2027 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship in Netherlands

Table of Contents

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) provides an opportunity for outstanding Dutch and international students seeking to pursue a full-time Master’s degree at Leiden University in the Netherlands. The scholarship is intended for students who want to continue their postgraduate education in an internationally recognised academic environment while studying at one of the Netherlands’ leading universities.

For the 2026 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, selected students can receive an award of up to €19,000, depending on the applicable scholarship category. The funding is intended as a contribution toward tuition fees for eligible Master’s degree programmes. The scholarship therefore helps reduce part of the financial cost associated with pursuing postgraduate studies at Leiden University.

If you are considering a Master’s degree at Leiden University, you should carefully check the LExS eligibility requirements, participating programmes and application conditions before applying. International applicants should also confirm the applicable tuition fee category and scholarship amount for their chosen programme, as the level of support can vary according to the circumstances of the award.

Eligibility: 

• Non-EEA/non-EFTA* nationals who are applying for a Master’s programme at Leiden University. See additional note for UK students below.
• Students of all nationalities applying for an LLM Advanced Studies programme, or the MSC in International Relations and Diplomacy.

*EEA/EFTA: All EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

1. Study programme requirements

• Applicants for all Master’s programme at Leiden University – with the exception of LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes at Leiden Law School.
• 2. Students must have achieved excellent academic results in their previous study programme(s), which must be relevant to the Master’s programme for which they are applying.
• As an indication, the student is amongst the top 10% of graduates in his/her previous study programme. Note that proof of ranking is not required – this information is purely to indicate the level of competitiveness.

Value: 

The LExS is awarded for the duration of the study programme. There are five available levels of awards:

• € 10,000 of the tuition fee
• € 15,000 of the tuition fee
• € 17,500 of the tuition fee
• € 18,500 of the tuition fee
• € 19,000 of the tuition fee

Eligible Field: 

• Archaeology, Humanities,
• Medicine/LUMC,
• Governance and Global Affairs,
• Law,
• Social and Behavioural Sciences, Science,
• African Studies Centre,
• International Institute for Asian Studies

Deadline: December 1, 2026
Type: Master.
Host Country: Netherlands

Apply Now