If you are planning to study in the Netherlands with financial support, the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship is one of the best opportunities available for international students. This scholarship provides fully funded programs at Dutch universities across a wide range of fields. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, including its benefits, eligibility criteria, required documents, and a detailed step-by-step application process to help you apply successfully.
The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship 2026-2027 is a fully funded master’s scholarship for international students. A total of 25 scholarships are available. This scholarship covers the full tuition fee and living costs.
Utrecht University is one of Europe’s leading research universities. It is recognized internationally for its high-quality, innovative approach to research and teaching. As an international student, you’ll be in good company at Utrecht University. Every year, approximately 1,500 international students come to the university to take English-taught master’s programs.
Number of Scholarships: 20-25 scholarships will be available for 2025-2026, distributed across the 6 graduate schools. The funds for the scholarships come from the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship Fund, established by Utrecht University, and from contributions by Utrecht University alumni.
Scholarship Summary
- Level of Study: Masters
- Institution(s): Utrecht University
- Study Destination: Netherlands
- Program Period: The scholarship is awarded for one to two years, depending upon the duration of the degree program. (The scholarship will only be renewed for the second year if the student is making satisfactory progress.
- Deadline: February 1st, 23:59 CET (annually).
Courses Offered
- Global Criminology.
- Social, Health, and Organizational Psychology.
- Applied Cognitive Psychology.
- Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.
- Clinical Psychology.
- Neuropsychology.
- Methodology and Statistics for the Behavioral, Biomedical, and Social Sciences.
- Social and Health Psychology.
- Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies.
- Comparative Literary Studies.
- Gender Studies.
- Linguistics.
- Media, Art, and Performance Studies.
- Musicology.
- Art History.
- History.
- Mathematical Sciences.
- Philosophy.
- Development and Socialization in Childhood and Adolescence.
- Legal Research.
- Social and Health Psychology.
- Sociology and Social Research.
Scholarship Coverage
The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship provides the recipient with:
- The tuition fee, or
- The tuition fee plus the income required for one year is linked to a residence permit for study as determined by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service).
- The scholarship can be renewed for the second year of a two-year master’s program.
Eligibility Criteria for the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship
To qualify for the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, the candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements:
- Required Language: English
- Eligible Countries: All countries in the world except European countries.
- Belong to the top 10% of your graduating class.
- Not holding a European Union passport and not being eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans.
- Have completed your secondary school and/or bachelor’s degree outside the Netherlands.
- Have applied for an international master’s program with a start date of 1 September 2025.
- Be able to comply with the conditions to obtain a Dutch visa/residence permit.
- Failure to meet one or more of these criteria automatically means the student is not eligible for this scholarship.
- Selection criteria: Eligible candidates are selected for a scholarship based on the following criteria:
- Academic excellence and promise in the proposed field of study;
- The academic quality and results of preceding qualifications, as evidenced by proof of belonging to the top 10% of the class, grades, test scores, a writing sample, and letters of recommendation.
- The quality and relevance of the motivation letter for the Master’s program (academic content, intercultural and communication skills, personal motivation);
- The quality of the application for the Master’s program itself (completeness, accuracy, consistency).
How to Apply for the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship?
Please follow the instructions below to apply for this scholarship:
(1). Apply first for a Master’s program; if you do not do this first, your scholarship application will simply be deleted.
(2). Follow the next steps to submit a complete application for the chosen master’s program:
- Check the entry requirements for this Master’s program.
- Apply on time, preferably well before the deadline; see ‘When to apply’ according to the chosen master’s program.
- Download the instructions for applying to the master’s program.
- Go to the online portal and complete the online application.
- You will receive an email with login details for the OSIRIS Online Application, where you can upload the required documents. In the OSIRIS Online Application, you can also check the status of your application.
- Pay the application fee.
(3). After applying to the Master’s program, you will have the option to apply for a Utrecht Excellence Scholarship from 1 November.
- Please note that if the master’s program deadline is after the scholarship deadline, you will have to submit your master’s program application before the scholarship deadline to be considered for the scholarship.
(4). After applying to a master’s program, you can go to the Osiris Online Application.
- Log in with your Osiris username and password.
- Click on the link ‘New application.’
- Answer the Utrecht Excellence scholarship questions and upload the requested document(s).
(5). You will need to upload the following document:
- Proof of belonging to the top 10% of your graduating class (an official document issued by your university that proves you are among the top 10% of your graduating class).
(6). Submit your application.
Website
To learn more about the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, please visit the official website: