For two decades, Yale has ranked among the top institutions in producing Fulbright U.S. Student award recipients. And over the past five years, nearly 160 Yale students and alumni have received funding for their scholarly pursuits from the government's leading international exchange program.
Among this prestigious group are 38 Yale students and alumni, selected as 2025-26 recipients of a Fulbright grant for their academic excellence and leadership potential - a number that places Yale among the top four U.S. colleges and institutions for Fulbright U.S. students this year.
These scholars join participants from over 160 countries who study, teach English, and conduct research abroad with the support of Fulbright each year - as well as an international network of over 400,000 scholars who have earned grants from the Fulbright Program since its inception in 1946.
For the 2025-26 award cycle, 175 Yale students and alumni applied to the Fulbright Student Program - an increase of nearly 20% from the previous year.
Fulbright candidates at Yale are supported by several parties. The Office of Fellowships, one office that handles aspects of international and professional experiences, administers the competition for Yale College students and alumni, while the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences administers the application process for Yale students in the graduate and professional schools. And each year, numerous staff and faculty members write recommendations for candidates and serve on Fulbright committees.
The program also offers grants each year to more than 800 U.S. faculty, scholars, scientists, artists, journalists, and other professionals to conduct research and teach overseas as part of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, a separate award. Typically, about three or four Yale faculty members and postdocs win Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards each year.
"Yale students and scholars selected by Fulbright forge global bonds and contribute to educational and professional communities around the world," said Sunil Amrith, Yale's vice provost for international affairs. "Students and faculty interested in facilitating international understanding and scholarly exchange should consider applying to Fulbright."
Fulbright, a program of the U.S. Department of State that was established in 1946, is primarily funded by the U.S. Congress. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in the U.S. and beyond provide direct and indirect support.
Each year, over 4,000 new foreign Fulbright students and scholars come to the U.S. to study for graduate degrees, conduct research, and teach foreign languages.
Fulbright awards are typically announced in the spring. The application cycle for the 2027-28 Fulbright U.S. Student Program will open on the Fulbright website at the end of March; the Fulbright U.S. Scholars Program is now accepting applications for the next round of awards.
