Indonesia's Expanded LPDP Scholarship Quota for 2026
By Muntasir • Published Jul 05, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Scholarships & Funding, Education News & Policy, Study in Southeast Asia
LPDP raised its 2026 scholarship quota to 5,750 slots, up from 4,000 in 2025. Over 80% goes to STEM fields, and the increase follows two years of sharp cuts driven by budget constraints.
🎓 1,000 Garuda undergraduate slots, 4,000 master's/doctoral slots, 750 medical specialist slots
📩 Announced January 15, 2026 by Kemdiktisaintek minister Brian Yuliarto
Accepted scholars fell from 9,358 in 2023 to about 4,000 in 2025 before this rebound
Priority goes to eight national industries: food, energy, maritime, health, digital, defense, downstream industry, advanced manufacturing
The 2026 quota numbers
LPDP, Indonesia's state education fund, set its 2026 scholarship quota at 5,750 slots. Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Brian Yuliarto announced the figure on January 15, 2026, during a presidential dialogue with university rectors and professors at the State Palace in Jakarta, according to Detik .
| Scheme | 2026 slots |
|---|---|
| Garuda (undergraduate, S1) | 1,000 |
| Master's and doctoral (S2/S3) | 4,000 |
| Medical specialist (dokter spesialis) | 750 |
| Total | 5,750 |
Why the quota is rising after a sharp cut
The 2026 figure is a rebound, not a record. LPDP accepted 9,358 scholars in 2023 out of 33,396 applicants, then 8,592 in 2024 out of 52,842 applicants. In 2025, applications jumped to 78,588 while accepted scholars fell to roughly 4,000, the lowest acceptance rate in years, driven by budget constraints on the fund, per Kumparan's reporting on LPDP's own figures.
Deputy Minister Stella Christie said the tighter targeting reflects budget limits pushing LPDP to prioritize what the country needs most rather than fund every eligible field equally. LPDP's acting director general has said quota levels should keep recovering from 2027 once current budget adjustments are complete, though no figure for 2027 has been set yet.
Where the funding goes: STEM and eight priority industries
Kemdiktisaintek is directing more than 80% of the 2026 quota to STEM fields, in line with the government's Asta Cita agenda and its Golden Indonesia 2045 development goals. Priority sits with eight national industries: food security, energy, maritime affairs, health, digitalization, defense, downstream processing industries, and advanced manufacturing.
Specific priority fields named by the ministry include data science, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, medical specialization, clinical pharmacy, education management, and learning technology. LPDP also keeps a standing allocation for applicants from Indonesia's 3T regions (frontier, outermost, and underdeveloped areas).
What this means if you are applying
A STEM or priority-industry field gives you a real edge in 2026 given the 80%+ allocation, though non-STEM applicants still compete for the remaining slots. Medical specialists have a dedicated 750-slot track separate from the general S2/S3 pool, so check which scheme fits your qualification level before applying.
LPDP runs its intake in multiple phases (tahap) each year rather than one round, so confirm the current phase's opening and closing dates directly on LPDP's official site before preparing documents, since exact dates were not fixed at the time of the January 2026 quota announcement.
LPDP funds both overseas and domestic degrees, covering tuition, a monthly living allowance, books, and one round-trip ticket for overseas scholars, on top of the S1, S2/S3, and specialist-doctor tracks listed above. Selection runs through administrative screening, a scholastic aptitude test, and an interview stage, so a strong GWA or academic record alone does not guarantee a slot, especially with acceptance rates well under 10% in the 2025 cycle.