
Study in Singapore
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About Singapore - Highlights
Singapore as a higher studies destination has not only prompted overseas students to plan their academic tenure in the country but has also yielded excellent employment outcomes for them, helping them secure a job in multifarious fields. Maintaining a high student satisfaction rate and security parameters, Singappore is an economic powerhouse with a polished and globally acknowledged education system.
Studying in Singapore is a boon for those students who are fond of travelling and exploring aes
Singapore as a higher studies destination has not only prompted overseas students to plan their academic tenure in the country but has also yielded excellent employment outcomes for them, helping them secure a job in multifarious fields. Maintaining a high student satisfaction rate and security parameters, Singappore is an economic powerhouse with a polished and globally acknowledged education system.
Studying in Singapore is a boon for those students who are fond of travelling and exploring aesthetically pleasing places. It not only owns one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites but also has various visually appealing art galleries, parks, museums, and parks to offer.
Although, there are four official languages in Singapore namely Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and English, the last one (English) being the medium of teaching instruction. This makes easy and convenient for Indian students to communicated with others and study without any language barrier. Each year, over 85,000 students from abroad, representing more than 100 nationalities, opt to study in the island country of Singapore.
The country owns many prestigious institutes which also include the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU), ranking among the world’s top 15 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026. These two are also the top two higher educational institutions in Singapore, with the former being at the first position in entire Asia. The country also ranks 15th in the QS Best Student Cities, 2025.
Why Study in Singapore
Students find Singapore comfortable due to its citizen-friendly norms and good quality of life. The country’s safe and secure environment makes it favourable for them to explore different places and participate in a variety of rejuvenating activities. Other major reasons which are good enough to attract overseas students to study in Singapore have been listed below:
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Best Universities: The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University are consistently ranked among the top universities in the world.
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Language: English is an official language, easing adaptation for international students.
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Safe Country: Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world. According to Global Peace Index 2025 reports, Singapore is on 6th rank. Overseas students feel absolutely safe both on and off campus.
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Job Opportunity: Although the island nation occupies a tiny space on the world map, the job opportunities it offers to foreign nationalities are plenty. Considered a hub of global economic activity, the country roughly has over 25,000 international organisations. The job market of Singapore offers high employment rates. Also, there are officies of popular MNCs.
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Student Visa Process: Student Pass is mandatory document to study in Singapore. It is approved by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
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Demanding Courses: In the today's era, universities in Singapore offers demanding courses like AI, data science, business, healthcare, engineering, law, and architecture courses.
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Reputed Education System: The education system of Singapore is reputed in the world for offering skill based education, especially strong in STEM fields.
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Cost of Living in Singapore: The monthly living expenses in Singapore for Indian students is SGD 1,480 ( INR 95,129) excluding rent and tuition fees.
- Cultural harmony and co-existence: The country has been able to pull in expatriates from different regions of the globe, holding distinct nationalities and practising different religions. Major ethnic groups such as Malays, Eurasians, Chinese and Indians peacefully co-exist with the rest of the groups, creating a harmonious living atmosphere.
Study in Singapore: Highlights
Higher Education Enrollment Rate |
98.02% |
Population |
6.03 Million |
GDP Real Growth Rate (2024-25) |
2.3% |
Official Name |
Republic of Singapore |
Region |
Southeast Asia |
Climate |
Hot and Humid |
Currency |
SGD (Singapore Dollar) |
Singapore $ to INR |
1 S$ = 67.03 INR (July 2025) |
Education System in Singapore
A four-tier model of education is followed in Singapore that consists of primary schools, secondary schools, the pre-tertiary level at junior colleges of polytechnics and the university tertiary education. The first six years of education are carried out at the primary level. At the secondary level, the duration of education remains four years. In case a student has reached the age of 14 and has been unable to clear the former (primary school), he or she can leave the school and attend a 2-year course which the Adult Education Board handles. Those who wish to study further in university first have to complete a 2-year additional A-level course in the secondary school, which is considered a part of the integrated program.
The post-secondary education offers the following options to students:
- Junior Colleges: Before enrolling in a university, students can obtain pre-university education at a junior college or centralized institute. This can help them obtain a GCE A-Level exam certificate or an International Baccalaureate diploma certificate.
