The Rhodes Scholarship award, established under the will of the African empire-builder Cecil Rhodes, was the earliest scheme of international scholarships and remains the most famous.  It enables citizens of former British Empire countries, the United States and Germany to study at the University of Oxford. The earliest Australian Rhodes Scholars enrolled at Oxford in 1904.  Women have been eligible since 1977.  There are currently eleven Scholarships awarded to Australians each year, one for each state and five for the Commonwealth.

St Paul's is one of the few university colleges in Australia whose Rhodes Scholarship record, already among the best, has markedly improved in recent years.  

1907 Garnet Vere Portus (1883-1954; in College 1903-04), afterwards clergyman, Professor of History and Political Science, University of Adelaide, and radio broadcaster. [See Humanities and the Church.]

1908 Richard Granville Waddy (1885-1974; in College 1905-09), afterwards medical practitioner.

1911 Hugh Kingsley Ward (1887-1972; in College 1909-10), afterwards Professor of Bacteriology, University of Sydney. [See Science, Medicine & Engineering and Sportsmen.]

1915 Walter Ferguson Crawford (1894-1978; in College 1913-14), afterwards knighted, Governor of Northern Sudan. [See Government & the Law.]

1920 Vernon Haddon Treatt (1897-1984; in College 1915-16), afterwards knighted, NSW Minister for Justice and Chief Commissioner for the City of Sydney. [See Government & the Law.]

1925 Allan Robert Callaghan (1903-93; in College 1922-24), afterwards knighted and South Australian Director of Agriculture. [See Science, Medicine & Engineering.]

1931 David Garnsey (1909-96; in College 1927-29), afterwards Bishop of Gippsland. [See Humanities & the Church.]

1935 Keith Noel Everal Bradfield (1910-2006; in College 1930-33), afterwards OBE and Civil Aviation Advisor to the Government of Papua New Guinea.

1939 Walter Laurence Hughes (1917-99; in College 1934-38).

1940 Basil Holmes Travers (1919-98; in College 1938-39), afterwards Headmaster of Shore. [See Sportsmen.]

1946 William Winslow Woodward (1920-87; in College 1939-40), afterwards medical practitioner. [See Science, Medicine & Engineering.]

1948 Louis Walter Davies (1923-2001; in College 1941), afterwards AO and Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of NSW. [See Science, Medicine & Engineering.]

1951 Adrian Peter Henchman (1927-89; in College 1946-50), afterwards Sydney solicitor.

1953 James Graham McLeod (b 1932; in College 1949-53), afterwards AO and Professor of Neurology, Sydney University. [See Science, Medicine & Engineering.]

1956 John Maxwell Bailey (b 1935; in College 1954), afterwards attached to the European Atomic Energy Commission, Geneva.

1960 Malcolm John Swinburn (b 1937; in College 1956-60), afterwards medical practitioner.

1961 Peter Garnsey (b 1938; in College 1956-60), afterwards Professor of the History of Classical Antiquity, Cambridge, and Fellow of Jesus College. [See Humanities & the Church.]

1964 John Dyson Heydon (b 1943; in College 1960-64), afterwards AC and High Court justice. [See Government & the Law.]

1975 Peter Edward King (b 1952; in College 1971-75), afterwards Sydney barrister and Federal MP. [See Government & the Law.]

1990 Andrew Scott Bell (b 1966; in College 1985-89), afterwards Sydney barrister (SC).

1992 Scott Nixon (b 1968; in College 1986-91), afterwards Sydney barrister.

1995 Peter Raymond Barnett (b 1971; in College 1990-94). 

2001 Andrew Henry Charlton (b 1978; in College 1997-99).

2003 Benjamin Juratowitch (b 1978; in College 1998).

2007 Eric Ronald Wing-Fai Knight (b 1983; in College 2002-04). 

2009 Nikolas Norman Patrick Kirby (b 1984; in College 2005-09). 

2010 David Colin Conway Llewellyn (b 1985; in College 2006-09).

2011 Nathaniel Jon Ware (b 1988; in College 2009-11).