ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has retained its position as the world’s top recipient of Erasmus Mundus scholarships for the fifth consecutive year, with students once again securing the highest number of selections under the European Union-funded postgraduate programme.
According to the latest Erasmus Mundus selection cycle data shared via official Erasmus+ channels, Pakistani students have secured 98 fully-funded scholarships in the 2026 cycle, putting the country ahead of all other participating countries. The News reported.
South Asian countries dominated this highly competitive scholarship program, with Bangladesh placing second with 80 scholarship recipients, followed by India with 75. The United States and Italy rounded out the top five with 68 and 67 scholarship recipients, respectively.
A total of 1,872 fully funded scholarships were awarded to students from 135 countries in the latest cycle.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Program is considered one of the most competitive international scholarship programs in the world, offering students the opportunity to pursue joint master’s degrees at several European universities with all major expenses covered.
This achievement also follows strong performances in previous years. In 2025, a total of 114 Pakistani students were awarded scholarships under the Erasmus+ Joint Masters program from a global pool of 2,176 selected applicants representing 137 countries.
Similarly, in 2024, Pakistan has produced 189 Erasmus Mundus scholars out of 2,603 selected students worldwide from 137 countries.
The Erasmus Mundus programme, funded by the European Union under Erasmus+, supports academic mobility and intercultural learning by allowing students to study in several European countries during their study programmes. It covers tuition, travel, visa and subsistence allowances.