- Singapore School of Arts/Sports: Sports and art enthusiasts can opt for specialised education. This can help them obtain an International Baccalaureate diploma at both schools or a Diploma in Business Studies at the Singapore Sports School.
- Polytechnics: Those who wish to carry out their studies in a more practice-oriented manner can go for full-time diploma programs offered at Polytechnics. Eligibility includes O-level qualifications or ITE’s Nitec and Higher Nitec qualifications. Also, Polytechnic Foundation Program allows top-performing secondary 4 N(A) students to apply for Polytechnics. The advantage of polytechnic education is that students get a taste of practice-based learning.
- Institute of Technical Education (ITE): ITE leads to technical or vocational education through higher Nitec programs/full-time Nitec/traineeship courses. In order to get into ITE one should be an N-level holder and O-level holder. Secondary 4 N(A) students meeting the eligibility criteria are considered for some of the courses.
Singapore Permanent Residence Permit
Foreigners who wish to become permanent residents of Singapore can do so by getting an Entry Permit. One may qualify to apply for Permanent Residence Permit if one is:
- Aged parent of a citizen of Singapore
- Spouse of a citizen of Singapore/Permanent Resident (SPR)
- Unmarried kids, aged 21 and below, of a citizen of Singapore or PR
- Studying in Singapore as a student
- Investors from an overseas land
- Possessing employment or S pass.
Those who wish to apply for the same will have to submit the application online at e-Service. Applicants can also download the same and complete it offline. They can thereafter submit it online.
Top Courses in Singapore
Although there are multiple courses that international students like to pursue at Singapore universities, there are a few of them which are more in demand than the rest. For those students who are interested in advancing their careers can explore our comprehensive guide to pursuing an MBA in Singapore, a hub for world-class business education and global networking opportunities.
Below, we have listed some popular courses according to their streams:
Stream Wise Popular Courses in Singapore | |
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Engineering & Science |
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Law |
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Economics & Finance |
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Business & Management |
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Computer Science & IT |
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Medicine |
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Admission Requirements to Study at Singaporean Universities
The general eligibility requirements for admission into undergraduate courses in top Singapore universities have been listed below:
- The applicant should have obtained an aggregate of 90-95% in both Class 10th and 12th.
- In case the applicant has not completed his secondary education at the time of applying for UG admission, he/she should submit a predictive score of Class 12th.
- Universities such as SIM, NUS, and Yale-NUS will require the applicants to submit advanced placement test scores.
- SAT scores should be impressive. Also, it is mandatory for state-board applicants to submit their SAT scores.
- If the applicants have studied at an English-medium school and obtained more than 75% in English, they do not have to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
Scholarships to Study in Singapore
Financial aids such as scholarships, grants, and bursaries ease the financial burden of those students who have attained good scores, qualifying them to study abroad, but cannot do so due to their financial constraints. Although education in most Singaporean institutes is cheaper, the costs are still considerable. This section will give a glimpse of those which are most common and most popular with overseas students.
- Singapore International Graduate Award: Meant for PhD studies, this lends financial support for up to four years and includes a monthly stipend, full tuition fees, airfare grant, and settlement allowance.
- Lee Kong Chian Graduate Scholarships at NUS: This will provide a monthly stipend of S$3,300 and annual book allowance of S$500 plus one-time laptop allowance of S$1,500. The student will also receive a travel allowance of two return tickets up to S$4,000.
- INSEAD-Syngenta MBA Scholarships for Developing Country Leaders: Two scholarships are awarded per class amounting to €22,500 annually.
Read More: Scholarships in Singapore for Indian Students
Education Loan for Studying in Singapore
Students planning to borrow education loan to study in Singapore should be familiar with the guidelines for the same and qualify them in order to apply to their choice of money lending institution/bank. The Education Loan eligibility criteria vary for different banks.
The loan application guidelines listed below are applicable to majority of the nationalized banks:
- Indian students who have obtained a place into selected educational institutions for higher education in Singapore can apply for education loan.
- Students can apply for a minimum loan amount of SGD 20,000 and maximum is up to 100% of the student’s (borrower) tuition fees.
- The Moratorium Period is 6 months before students have to begin repaying the loan amount. They under no circumstance have to repay the amount during the course’s tenure.
