How To Get A Phd For Free

Last updated September 21, 2021

By ProFellow Founder, Dr. Vicki Johnson

When I first began looking into master's and PhD programs early in my career, I wasn't aware that many universities "fully fund" their doctoral students. "Full funding" is a funding package from the university, usually offered at acceptance, that includes full tuition remission and an annual stipend for living expenses for the four to six years a student is in the doctoral program. In most cases, doctoral students are expected to serve in a Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantship. This part-time position with the university includes work that is typically complementary to your PhD research and provides students with valuable teaching experience.

Because I wasn't aware of full funding opportunities, I considered a PhD impossible and pursued a master's degree instead, taking out both a federal and private loan to fund my studies. I learned of fully funded PhD programs while looking for fellowships for others, and I was very fortunate to enter a PhD program at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand that fully funded my studies. I wouldn't have considered pursuing a PhD if I had to pay for my doctoral studies.

In most cases, finding and entering a doctoral program with full funding is easier that winning a competitive external fellowship or scholarship, like the Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship. Not only are these external fellowships more competitive, but often they only fund the 3rd, 4th and 5th year of your PhD studies, when you are completing your dissertation research. Therefore, when considering a doctorate, research all the potential PhD programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, and ask the admissions office if they fully fund every admitted student. This may have a major impact on the schools you consider applying to.

Just a small sample of PhD programs that are fully funded:

All PhD students at Columbia University get full funding. Columbia has particularly strong programs in medicine and sciences, as well as public administration and policy.

Boston College's Department of Psychology offers a four- to five-year, full-time, fully-funded, research-oriented doctoral program.

Students admitted Duke University's PhD program in Military History receive multi-year funding packages from the graduate school, including tuition waivers, a stipend, and a teaching assistantship or gradership.

The Joint Program in Social Work and Social Science at the University of Michigan gives all incoming doctoral students a multi-year funding package. This is a package of fellowship awards, graduate student research assistant positions, and graduate student instructorships that covers tuition, stipends, and health care.

One thing to keep in mind is that a PhD stipend may be substantially less than what you are earning in the private sector. Yearly stipends normally range from $18,000 – $30,000. Small cities and towns have lower costs of living, so another major factor in your consideration should be location.

Below are links to my ongoing series of articles on fully funded PhD programs (these articles are regularly updated).

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1,000+ fully funded PhD and master's programs? Get your copy of ProFellow's FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards!

Here's our complete list of fully funded PhD programs by discipline:

Fully Funded PhD Programs in Accounting
Fully Funded PhD Programs in African American and Africana Studies
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Architecture
Fully Funded PhD and MFA Programs in Art and Design
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Anthropology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Biomedical Engineering
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Biology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Business
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Business and Entrepreneurship
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Chemical Engineering
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Chemistry
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Cinema and Media Studies
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Civil Engineering
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Classics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Clinical Psychology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Communications
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Computer Science
Fully Funded PhD and MFA Programs in Creative Arts, Writing and Film
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Creative Writing
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Criminal Justice & Criminology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Economics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Education
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Electrical Engineering
Fully Funded PhD Programs in English
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Environmental Conservation
Fully Funded PhD Programs in French
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Geography
Fully Funded PhD Programs in German and Germanic Studies
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Health Informatics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in History
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Information and Library Science
Fully Funded PhD Programs in International Relations and International Development
Fully Funded JD and PhD Programs in Law
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Linguistics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Mathematics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Machine Learning
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Mechanical Engineering
Fully Funded MD-PhD Programs (Medicine)
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Music
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Neuroscience
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Nursing
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Nutrition and Food Science
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Pharmacology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Philosophy
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Physics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Political Science
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Psychology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Public Health
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Public Policy And Public Administration
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Religion and Theology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in School Psychology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Social Work
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Sociology
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Spanish and Portuguese
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Statistics
Fully Funded PhD Programs in Teaching English as a Second Language

Other lists:

Fully Funded PhD Positions in Germany
Fully Funded PhD Programs in the United Kingdom

Fully funded master's degrees and full funding awards:

Full Scholarships and Fully Funded Master's Programs in the U.S. and Abroad
Full Tuition MPP and MPA Fellowships and Scholarships
Full Tuition MBA Fellowships and Scholarships
Fully Funded Master's in Accounting Programs
Fully Funded Master's in American and Africana Studies Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Anthropology Programs
Fully Funded Master's Programs in Architecture
Fully Funded Master's in Biology Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Biomedical Engineering Programs
Fully Funded MBA Alternatives: Graduate Degrees and Fellowships
Fully Funded Master's in Chemistry Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Chemical Engineering Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Classics Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Communications and Journalism Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Computer Science Programs
Fully Funded MFA Programs in Creative Writing
Fully Funded Master's in Criminal Justice Programs
Fully Funded Master's Programs in Economics
Fully Funded Master's Programs in Education
Fully Funded Master's in English Programs
Fully Funded MFA Programs in Film
Fully Funded MA and MFA Programs in Graphic Design
Fully Funded Master's in History Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Math Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Modern Languages Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Philosophy Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Psychology Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Public Health and Global Health Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Religion and Theology Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Social Work Programs
Fully Funded Master's in Statistics Programs
Fully Funded MFA Programs in Studio Art and Visual Art

For application tips and more information, see:

How to Find Fully Funded Graduate Programs in Any Discipline
What You Need to Know About Graduate School Fellowships and Scholarships
How to Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors
3 Tips for Applying to Fully Funded PhD Programs
Master's or PhD? My Advice – Follow the Funding
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Pay for Graduate School Out of Pocket

With or without full funding, doctoral students are encouraged to apply for fellowships to fund their dissertation research. Sign up to check out our fellowships database to learn about other opportunities to fund graduate and doctoral study.

Dr. Vicki Johnson is Founder and CEO of ProFellow, the world's leading online resource for professional and academic fellowships. She is a four-time fellow, top Ph.D. scholar, Fulbright recipient and an award-winning social entrepreneur. She is the Creator and Director ofFully Funded, an award-winning online course and mentorship program for graduate school applicants seeking to find and win full funding.

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