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Fulbright Acceptance Rate by Country 2024

The Fulbright Program is an international educational exchange program. The U.S. Congress created the program in 1946 based on a proposal by Sen. J. William Fulbright. The United States and foreign governments jointly set program policies.

As part of the program, US citizens study abroad, and non-US citizens come to the United States. The program has two components. The Fulbright Student Program is for graduating college seniors, graduate students, and early career professionals and artists. The Fulbright Scholars Program is for college and university faculty with a Ph.D. or similar terminal degree or for administrators.

Participants can come from more than 160 countries. They are chosen based on their academic merit and leadership potential. Those who receive grants can study, research, teach, and contribute to finding solutions to global problems.

The application process is rigorous and begins about 15 months before the anticipated start date. The criteria vary by program and country. Awards are for studies in various disciplines, including the humanities, arts, medicine, sciences, and engineering. Fulbrighters involve themselves in the culture of the country they study in and bring cultural information back to their host country.

Kiribati, which is a country of 33 islands in the Pacific Ocean near Australia, has the highest award rate in the world. Kenya, in East Africa, has the lowest award rate. More people apply in the United Kingdom (Wales, Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland); however, Germany gives the most awards.

A Fulbright award is quite prestigious, and many program alumni are accomplished. Fulbright's alumni include 62 Nobel Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Foundation Fellows, and 89 Pulitzer Prize winners. Forty-one current or former heads of government are Fulbright alumni. Among them are

  • Alexander de Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium
  • Francisco Sagasti, former president of Peru
  • Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, prime minister of Niger
  • Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović former president of Croatia
  • Rishi Sunak – prime minister of the United Kingdom
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Country
# of Students
Program
India85Both US and Visiting Scholar
Australia73Both US and Visiting Scholar
Brazil49Both US and Visiting Scholar
Canada41Both US and Visiting Scholar
France37Both US and Visiting Scholar
Taiwan37Both US and Visiting Scholar
Ireland35Both US and Visiting Scholar
United Kingdom30Both US and Visiting Scholar
Spain26Both US and Visiting Scholar
South Korea25Both US and Visiting Scholar
Poland25Both US and Visiting Scholar
Norway25Arctic Initiative, US Scholar, Visiting Scholar
Czech Republic24Both US and Visiting Scholar
Finland24Arctic Initiative, US Scholar, Visiting Scholar
Turkey21Both US and Visiting Scholar
Italy20Both US and Visiting Scholar
Pakistan18Visiting Scholar
Japan18Both US and Visiting Scholar
South Africa18Both US and Visiting Scholar
Argentina18Visiting Scholar
Russia17Visiting Scholar
Haiti17Both US and Visiting Scholar
Austria17Both US and Visiting Scholar
Germany16Both US and Visiting Scholar
Romania16Both US and Visiting Scholar
Israel16Both US and Visiting Scholar
United States14Scholar-in-Residence
Vietnam14Both US and Visiting Scholar
Greece13Both US and Visiting Scholar
Portugal13Both US and Visiting Scholar
Egypt11Both US and Visiting Scholar
Morocco11Both US and Visiting Scholar
Belgium11Both US and Visiting Scholar
Bulgaria11Both US and Visiting Scholar
Malaysia10Both US and Visiting Scholar
Nigeria9Both US and Visiting Scholar
Philippines9Both US and Visiting Scholar
Thailand9Both US and Visiting Scholar
Colombia9US Scholar
Netherlands9Both US and Visiting Scholar
Iceland9Both US and Visiting Scholar
Indonesia8Both US and Visiting Scholar
Sweden8Both US and Visiting Scholar
Kenya7US Scholar
Serbia7Both US and Visiting Scholar
Uganda6Both US and Visiting Scholar
Ghana5US Scholar
Denmark5Both US and Visiting Scholar
Slovakia5Both US and Visiting Scholar
Estonia5Both US and Visiting Scholar
Ukraine4Visiting Scholar
Peru4US Scholar
Zambia4Both US and Visiting Scholar
Ecuador4US Scholar
Tunisia4Visiting Scholar
Jordan4Both US and Visiting Scholar
New Zealand4Both US and Visiting Scholar
Croatia4Visiting Scholar
Georgia4Both US and Visiting Scholar
Lithuania4Both US and Visiting Scholar
Cameroon3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Sri Lanka3US Scholar
Malawi3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Kazakhstan3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Chile3US Scholar
Senegal3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Zimbabwe3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Belarus3Visiting Scholar
Singapore3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Costa Rica3US Scholar
Mongolia3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Jamaica3US Scholar
Armenia3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Latvia3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Cyprus3Both US and Visiting Scholar
Bangladesh2Visiting Scholar
Mexico2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Tanzania2US Scholar
Uzbekistan2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Nepal2US Scholar
Ivory Coast2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Burkina Faso2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Guatemala2US Scholar
Cambodia2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Guinea2US Scholar
Rwanda2US Scholar
Bolivia2US Scholar
Dominican Republic2US Scholar
Tajikistan2US Scholar
Sierra Leone2US Scholar
Paraguay2US Scholar
Palestine2Visiting Scholar
Lebanon2Visiting Scholar
Panama2US Scholar
Uruguay2US Scholar
Bosnia and Herzegovina2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Albania2Visiting Scholar
Qatar2US Scholar
Namibia2US Scholar
Slovenia2Both US and Visiting Scholar
North Macedonia2Both US and Visiting Scholar
Mauritius2US Scholar
Brunei2Visiting Scholar
Barbados2US Scholar
Ethiopia1Visiting Scholar
Algeria1US Scholar
Mozambique1Visiting Scholar
Azerbaijan1US Scholar
United Arab Emirates1US Scholar
Togo1Visiting Scholar
Switzerland1Visiting Scholar
Laos1Visiting Scholar
Kyrgyzstan1US Scholar
Turkmenistan1Visiting Scholar
Moldova1US Scholar
Botswana1Visiting Scholar
Trinidad and Tobago1US Scholar
Bahrain1US Scholar
Guyana1US Scholar
Malta1US Scholar
Maldives1US Scholar
Bahamas1US Scholar
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Which country is competitive for Fulbright?

The UK receives the most Fulbright applications, but Germany awards the most grants, Kiribati has the highest award rate, and Kenya has the lowest award rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Fulbright Scholar Directory - Fulbright Scholar Program

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