- Students have a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of five years to repay the loan once the Moratorium Period ends. But the loan term should not exceed 10 years under any circumstances.
- For every bank, the student/education loan interest rate is different.
Note: The aforementioned guidelines are only relevant to SBI.
Useful Links
How to Choose Your Bank for Education Loan | SBI Education Loan for Study Abroad | HDFC Credila Education Loan |
Part-Time Work Options for Students in Singapore
Singapore does not permit students to pick up any work. Singapore universities offer internships related to the course which students plan to pursue. A student can only opt for these related internships. Also, most of the universities have partnered with industrial houses which would provide the students with a part-time working opportunity.
The Ministry of Manpower, Singapore, considers overseas students on a Student Pass eligible for working part-time for around 16 hours every week during term and for unlimited hours during vacations. The average salary in Singapore is for a full-time worker is approximately SGD 70,000 (INR 43.15 Lakhs) per year.
Please keep in mind that students studying in the university/ institution not on the list of approved institutions cannot work part-time or full-time both during the term and/ or vacation. Check out information about part time work in Singapore.
Post-Study Work Permit in Singapore
Students are not allowed to stay in Singapore on their Student Pass or Study Visa in order to search for employment like in other European nations or the USA. This does not necessarily imply that they need to return to India once they’ve completed their studies. They have an option of staying back for one to three months. Most of the time when a graduate student’s student pass has expired or has been cancelled, a short-term visit pass is granted to him/her. This permits them to stay in Singapore for 90 days maximum during which they can search for different job opportunities which exist. But being on this visa one cannot take up any employment, only find job options.
Key Facts About Singapore
Insights on education, demographics & weather.Why study in the Singapore?
NUS and NTU have been constantly ranked among the best universities in Asia
Universities are globally recognised for their academics and research
Leaders in aerospace, precision engineering, IT, pharmaceuticals industry.
Asian headquarters for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Dyson and Tencent.
The country is ranked among the safest cities in the world.
Singapore has a relatively stable political and social environment.
Explore key differences in Academics, Costs, Visa, Career & Lifestyle to choose your ideal study destination.
Universities and Courses
Popular Universities in Singapore
Singapore, Other - SingaporePublic
Singapore, Other - SingaporePublic
Singapore, Other - SingaporePublic
Singapore, Other - SingaporePublic
Singapore, Other - SingaporePrivate
Singapore, Other - SingaporePublic
Singapore, Other - SingaporePrivate
Singapore, Other - SingaporePrivate
Singapore, Other - SingaporePrivate
Singapore, Other - SingaporePrivate
Popular Courses in Singapore
Find Universities in Singapore
Top ranked universities in Singapore
Universities | Ranking | 1st year tution fees |
---|---|---|
National University of Singapore | 1 | ₹11.7 L - 1.2 Cr |
Nanyang Technological University | 2 | ₹12 L - 60 L |
Singapore University of Technology and Design | 3 | ₹35 L - 41.8 L |
Singapore Management University | 4 | ₹14.7 L - 2.4 Cr |
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School | 5 | ₹37.9 L |
INSEAD - Singapore | 6 | ₹34.4 L - 1.4 Cr |
Nanyang Polytechnic | 7 | ₹8.2 L |
London School of Business and Finance | 8 | ₹4.4 L - 20.4 L |
Singapore Institute of Management | 9 | ₹6.2 L - 26.1 L |
SP Jain School of Global Management | 10 | ₹18.9 L - 34.3 L |
The ranking is done based on Shiksha's own scoring algorithms
We have partnered with 300+ universities
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Cost of Studying in Singapore
Education in Singapore is quite affordable as compared to other popular study destinations abroad. In Singapore, how much a student has to pay depends on various factors such as the level of study, university, course choice, student’s nationality, etc.
Moving outside your country for higher education not only requires you to pay attention to your tuition fee but also to the living and other miscellaneous expenditures which you will have to bear. Pursuing an undergraduate or a graduate cour
Education in Singapore is quite affordable as compared to other popular study destinations abroad. In Singapore, how much a student has to pay depends on various factors such as the level of study, university, course choice, student’s nationality, etc.
