National University of Singapore Notable Alumni

NUS Singapore needs no introduction among international students. The #1 university in Singapore has nurtured world leaders, influential CEOs, and renowned experts across various fields. The alumni network of the National University of Singapore (NUS) is diverse, with graduates making significant contributions globally in politics, business, law, and technology.
The National University of Singapore is the No. 1 university in the country. It was founded in 1980 with the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University. According to the QS World University Rankings 2025, NUS is ranked 8th in the world. Prime Ministers of multiple nations, CEOs of various companies, and several other notable personalities were once students at this prestigious university in Singapore.
NUS Singapore is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world, highlighting its global reputation. In this article, we will explore the notable alumni of the National University of Singapore and their achievements.
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List of Notable Alumni of NUS Singapore
Check out the list of reputed alumni of the NUS Singapore:
- Goh Chok Tong, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore
- Mahathir Mohamad, 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Abdul Razak Hussein – Second Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Jayakumar – former Deputy Prime Minister, Singapore
- Chew Choon Seng – former chairman of Singapore Airlines, Chairman of the Singapore Exchange and the Singapore Tourism Board
- Parinda Ranasinghe Jr. – Attorney General of Sri Lanka
- Min-Liang Tan: Co-founder, chairman, chief executive officer (CEO)
Let’s explore more about these famous alumni of the National University of Singapore:
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong was the 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore, serving from 1990 to 2004. He was a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with first-class honours in economics. He played an important role in shaping Singapore’s economic policies and governance and contributed to the country's development. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) when he retired from politics in 2020.
Mahathir Mohamad
Mahathir Mohamad is a popular leader in world politics. He served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. Mahathir held PM office from 1981 to 2003 and later from 2018 to 2020. He graduated with an MBBS degree from NUS’ predecessor institution, King Edward VII College of Medicine, in 1953. Mahathir Mohamad is Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
Abdul Razak Hussein
Abdul Razak Hussein was the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia. He introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP) to reduce poverty and promote economic growth. He studied at Raffles College, a predecessor of the National University of Singapore (NUS).
S. Jayakumar
S. Jayakumar is a senior politician and a former deputy prime minister in Singapore. He graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree and was called to the Bar in 1964. He served as minister of foreign affairs, home affairs and other important ministries of the Singapore government.
Chew Choon Seng
A well-known Singaporean businessman and former chairman of Singapore Airlines, Chew Choon Seng was once a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He played a significant role in shaping Singapore’s aviation and financial sectors. After earning his degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore, he pursued a master’s degree at Imperial College London.
Parinda Ranasinghe Jr.
Parinda Ranasinghe Jr. was a popular legal expert from Sri Lanka who served as the Attorney General of Sri Lanka. He made significant contributions to improving the country's legal system, including the judiciary. Parinda completed his law degree at the University of Singapore, now known as the National University of Singapore (NUS).
Min-Liang Tan
Min-Liang Tan is a Singaporean entrepreneur and the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Razer Inc., a leading global gaming hardware and software company. He studied law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) before venturing into the gaming industry. Under his leadership, Razer Inc. has become a renowned brand in the gaming industry.
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That concludes our list of reputed alumni of the National University of Singapore, representing various fields and countries. These individuals have made remarkable contributions in their respective fields and NUS has played an important role in being who they are today.
As Singapore’s #1 university, NUS offers world-class education and opportunities for aspiring students. If you’re planning to pursue higher studies in Singapore, being part of NUS could be a transformative experience you don’t want to miss! Check out the NUS Singapore Admission page for information related to enrollment.
Q: Â Is Singapore Management University hard to get into?
Q: Â How do I apply for admission to a graduate course at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore with a GATE score?
International students must submit a valid GATE score for most of the graduate courses at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. They meet the general NTU eligibility criteria to get admission to graduate courses. Mentioned below are the Nanyang Technological University admission requirements for graduate courses:
- Must have at least a good Bachelor degree
- Final year undergraduate applicants may apply for admission with provisional degree certificate and / or yearly examination results to date
- Submit a valid TOEFL/IELTS score if native language is not English
- A Valid GRE/GMAT scores required
- An updated CV/Resume (if applicable)
- Other Supporting documents (if applicable)
Q: Â How can I apply for NUS Singapore from India?
Applications to all the courses offered by NUS are done via online application portals of the university. Check out the steps below to see how to fill undergraduate and postgraduate applications on dedicated portals:
Undergraduate Applicants:
International applicants need to follow these steps to apply to an undergraduate programme at NUS:
Step 1: Visit myaces.nus.edu.sg/uasonline2/catD/catDapplform.do and sign up to apply.
