Chevening vs Fulbright vs Erasmus Mundus: which scholarship is right for you?

Ask a room of international students to name a scholarship and three names come up again and again: Chevening, Fulbright and Erasmus Mundus. They are among the best known awards in the world, and they are often treated as interchangeable.

They are not. One sends you to a single country for a year, one is run differently in every country that takes part, and one moves you between universities in several countries. They also want different people: Chevening asks for years of work experience, while Erasmus Mundus is open to students straight from a first degree.

Here is how Chevening vs Fulbright vs Erasmus Mundus compare, based on each programme’s official pages as checked on October 30, 2026.

The short answer

• Choose Chevening if you have at least two years of work experience, want a one-year master’s in the UK and plan to return home afterwards.
• Choose Fulbright if you want to study or do research in the United States and your country has a Fulbright Commission or a US Embassy programme you can apply through.
• Choose Erasmus Mundus if you want a master’s taught across universities in several countries and you are applying to a specific joint programme.

Chevening vs Fulbright vs Erasmus Mundus at a glance

	Chevening	Fulbright	Erasmus Mundus
Where you study	United Kingdom	United States	Several countries, through a university group
Level	One-year master’s	Graduate study or research, also young professionals and artists	Joint master’s
What it pays	Tuition, return travel, visa cost, allowances and a monthly stipend	Grant terms differ by country	No tuition or mandatory fees, EUR 1,400 a month, travel and visa support
Work experience	At least two years (2,800 hours)	Rules differ by country	Not among the general rules
How you apply	Online to Chevening, with three UK course choices	Through the Fulbright Commission or US Embassy in your country	Directly to the joint programme
When	Last round: August to October 2026	Set by each country	Most programmes: October to January

Chevening Scholarships

Chevening is the UK government’s international award for a one-year master’s at any UK university. The official page lists what it pays: tuition fees, economy return travel, the visa application cost, arrival and departure allowances and a monthly living stipend (Chevening).

• Who can apply: citizens of Chevening-eligible countries with an undergraduate degree and at least two years (2,800 hours) of work experience. You apply for three eligible UK courses.
• The condition: you must return to your home country for at least two years after the award.
• When: the 2027/28 round opened in August 2026 and closed in October 2026. Dates for the next round are not yet published.

Best for: early-career professionals with a clear plan for their home country.

Read the full Chevening listing

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Fulbright is the US government’s flagship exchange programme. It brings about 4,000 foreign graduate students, young professionals and artists to the United States each year and runs in more than 160 countries (Fulbright).

• Who can apply: non-US citizens with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, from participating countries.
• How it works: you do not apply to one central office. Each country’s Fulbright Commission or US Embassy runs its own competition, with its own rules.
• What it pays: grant terms differ by country, so the official global page does not give a single list. Your home-country office will tell you exactly what its grants include.
• When: each country sets its own deadline.

Best for: students and researchers set on the United States, especially where their country’s Fulbright office offers strong support.

Read the full Fulbright listing

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters

Erasmus Mundus scholarships are EU-funded awards for joint master’s programmes run by groups of universities in several countries. Holders pay no tuition or other mandatory participation fees and receive EUR 1,400 a month, plus support for travel, visa and installation costs (European Commission).

• Who can apply: full-time students from any country with a first higher education degree, or finishing one before the programme starts, who have not had an Erasmus Mundus scholarship before.
• How it works: there is no central application. You apply directly to the joint programme you want, and each programme sets its own admission requirements.
• When: each programme has its own deadline. Most take applications between October and January for the following academic year.

Best for: graduates who want to study in more than one country, including those without work experience.

Read the full Erasmus Mundus listing

Which one should you apply for?

1. Start with where you want to be. The UK, the United States or several European countries: that single choice often decides it.
2. Check your experience. Without two years of work experience, Chevening is not open to you yet. Erasmus Mundus does not list work experience among its general rules, although individual programmes may set their own requirements.
3. Check your country. Chevening and Fulbright both depend on your nationality. Look for your country on Chevening’s eligible list and find your local Fulbright office.
4. Look at the calendar. Chevening closes in the autumn, most Erasmus Mundus programmes between October and January, and Fulbright depends on your country. See our scholarship deadline calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the most prestigious: Chevening, Fulbright or Erasmus Mundus?

All three are well-known, publicly funded programmes. The better question is which one fits your plans: the country you want to study in, your experience and the course you want.

Can I apply for more than one?

Read each programme’s official conditions on applying for or holding other awards before you apply, and ask the programme directly if you are unsure.

Do I need an English test?

Usually your university or programme sets the English requirement. Check each course’s requirements, and see our guide to IELTS, TOEFL and the Duolingo English Test.

How much does each scholarship pay?

Erasmus Mundus publishes a fixed EUR 1,400 a month. Chevening pays a monthly stipend but the official page we used does not give the amount, and Fulbright terms differ by country. Compare other programmes in how much scholarships pay.

Before you apply

All three ask you to explain your goals in writing. Read how to write a scholarship motivation letter, and learn how to avoid scholarship scams. A genuine scholarship never asks you to pay to apply.