U.S. Military Students Among 32 New Rhodes Scholars Heading to Oxford

Thirty-two American students have been chosen for the prestigious Rhodes scholarship program among colleagues from more than seventy countries seeking graduate degrees at the University of Oxford beginning October 2025. Four of the chosen members of the select group come from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point—the most number selected from the academy since 1959.

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Nearly 3,000 U.S. candidates started the demanding application process for the scholarship, which pays for tuition, living expenses, and travel valued at almost $75,000 annually. In all, 865 students were approved by 243 universities, and 238 finalists answered questions asked by 16 district committees.

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Along with historic firsts, this year featured Davidson College in North Carolina, which last produced a scholar 25 years ago. Rhodes students announced from Coe College in Iowa following a 53-year gap. The awardees also showed varied skills, ranging from Missouri's youngest elected official to a DJ combining artificial intelligence with medicine to a linguistically gifted religious studies student.

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Founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1902, the Rhodes Trust highlights academics' dedication to social impact and academic performance. "They should be committed to making a strong difference for good in the world," American Secretary of the Trust Ramona L. Doyle said. 

3,674 Americans have qualified for the scholarship since its founding, and it first extended its doors to women in 1976.

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