32 Americans Awarded Prestigious Rhodes Scholarships for 2026

On November 16, 2025, it was announced that 32 Americans have been selected as the 2026 Rhodes scholars, a prestigious honor that will allow them to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford. The group includes 5 students from U.S. military academies and 3 each from Yale University, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The newly named Rhodes scholars are tackling a wide range of important issues. Among them is Alice L. Hall, a varsity basketball player and student body president at MIT who has collaborated with a women's collective in Ghana on sustainability tools. Another scholar, Sydney E. Barta, is a Paralympian and member of the track team at Stanford University, who plans to study musculoskeletal sciences. Anirvin Puttur, a senior at the U.S. Air Force Academy, serves as an instructor pilot and flight commander while also studying aeronautical engineering, applied mathematics, and linguistics.

The Rhodes scholarship, established in 1903, has produced over 8,000 alumni who have gone on to pursue careers in government, education, the arts, and social justice. This year's diverse group of American scholars is poised to continue that legacy of excellence and impact.