Rhodes Scholarship recipients for 2025 include 4 West Point cadets

A group of 32 students from the United States have been selected to attend the University of Oxford in the coming year as part of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship program from an international class representing more than 70 countries, scholarship officials announced.

Nearly 3,000 American students began the application process for the scholarship that covers all costs at the storied university in Oxford, England, to pursue a college degree starting in October 2025, according to the office of the U.S. Secretary of the Rhodes Trust in McLean, Virginia, in a statement early Sunday.

The 32 recipients include students from 19 states and the District of Columbia attending 20 U.S. colleges and universities. During the application process, 865 students were approved by 243 colleges and universities. Committees in 16 U.S. districts then selected 238 finalists for interviews.

Four of the recipients are from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, the most selected from the service academy in a single year since 1959. Others include the first Rhodes Scholars chosen from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia and Pepperdine University in California.

Coe College in Iowa returned to the program for the first time in decades, had its first scholarship winner in more than 53 years and Davidson College in North Carolina placed a scholar after 25 years without the recognition.

The trust touted the diverse interests of the grant winners: a DJ who uses AI in music and medicine, a religious studies major who masters six languages, an amateur boxer and the youngest elected official in Missouri.

Ramona L. Doyle, the US secretary of the Rhodes Trust, said in the statement that in addition to academic excellence, “a Rhodes Scholar must also have a great ambition for social impact, and an unusual ability to work with others to achieve his goals .”

“They must be committed to making a strong difference for the better in the world, concerned about the well-being of others and acutely aware of inequality,” Doyle said.

The sponsorship was established in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, founder of the De Beers diamond mining and manufacturing company. The first class came to Oxford in 1903 and the first American Rhodes scholars arrived the following year. Scholars pursue advanced degrees in subjects ranging from social sciences and humanities to biological and natural sciences, the trust said.

The Rhodes Scholarship is “the oldest and best known award for international study, and perhaps the most famous academic award available to American graduates,” Doyle said.

Sunday’s announcement brings the total number of Americans selected for Rhodes Scholarships to 3,674, representing 329 colleges and universities, the trust said, noting that 675 American women have won the scholarship despite having only been in college since 1976 were eligible to apply.

The U.S. scholars chosen for the class of 2024 were the first to participate in-person in a screening process following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. For the previous three years, the selection process took place online.

The fellowships typically last two to three years, but can last up to four years. The award covers all fees, a subsistence allowance and transport between England and the recipient’s location. The grant is valued at approximately $75,000 annually, increasing to approximately $250,000 for scientists who remain in their department for four years.

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