Moving outside your country for higher education not only requires you to pay attention to your tuition fee but also to the living and other miscellaneous expenditures which you will have to bear. Pursuing an undergraduate or a graduate course will not require you to stay there for a few days or weeks but for years. You need to plan your budgeting as per your requirements as well as likes and dislikes. How much would you spend on housing will depend on different factors such as your housing location, amenities available, style of room, etc. So if you have plans to relocate to Singapore for studies, be ready to shell out S$750-S$2,000 (INR 46,370 to INR 1,23,655) per month on average for living costs.
Cost of studying in Singapore
Books and Supplies
Hostel & Meals
Health & Insurnace
Services & Amenities Fee
Semester & University Fee
The course you choose may have additional components
Annual tuition fee as per
The fee range is an average representation and would vary across universities. For most accurate and updated information please connect with our one of our expert counselor.
Cost of Living in Singapore
Food
Accommodation
The course you choose may have additional components
Singapore Scholarships for Indian Students
NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship
NUS Business Dean’s & Mochtar Riady Scholarships
NTU Talent Scholarship
NTU Research Scholarship
Asian Development Bank – Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP)- NUS (MBA)
INSEAD Deepak and Sunita Gupta Endowed Scholarship
Student Visa in Singapore
A student visa or a student pass is required in Singapore if you plan to enrol in an academic course at an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) that would last over 30 days as an overseas student. Applicants are required to submit their visa or pass application to the Student’s Pass Online Application and Registration or SOLAR system. All the 34 IHLs in the country, where overseas students can pursue their studies, accept this pass. The type of your pass will depend upon the duration of your
A student visa or a student pass is required in Singapore if you plan to enrol in an academic course at an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) that would last over 30 days as an overseas student. Applicants are required to submit their visa or pass application to the Student’s Pass Online Application and Registration or SOLAR system. All the 34 IHLs in the country, where overseas students can pursue their studies, accept this pass. The type of your pass will depend upon the duration of your course. There are two types of passes – a short-term pass and a long-term student pass.
Documents Required for Visa Application
Valid Passport
Offer letter issued by an IHL (Institute of Higher Learning)
Visa Application fee original receipt
+ 5 more documents
Singapore Study Guide to view full checklist
Intakes in Singapore
Applicants should be aware that Singapore has one primary admission intake: August intake. Candidates can start preparing for the August intake comfortably in the month of september of the previous year. Candidates can check out a detailed understaning of the August intake timeline for study in Singapore.
Upcoming intakes
Pros of Fall Intake
All top universities are open for admissions during this time.
More universities mean more courses are on offer for students looking to apply for Fall intake.
High acceptance rate across universities and bigger class size.
Cons of Fall Intake
Huge competition among students for seats.
Lower chance of getting admission to preferred university.
Larger number of applications mean a longer wait time for university acceptance decision.
Fall Intake Timelines
Shortlist Universities for Study in Singapore
Shortlist 8-12 universities to which you wish to apply.
Work Opportunities in Singapore
Owing to multiple sector-wise opportunities, good salaries, and stabe economy, Singapore has turned out to be among the best destinations for overseas students search for jobs. Open to foreign talent, the nation offers lucrative salaries to attract international workforce. Those who wish to stay back post completing their education can do so for 1-3 months on the basis of their student visa.
Students looking to stay back in Singapore after they have pursued their education can do so for one
Owing to multiple sector-wise opportunities, good salaries, and stabe economy, Singapore has turned out to be among the best destinations for overseas students search for jobs. Open to foreign talent, the nation offers lucrative salaries to attract international workforce. Those who wish to stay back post completing their education can do so for 1-3 months on the basis of their student visa.
Students looking to stay back in Singapore after they have pursued their education can do so for one to three months depending on their student visa. Indian students can also apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for one year to stay in Singapore to look for relevant employment, provided, they have completed their education at a recognized and approved Institute of Higher Learning in Singapore.
Popular Job Sectors in Singapore
Candidates looking to work in Singapore can check out the following jobs sectors that require international talent. It goes without saying that executive positions are some of the highest paying jobs in Singapore. According to a Michael Page report, C-suite roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, command high annual salaries, starting from S$300,000 and can go up to as high as S$525,000. These figures apply to roles in sectors such as Business Services, Chemicals & Engineering, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Financial Services & Fintech and Healthcare & Life Sciences.
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