We list 7 masters Scholarships Open to Nigerian Students in the United States, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 5 of them are fully funded. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
Written from the 7 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 5 min read.
This page collects 7 masters scholarships in the United States that are open to Nigerian students. Every award here sits at masters level, every one is based in the United States, and none of them restricts nationality in its own text. That last point matters: all 7 awards on this list carry no nationality restriction, so a Nigerian applicant is not screened out at the eligibility stage on the basis of citizenship. None of the seven names Nigeria or the West African region specifically, which means you are applying as an international candidate under the same rules as everyone else, not under a special Nigerian quota.
Five of the seven are labelled fully funded by the provider. Two do not state their funding position either way, so treat those two as unknown until you read the award page itself.
The entry qualification is a first degree or HND. In practice that means a B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS or HND. These are taught and research masters, so the award is for the study itself, not for a research career you have already begun.
Three of the seven awards state a minimum degree class in their own text. Where an award asks for an upper second, that corresponds to Second Class Upper (2:1) on a Nigerian transcript. Whether a particular university accepts an HND for a given masters programme is decided by that university, not by this page, so check the department before you spend money on a courier.
Nigerian students are a large presence in the United States. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics recorded 16,632 Nigerian students there in 2023, the second largest group of its kind. You are not applying into a vacuum.
Funding language varies, and it is worth reading carefully rather than assuming. Of the seven awards, four name tuition in their own text, two name living costs, two name travel, one names health insurance, and one names research or training costs. Those are the benefits the awards state in writing. They are not a promise that every award covers every line, and two awards on this page do not state their funding at all.
Five awards are described as fully funded by the provider. That is the provider's own label. When you open an individual award, look for the sentence that says what is actually paid and to whom.
The requirements the awards state in their own text break down like this:
The English test is the single most common stated requirement, so budget for it early. Book the test before you start drafting statements, because the score has to be in hand when the portal closes, not on its way. If you are applying from Nigeria, confirm whether the specific university grants a waiver for applicants who studied in English, and get that in writing from the admissions office rather than assuming it.
Letters of recommendation take time in Nigeria. Give your referees at least a month, send them the award link and your CV, and follow up. A generic letter signed late is worse than a specific letter signed early.
Three of the seven awards carry a stated date. Three are still open at the time of writing. Four are undated, and three recur annually. The busiest months across this set are October, November and June, one award each.
The three closing soonest are:
Note the spread. One closes in weeks, one in about a month, one is months away. If you are reading this close to the October date, the Stanford award is the one that will not wait, and the ACI Foundation award is the realistic next target. The Musser fellowship gives you a long runway, which is useful if your transcripts and test score are not yet ready.
Seven awards, from six providers. They are:
That is six named entries. The seventh sits under the same provider grouping and is reached through the list itself. Read each award page rather than this summary, because the funding label on this page is the provider's, and the detail lives on the award.
The seven awards spread across seven fields, one each: Arts & Humanities, Business & Management, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine & Health Sciences, and Social Sciences. That is a broad spread rather than a concentration, so you are not limited to STEM or to any single faculty. If your intended masters sits in one of those seven areas, there is at least one award here that names it.
Start with your documents, not the portal. Order your transcript now, because Nigerian universities move slowly and courier costs are yours to carry. Confirm your degree class wording matches what the award asks for. Book IELTS or TOEFL if the award requires it, and check the waiver position in writing if you think you qualify.
Then work the deadlines in order. The Stanford award closes 8 October, the ACI Foundation award closes 1 November, and the Musser fellowship closes 1 June. The remaining awards either state their deadline inside the award details or run on a recurring or year-round basis, so open each one and note what it actually says.
Finally, remember what this page is: a filtered list of 7 masters awards in the United States with no nationality restriction, five of them fully funded by the provider's own description. It is a starting point for your own reading, not a substitute for it.
Studying in the United States is a dream for many international students due to its world-class universities, cutting-edge research opportunities, and global recognition. However, the high cost of tuition, living expenses, and travel can be a significant hurdle. Fortunately, a wide range of fully funded and partially funded scholarships are available specifically for international students, offered by US universities, government initiatives, and private organizations. These programs can cover tuition fees, living stipends, health insurance, and even airfare, depending on the scholarship type. Below is a comprehensive list of the top 10 scholarships in the USA for international students for 2026–2027, including opportunities for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. By applying to these scholarships, you can access world-class education while minimizing financial burdens and focusing on academic and professional growth.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2023.
A browser notification when a scholarship you can apply for is added or about to close. No account needed.
