Netherlands, Scholarships

🎓 Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) 2027 — Up to €19,000 for Top International Master’s Students

Gradualin

June 24, 2026
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Leiden University — the oldest university in the Netherlands, founded in 1575 — offers one of the most prestigious merit scholarships in Europe for international Master’s students. The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) awards up to €19,000 toward tuition fees to exceptional non-EEA students who demonstrate outstanding academic performance. With only around 25 scholarships awarded each year from a pool of over a thousand applicants, this is a highly selective and genuinely career-defining award. If you are among the top performers in your field and planning to pursue a Master’s degree at Leiden, this article gives you everything you need to apply with confidence.

Detail	Information
University	Leiden University
Country	Netherlands
Degree Level	Master’s (full-time only)
Scholarship Type	Partial tuition fee waiver
Award Amount	€10,000 / €15,000 / €17,500 / €18,500 / €19,000 (five levels)
Number of Awards	~25 per year
Annual Deadline	2 February (September intake)
Open To	Non-EEA/non-EFTA students (exceptions apply — see eligibility)
Programme Start	September
Official Link	LExS Scholarship Page

🎓 About the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship

Leiden University is not just old — it is genuinely one of Europe’s most internationally respected research institutions. Located in the historic city of Leiden, with a second campus in The Hague, it attracts students from over 120 countries and is known for academic depth in law, international relations, humanities, social sciences, medicine, and natural sciences.

The LExS (Leiden University Excellence Scholarship) is the university’s flagship award for incoming international Master’s students. It exists to attract the world’s most capable students — those who rank in the top 10% of their previous study programme — and to make a Leiden education more financially accessible for the best of them.

What makes this scholarship distinctive is its breadth: it applies across nearly all Master’s programmes at Leiden, spanning seven faculties — Archaeology, Humanities, Medicine/LUMC, Governance and Global Affairs, Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences, and Science. This is one of the few merit scholarships in the Netherlands that cuts across disciplines rather than being siloed within a single department.

The scholarship is awarded for the full duration of the study programme — meaning a two-year Master’s student who receives, for example, €15,000 per year benefits across both years. That said, it is important to be clear from the outset: the LExS is a partial tuition scholarship, not a full award. A significant personal financial contribution will still be required, and recipients must separately demonstrate sufficient funds for their student visa.

🎓 Scholarship Amounts

The LExS does not offer one standard amount — instead, it operates across five award levels, all applied toward tuition fees:

€10,000 off tuition
€15,000 off tuition
€17,500 off tuition
€18,500 off tuition
€19,000 off tuition

The level awarded is determined by the faculty selection committee and is final and non-negotiable. You cannot request a higher tier after being awarded.

The scholarship is granted for the full duration of your enrolled programme (e.g., 12 months for a one-year Master’s, 24 months for a two-year programme), provided you remain enrolled full-time at Leiden.

One important note: the LExS cannot be combined with another full external scholarship. If you receive a partial scholarship from another source, that may be combinable — contact the Scholarships Team directly for guidance. Recipients are obligated to notify the university if they receive full funding from any other source after being awarded the LExS.

🎓 Eligibility Criteria

The LExS has clear and firm eligibility conditions. Before applying, confirm that you meet all of the following:

Degree programme: You must be applying for a full-time Master’s programme at Leiden University starting in September, excluding:
- Leiden Law School’s LLM (non-advanced) programmes
- Leiden Law School’s MSc programmes
- Any programme beginning in February
Nationality: You must hold a non-EEA/non-EFTA passport and must not be eligible for Dutch government student finance (Studiefinanciering) — with two exceptions where all nationalities may apply:
- All LLM Advanced Studies programmes
- MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy
UK students: Eligible, as the UK is now a non-EEA country — unless you were already living in the Netherlands and registered in the Dutch BRP before 1 January 2021
Academic performance: You must have achieved excellent results in your prior study programme — typically within the top 10% of graduates in your field. No proof of ranking is required, but this gives a realistic sense of the competition level
Previous Leiden degree: You cannot receive a LExS if you have already completed a Master’s degree at Leiden, with exceptions for advanced programmes that require a prior Master’s as an entry condition (e.g., LLM Advanced Studies)
No existing full scholarship: You must not already hold a full scholarship from an external provider

🎓 Who Should Apply — and Who Shouldn’t

✅ Strong candidates for the LExS:

Non-EEA/non-EFTA students with consistently outstanding academic records — think top marks, prizes, or recognition in your undergraduate or prior Master’s programme
Students applying for September-intake Master’s programmes in Archaeology, Humanities, Governance, Law (advanced), Social Sciences, Science, or Medicine
Students who can make a compelling case for their motivation through a focused 500-word letter
UK students planning a September start (who meet the post-Brexit eligibility conditions)
Students applying for the LLM Advanced Studies or MSc International Relations and Diplomacy — the only programmes open to all nationalities

❌ This scholarship is not available to:

EEA/EU/EFTA nationals applying to standard Master’s programmes (except LLM Advanced and MSc International Relations & Diplomacy)
Students applying to Leiden Law School’s non-advanced LLM or MSc programmes
Students whose Master’s programme begins in February rather than September
Applicants who already hold a full external scholarship
Students who have already completed a Master’s at Leiden (in most cases)

🎓 Eligible Faculties and Programmes

The LExS covers full-time Master’s programmes across the following Leiden University faculties:

Faculty of Archaeology
Faculty of Humanities
Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) / Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs (including The Hague campus programmes)
Faculty of Law (excluding non-advanced LLM and MSc programmes)
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Faculty of Science

For a full list of eligible programmes, visit Leiden University’s Master’s programmes page and check whether the LExS appears in your scholarship section after submitting your admission application.

