Prestigious Rhodes Scholarships Awarded to 32 American Students
The names of thirty-two American students selected as 2026 Rhodes Scholars were revealed on Sunday, 16th November 2025. This distinguished cohort, which will commence graduate studies at the University of Oxford, includes a significant contingent from the nation's military academies and leading universities.
Diverse Cohort with Global Ambitions
The group of scholars showcases a remarkable breadth of academic and personal achievement. Five students are from U.S. military academies, while three each hail from Yale University, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their research interests are tackling some of the world's most pressing issues, including housing, health outcomes, sustainability, and prison reentry programmes.
Among the standout recipients is Alice L. Hall from Philadelphia. While serving as student body president and playing varsity basketball at MIT, she has also collaborated with a women’s collective in Ghana on sustainability tools. She plans to study engineering at Oxford.
Sydney E. Barta of Arlington, Virginia, is a Paralympian and member of the track team at Stanford University. Alongside her bioengineering studies, she sings in the Stanford acapella group “Counterpoint” and intends to pursue musculoskeletal sciences.
Anirvin Puttur from Gilbert, Arizona, is a senior at the U.S. Air Force Academy who serves as an instructor pilot and flight commander. Studying aeronautical engineering and applied mathematics, he also possesses a deep interest in linguistics and is proficient in four languages.
A Legacy of Academic Excellence at Oxford
The Rhodes scholar program, established at Oxford in 1903, awards more than 100 scholarships worldwide each year, enabling exceptional students to pursue two to three years of postgraduate study. The scholarship was named after British imperialist and benefactor Cecil John Rhodes.
With a global network of more than 8,000 alumni, the programme has a storied history of producing leaders who go on to influential careers in government, education, the arts, and social justice. The 2026 cohort of American scholars is poised to continue this tradition of impactful work.
