NUS, NTU, SMU & Other Singapore University Degrees: How Much Do Singapore Universities Cost in 2020

If you’re planning to work, study, or settle abroad, Singapore is definitely a good choice.

The country is known for its global standards in their educational institutions. This is evidenced by many programs giving emphasis on practical and hands-on experience for students to prepare them for employment.

Since the school system is progressive, they place primary importance to research, development, and innovation. As a result, a few Universities in Singapore managed to reach high ranks in the Top World University rankings in the past few years and stand strong till today. These universities are namely, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Singapore Management University (SMU).

With such a strong educational standing, Singapore has been considered a ‘global schoolhouse’, maintaining its reputation as it walks along other international schools. This itself will surely spark your interest in studying in Singapore, knowing the opportunities the educational system has to offer.

However, before applying to the university you want, you may want to see an overview of tuition fees, admission expenditures, and university costs in Singapore for NUS, NTU, and SMU. This way, you’ll be able to compare and budget your expenses during your stay at school.

A General Overview on Tuition Fees in Singapore Universities

Singapore has a relatively higher cost of living and education in comparison to its neighbouring Asian countries. Still, it also means you’ll be able to experience a higher quality of living and education as compared to other international schools elsewhere.

Depending on your chosen university and course, admission costs vary in each institution, but you can expect an annual tuition fee of around S$20,000 on average for most degrees, as an international student. You can apply for financial assistance from Singapore's Ministry of Education (MOE) and depending on your eligibility, you may be granted a tuition grant.

You must also take note of other expenses such as housing, accommodation, monthly bills, insurances, and daily expense needs for food. You can start with an initial budget of S$15,000 to S$20,000 in average annually and adjust depending on your day-to-day consumption.

Now, let’s move on to more detailed information on university costs for the main Singapore universities.

Admission Cost for National University of Singapore (NUS)

(Screenshot from NUS site)

 

NUS’ annual tuition rates for Academic Year 2020–2021 ranges from S$8,200 up to S$159,600—the latter as the annual admission cost for medicine and dentistry courses. Of course, the difference in cost is caused by a lot of factors such as, the chosen course, which university, and your eligibility for any MOE’s tuition grant programs. If you're interested in the changes and adjustments throughout the school years, you can access NUS’ annual rates way back to AY 2015–2016 from here.

Present NUS annual fees for new students (2020), can be seen from the table below:

Credit: National University of Singapore

As you can see, there is a gap between subsidized and unsubsidized tuition fees. Applying for a tuition grant can help you in minimizing expenses. You can explore the MOE’s website here and look through the FAQs regarding eligibility, documentation, and overall process on the application for tuition grants.

Admission Cost for Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

(Screenshot from NTU site)

 

The annual tuition fees for NTU ranges from S$8,200 up to S$74,900.

For 2020 NTU admission cost, see the table below:

Credit: Nanyang Technological University

You can also view their admission cost changes since 2014 here and learn more about NTU admission programs and processes from here.

Admission Cost for Singapore Management University (SMU)

(Screenshot from SMU site)

 

Annual admission cost for SMU ranges from S$11,450 to S$44,700. Below is the summarized annual tuition rates for SMU (2020) in a table:

Credit: Singapore Management University 

You can learn more about SMU here. You can also directly contact them through their contact details for more information about their admission programs.

Other Universities

Most university costs in Singapore revolve around the same range as the three institutions above. To give you an idea, Yahoo Finance summarized the average admission and tuition fees from some of the main Singapore universities based on 3-year terms and general courses. This table is shown below:

Credit: Yahoo! Finance

A Few Reminders

Of course, these numbers are all subject to changes by the university’s administration, as well as by any modification in accordance to Singapore’s MOE rules and regulations. To get the most updated details, you can always directly contact the school you’re interested in during the planning stage. 

Finally, take some time to learn more about the MOE tuition grant and if you are eligible, consider applying to help yourself financially.

Indeed, a good education costs a fortune. However, with proper allocation of your resources coupled with hard work and passion for learning, it will be worth it.