Step 2: Enter personal details and contact information.
Step 3: Enter details of academic qualifications.
Step 4: Enter information on university/tertiary education.
Step 5: Enter the information on all outstanding achievements.
Step 6: Insert the programme details and paste the application material in the boxes provided.
Step 7: In this step, input the following:
- Next-of-kin information
- Personal identification number
- Application fee
- Financial aid
- Other information
- Tuition grant
Step 8: Read the declaration carefully.
Step 9: Press the ‘Continue’ button to complete the application.
Graduate Applicants
International applicants need to follow these steps to apply to a graduate programme at NUS:
Step 1: Sign up on the university’s application portal at inetapps.nus.edu.sg/gda2/Applicant.aspx/Account/SignUp.
Step 2: Click on ‘Create New Application’ and choose the following:
- Programme type
- Faculty
- Programme
- Department
- Specialisation (area of study)
- Source of finance
- Specify in case of ‘other source of finance’
- Academic load
Step 3: Read the instructions from the faculty/department/school carefully.
Step 4: Fill up the information as stepping through the application process.
Step 5: The system will perform an application completeness check for the selected programme.
Step 6: Once the above steps are completed, fill up the declaration section.
Step 7: Click on the 'Submit' button in the declaration page to complete the submission.
Step 8: To make an online payment for the application/acceptance fee and view details of your application (e.g. application status and admission status), click ‘View Application/Make Payment/Submit Reply on Offer of Admission’ at the menu on the left.
Step 9: To make changes to basic programme information for an application, click ‘Edit’.
Step 10: To apply to multiple programmes within the same application cycle and to change the order of preference, please click on the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ links as required.
Q: Â How is the job market for MBA Finance graduates from NUS?
The job market for NUS MBA graduates specializing in Finance is strong, with high job offer rates and competitive salaries. The average post-MBA salary of NUS graduates is $77,109 and 87% of the graduates are employed within 3 months of graduation. Some of the jobs and salaries for MBA Finance graduates are as follows:
Senior Financial Analyst | $75k - $111k |
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | $111k - $269k |
Financial Analyst | $54k - $91k |
Finance Manager | $80k - $138k |
Finance Director | $97k - $183k |
Vice President (VP), Finance | $114k - $209k |
Financial Controller | $74k - $145k |
Q: Â How can I apply for Nanyang Technological University?
International students can apply for Nanyang Technological University admissions using the official website by the deadline. The NTU deadline vary by course for international students. All applicants will receive a confirmation email with application number after successfully completing the university application form. Mentioned below is the Nanyang Technological University application process for undergraduate admission:
Step 1: Submit application form
Step 2: Pay application fee
Step 3: Submit supporting documents
Step 4: Update/Track progress of application
Check below the Nanyang University Singapore graduate application process:
Step 1: Visit 'wis.ntu.edu.sg/webexe/owa/coal_main.notice' to submit application for MS admission.
Step 2: Click on NEW application and continue.
Step 3: Now, select your programme and provide other detail
Step 4: Add personal background, academic detail, test scores, etc.
Step 5: Review and pay a non-refundable NTU application fee (SAD 100) to submit application.
Q: Â What job opportunities can I expect after completing the MS in Data Science and Machine Learning from NUS?
The Master of Science in Data Science and Machine Learning (DSML) at NUS is an interdisciplinary graduate degree programme aimed at developing future leaders in data Science and artificial intelligence. After completing the MS in Data Science and Machine Learning at NUS, students can expect job opportunities such as:
Job Title | Range |
Data Scientist | $75k - $142k |
Senior Data Scientist | $104k - $167k |
Machine Learning Engineer | $84k - $164k |
Lead Data Scientist | $115k - $193k |
Software Engineer | $73k - $140k |
Data Science Manager | $117k - $197k |
Q: Â Which are the popular courses at Singapore Management University?
Singapore Management University offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional degree courses for international students. Some of the popular programs at the university are given as follows:
Others Denote Information Technology, Accounting, International Business etc.
Q: Â What is the average salary of graduates from the National University of Singapore?
The National University of Singapore has one of the highest placement rates worldwide. The Top companies that recruit from NUS include Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, Accenture, etc. Moreover, the average package of NUS graduates is USD 58,500 (INR 48.90 LPA) as per reports of 2023. Furthermore, the pie chart mentioned below shows the leading companies where NUS students work:

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According to various sources, Singapore Management University has an acceptance rate of around 45% which makes it moderately selective for international student admissions. Some of the general admission requirements at the university are given as follows:
After the student receives an offer letter, they are required to give the admission interview to be enrolled.