🎓 Required Documents

The LExS application is integrated into the Master’s admission process. You do not submit a separate standalone application. What you will need:

A completed online admission application for your chosen Master’s programme at Leiden University (including payment of any applicable application fee)
A motivation letter — PDF format, maximum 500 words — uploaded in the scholarships section of your application portal. This letter should explain why you are applying for the LExS and why you believe you deserve the award
All standard admission documents required by your chosen programme (academic transcripts, degree certificates, CV, language proficiency evidence, references — requirements vary by programme)

No separate reference letters or research proposals are required specifically for the LExS. The motivation letter is the only LExS-specific document.

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

Apply for admission to your chosen Master’s programme at Leiden University via the online application portal. Pay the application fee if required
Allow processing time — it can take up to 3 working days for your admission application to be created and submitted. Start well before the scholarship deadline
Return to your application portal after submitting your admission application. Click on “Apply” then “Scholarships” — the LExS option will appear if you are eligible
Indicate your interest in the LExS and upload your motivation letter (PDF, max. 500 words)
Submit your scholarship application before the deadline. After submission, no changes can be made — not online, not by email
If applying to multiple programmes, submit a separate LExS application and motivation letter within each individual admission application
Wait for results — faculty selection committees nominate recipients within 6 weeks of the deadline. All applicants receive a decision by end of April

💡 Practical tip: The official scholarship page notes that the application portal has limited access on the weekend just before the February deadline. Submit by 30 January at the latest to avoid any last-minute technical issues.

🎓 Important Dates

Milestone	Date
Recommended submission date	30 January (portal access limited the weekend before)
LExS Application Deadline	2 February (September intake)
Faculty committees nominate recipients	Within 6 weeks of the deadline
Results communicated to all applicants	Before end of April
Master’s programmes start	September

Bookmark this page and check back for updates — official deadline confirmation for the next cycle will appear at the LExS page.

🎓 Why Apply — Why Leiden, Why the Netherlands

Here’s what makes the LExS genuinely worth the effort: Leiden University is the oldest and one of the most internationally connected universities in the Netherlands, with close institutional ties to The Hague — the seat of international law, diplomacy, and global governance. If you are studying law, international relations, governance, or social sciences, few locations in the world give you the kind of real-world proximity to institutions like the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and Europol.

Beyond The Hague connection, Leiden’s research reputation in fields like archaeology, Asian studies, biomedicine, and data science is consistently ranked among the best in Europe. The university has produced notable alumni including several Dutch heads of state, leading scientists, and international legal scholars.

The Netherlands itself offers a uniquely international student environment — English is widely spoken, the country is compact and easy to navigate, and cities like Leiden and The Hague are safe, well-connected, and genuinely welcoming to international students.

What makes the LExS stand out among European merit scholarships is its discipline-neutral approach — the same competitive award is available whether you’re studying molecular biology or medieval history. This is one of the few cases where a single prestigious scholarship genuinely serves students across the full academic spectrum.

🎓 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the LExS cover living expenses? A: No. The LExS is a partial tuition fee scholarship only. It does not cover accommodation, food, travel, or other living costs. Non-EEA recipients must still submit proof of sufficient funds when applying for their Dutch student visa.

Q: How competitive is the LExS really? A: Extremely. Leiden University awards approximately 25 scholarships per year while receiving over 1,000 applications. This means roughly 1 in 40 applicants is successful. Your academic record and motivation letter both need to be genuinely exceptional.

Q: Can I apply if I’m from the EU? A: For most Master’s programmes, no — the LExS is reserved for non-EEA/non-EFTA students. The two exceptions where all nationalities may apply are the LLM Advanced Studies programmes and the MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy.

Q: What happens if I switch programmes after receiving the LExS? A: Continuation is not guaranteed. Requests to transfer the scholarship to a different programme are reviewed case-by-case by the faculty selection committee. If you switch before officially registering for your programme, the scholarship is revoked and you must reapply.

Q: Can I apply for the LExS for multiple Master’s programmes simultaneously? A: Yes — but you must submit a separate admission application and a separate motivation letter for each programme. The scholarship application is embedded in the admission process, so each application is independent.

Q: Is there an IELTS or TOEFL requirement for the LExS itself? A: The LExS has no separate language test requirement. However, your chosen Master’s programme at Leiden may require proof of English proficiency as part of the general admission process — check the specific programme page for requirements.

🎓 Official Source

Official Scholarship Page: Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)
Terms and Conditions: LExS Terms and Conditions (PDF)
Apply for Admission: Leiden University Admission & Application
Master’s Programme Finder: Leiden Master’s Programmes
Scholarships FAQ: Leiden Scholarships FAQ
Contact Email: scholarships@sea.leidenuniv.nl
Phone (Tue & Thu, 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00): +31 (0)71 527 7192

🎓 Summary Table

Detail	Information
Scholarship	Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)
University	Leiden University
Country	Netherlands
Level	Master’s (full-time, September intake only)
Award	Partial tuition fee — 5 levels: €10,000 / €15,000 / €17,500 / €18,500 / €19,000
Number of Awards	~25 per year
Duration	Full programme duration (1 or 2 years)
Open To	Non-EEA/non-EFTA students (all nationalities for LLM Advanced & MSc Intl Relations)
Academic Requirement	Top 10% of graduates in prior programme (indicative — no proof required)
Language Requirement	Per programme (no separate LExS language test)
Application Deadline	2 February (recommended: 30 January)
Results	By end of April
Combinable With	Partial external scholarships only (not full external scholarships)
Official Link	universiteitleiden.nl — LExS