Rhodes Scholarship, grant of financial aid awarded to selected college and university students for study at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, England. The Rhodes scholarships were established in 1902 after the death of British financier and statesman Cecil John Rhodes, who provided for the program in his will. Rhodes hoped that by bringing students from different countries to study at Oxford, the scholarships would promote international unity, particularly among English-speaking nations. The first Rhodes scholars began their fellowships in 1903.

In a typical term, approximately 230 Rhodes scholars are in residence at Oxford. Scholars are awarded an annual stipend covering tuition and living expenses for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. Eligibility for Rhodes scholarships was originally limited to young men, but in 1976 the competition became open to young women as well. Selection committees choose scholarship recipients based on candidates’ literary and scholastic ability, qualities of character and leadership, and physical health.

The scholarships are awarded annually to students in 19 regions designated by the Rhodes Trustees: Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, the United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Students from the United States form the largest national contingent of Rhodes scholars.

The Rhodes trustees grant the United States an annual quota of 32 scholars, selected in groups of four from eight different regions of the country. American candidates must be unmarried U.S. citizens with at least five years of residence in the United States and must be 18 to 24 years old on October 1 of the year of application. Years spent in active military service may be deducted to meet the age requirement. Applicants from the United States are also expected to be at least juniors at recognized U.S. colleges or universities.