University College London Scholarships for International Students 2026

For full-time undergraduate study, UCL says “All our programmes are taught in person” and it does not offer “full-time undergraduate online-only programmes.” Also, most postgraduate scholarships are also for in-person studies.

Based on UCL recipients featured on Global Scholarships, scholarships have supported students across a wide range of subjects: STEM, engineering, business, social sciences, and humanities. Here are real examples of what recipients studied at UCL:

• Engineering / STEM: Muhammad Maaz pursued “MEng in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence,” and Vedant Singh Rathore completed an “MSc in Machine Learning.”
• Computer Science / AI: Aye Myat Mon pursued a “Bachelor’s in Computer Science”
• Business / Finance: Francelia Castañeda began an “MSc in Venture Capital and Private Equity with Financial Technology”
• Policy / Social Sciences: Shahzad Khalil earned an “MSc Global Prosperity” at UCL; Rupali Handa studied “MSc Economics & Policy of Energy and the Environment.”
• Education / Humanities: Celina Sanabria studied “Master’s in Education and Technology,”; Jéssica Pompeu pursued a “Master’s in Health, Well-Being, and Sustainable Buildings.”

Medicine: UCL offers Medicine (MBBS) and accepts international applications, but medicine has additional selection steps and is highly competitive. Scholarships for clinical medicine can be more limited and scheme-specific, so always check the exact scholarship’s eligibility rules for Medicine MBBS.

UCL scholarship recipients featured on Global Scholarships come from many countries, which shows that funding routes are available for a broad range of nationalities (depending on the scholarship). Examples include:

• Muhammad Maaz (Pakistan)
• Aye Myat Mon (Myanmar)
• Francelia Castañeda (Mexico)
• Vedant Singh Rathore (India)
• Rupali Handa (India)
• Celina Sanabria (Paraguay)
• Jéssica Pompeu (Brazil)
• Shahzad Khalil (Pakistan)

In practice, eligibility depends on the scholarship type: university scholarships can be “international student” focused so it is applicable for all nationalities, while external scholarships (like Chevening) depend on the awarding body’s eligible country list.

Often, yes, unless you qualify for an exemption based on prior study in English. In UCL recipient stories, English testing comes up repeatedly: Aye Myat Mon lists “IELTS: 8.5/9.0,” Vedant Singh Rathore said, “I also took the GRE (321) and IELTS (8.0),” and Francelia Castañeda listed “Standardized Tests: TOEFL.” Some applicants can be exempt: Shahzad Khalil shared, “I was exempted from IELTS due to my prior degree.”

Minimum grades depend on the programme and level (undergraduate vs postgraduate) and your country’s qualification. For taught master’s degrees, UCL commonly references the UK system (First, 2:1, 2:2, etc.) and many programmes expect strong performance (often around a 2:1 equivalent). Recipient stories show there isn’t one single “magic number”: Francelia Castañeda reported a “GPA of 9.2/10,” while Shahzad Khalil said he had a “final grade of 62%” and still earned admission, adding that “attitude, motivation, and resilience are equally important.” Always check the exact entry requirements on the programme page.

It varies by scholarship, but the UCL stories consistently show a mix of (1) strong academics and (2) a clear purpose/impact story. For example, Muhammad Maaz described “5 A*s” in A Levels and said, “I spent about 3-4 months working on my UCAS personal statement.” Jéssica Pompeu graduated with a “3.53 out of 4 GPA,” and Francelia Castañeda reported “a GPA of 9.2/10.” For leadership-focused funding like Chevening, the application can be writing-heavy; Vedant Singh Rathore noted, “I had to write 4 essays, each 500 words.”

Exact documents vary by programme and scholarship, but recipients commonly mention these:

• Personal statement / Statement of Purpose: Muhammad Maaz said, “I spent about 3-4 months working on my UCAS personal statement.” Vedant Singh Rathore noted applications were built around a “Statement of Purpose (SOP).”
• Academic transcripts and test scores: Aye Myat Mon wrote that she gathered “academic transcripts, test scores, and reference letters.”
• References / recommendation letters: Vedant Singh Rathore explained he had to provide “two references,” and Muhammad Maaz highlighted “Reference Letters.”
• CV/resume: Celina Sanabria described learning how to “structure my CV,” and Jéssica Pompeu mentioned “preparing my curriculum.”
• English proficiency evidence (if required): e.g., IELTS/TOEFL (many recipients mention taking these tests).
• Translations (if applicable): Jéssica Pompeu included “translating the necessary documents.”

If you’re applying for external scholarships (like Chevening), you may also need additional scholarship essays and (in some cases) proof of an unconditional offer; Shahzad Khalil described needing to “secure admission” and share an “unconditional offer.”

For many graduate (postgraduate taught) applications, UCL charges an application fee (commonly £90 for standard online applications, with some programme exceptions). For undergraduate applications, you apply via UCAS and pay the UCAS application fee (set by UCAS and subject to change each cycle). Always confirm fees on the official pages for the year and programme you’re applying to.