May 2027; results by 11 June 2027.
Because Leeds may reconsider unsuccessful round one applicants later, applying early gives you two chances.
Automatic University of Leeds scholarships by nationality
Next, the Regional Scholarships need no application. If you hold an eligible passport, Leeds tells you about the award shortly after it makes your course offer. Importantly, eligibility depends on your passport, not where you live.
- Masters (£6,000, six thousand pounds): Egypt, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the USA and Vietnam.
- Undergraduate (£5,000, five thousand pounds): Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and the USA.
So, Nigerian and Kenyan students get an automatic award at undergraduate level, but not for Masters. Indian students, on the other hand, qualify at both levels.
University of Leeds scholarships by country: a quick guide
Because the Regional awards depend on your passport, what you can get varies a lot by country:
| Passport | Masters | Undergraduate |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Excellence only | Excellence + automatic £5,000 Regional |
| Kenya | Excellence only | Excellence + automatic £5,000 Regional |
| India | Excellence + automatic £6,000 Regional | Excellence + automatic £5,000 Regional |
| Ghana | Excellence only | Excellence only |
| Pakistan | Excellence only | Excellence only |
If you’re from Ghana or Pakistan, the Excellence Scholarship is your main Leeds award, so a strong application matters even more. Also look at the Commonwealth Scholarship, which is open to both countries.
Can you combine University of Leeds scholarships?
Yes, within limits. According to Leeds, the Excellence and Regional Scholarships can be combined with each other or with external funding, as long as the total does not exceed 100% of your tuition fees. You may also be able to add a School or Faculty scholarship.
However, if you apply through an International Partner Agreement and receive more than one Leeds scholarship, you can accept only the highest-value one.
Worked example: stacking two awards
To illustrate, imagine Priya from Pune holds an offer for an MSc and wins a £6,000 Excellence Scholarship. Suppose the fee were £30,000 (thirty thousand pounds). This is a hypothetical figure, so check your course page for the real fee.
- Tuition fee (hypothetical): £30,000 (thirty thousand pounds)
- Minus Masters International Regional (Indian passport): £6,000 (six thousand pounds)
- Minus Masters International Excellence: £6,000 (six thousand pounds)
- Therefore, first-year tuition left: £18,000 (eighteen thousand pounds)
By contrast, a Nigerian Masters applicant would get only the Excellence award. With the same £6,000 award, they would pay £24,000 (twenty-four thousand pounds) on that hypothetical fee. Either way, also budget for living costs; our UK student visa financial requirements guide explains what you must show.
Other funding at Leeds worth knowing
- Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027: for citizens of listed countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, India and Pakistan. You apply through the CSC system, and the deadline is 20 October 2026, 4pm BST. See our Commonwealth Scholarship guide.
- Chevening Scholarships 2027: listed in the Leeds directory too. Our Chevening guide covers how to apply.
- Alumni discount: also, former Leeds students may get a 10% tuition fee bursary.
What studying at Leeds costs
Leeds hasn’t published most 2027/28 international fees yet, so use these recent figures as a guide and check your course page:
| Item | Latest figure | Year shown |
|---|---|---|
| Data Science and Analytics MSc | £31,750 | 2024 entry |
| International Business MSc | £32,500 | Year not stated |
| Masters deposit (Student visa applicants) | £3,000 | September 2024 entry page |
| Living costs in Leeds, excluding tuition | About £179 to £371 a week | 2024 estimate |
Both Masters courses above ask for IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each part. For your visa, GOV.UK asks students outside London to show £1,171 a month for up to nine months, which is £10,539, on top of any unpaid fees. The visa application itself costs £558, and our UK student visa fee guide covers the health surcharge too.
PhD funding at Leeds for international students
The Excellence and Regional awards are for taught courses. If you’re applying for a PhD, these are the confirmed 2027 options:
- ESRC White Rose DTP Studentships 2027/28: open to all nationalities. They cover fees at UKRI rates plus a stipend of £21,805 (twenty-one thousand eight hundred and five pounds) a year at the 2026/27 rate. The deadline is 20 January 2027 at 17:00 UK time, for an October 2027 start. They don’t cover visa, health surcharge or travel costs.
- PhD application deadlines for international applicants: 30 April 2027 for a September 2027 start and 31 May 2027 for October 2027. Most funding needs an October start.
Timeline for a September 2027 Masters at Leeds
- Now to January 2027: apply for your course. Leeds opens Masters applications on 1 October.
- 28 February 2027: round one deadline for the Masters Excellence Scholarship.
- By 2 April 2027: round one results.
- 16 May 2027: round two deadline, with results by 11 June 2027.
- Summer 2027: pay your deposit, get your CAS and apply for your visa.
How to apply for University of Leeds scholarships
- Apply for your course. Leeds opens Masters applications on 1 October. You can only apply for the Excellence award once you hold an offer.
- Check your email. Leeds emails offer holders with a link to the scholarship form when it is available.
- Apply separately for each course. If you hold several Leeds offers, you need a separate scholarship application for each one.
- Explain your goals. Show your grades, work experience and why Leeds fits your plans. Our scholarship application guide can help.
- Aim for round one. Submit by 28 February 2027 if you can.
Note that you cannot defer a Leeds scholarship to the next year.
Frequently asked questions
Are University of Leeds scholarships fully funded?
No. The Excellence and Regional awards are partial tuition discounts for year one. For full funding, look at Commonwealth or Chevening, or our list of fully funded Masters scholarships.
Do Nigerian students get automatic University of Leeds scholarships?
Yes for undergraduates, who get £5,000 (five thousand pounds) with a Nigerian passport. However, Nigeria is not on the Masters Regional list, so Masters applicants should apply for the Excellence Scholarship.
Can sponsored students apply?
Partly. Leeds requires you to be self-funded or partially funded, so fully sponsored students are not eligible for these awards.
Can Ghanaian or Pakistani students get a Regional Scholarship at Leeds?
Not on the current lists. Neither country is on the Masters or undergraduate Regional list, so apply for the Excellence Scholarship and look at external awards such as the Commonwealth Scholarship.
Does Leeds fund international PhD students?
Some studentships are open to all nationalities, such as the ESRC White Rose DTP Studentships 2027/28, which close on 20 January 2027.
Official sources
- University of Leeds – Masters International Excellence Scholarships
- University of Leeds – Masters International Regional Scholarships
- University of Leeds – Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships
- University of Leeds – Undergraduate International Regional Scholarships
- University of Leeds – Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027
- University of Leeds – ESRC White Rose DTP Studentships 2027/28
- University of Leeds – PhD start dates and deadlines
- University of Leeds – Data Science and Analytics MSc
- University of Leeds – living expenses
- GOV.UK – Student visa money you need
Scholarship terms change. Always confirm details on the official pages before you apply.
