Study in Singapore

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, the ‘Lion City’ 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.

Singapore is soon set to frame its status as the leading international study destination in Asia, enhancing its academic quality and research outcome as well as preserving the top-ranked status of many of its universities and institutions. Although it has four official languages namely Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and English, the last one (English) being the medium of teaching instruction makes it convenient for foreign students to carry out their studies easily. 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 20 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2025. 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:

• 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. This gives newcomers a great chance to mingle and interact with new people and gain knowledge about their traditions, practices and perception.
• Ease of Convenience: Students have many options available in Singapore for commuting and visiting new places. Its public conveyance is perceived to be among the best in the world due to its affordable prices, feasibility, availability, output, etc. Following a strict schedule, buses and trains in Singapore both run on time. 
• Safe Environment: The country has been recognized among the safest cities in the world. A US-based startup ‘The Swiftest’ ranked it as the safest in the world in terms of international travel. The country follows firm rules and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any sort of violence, physical or mental. Overseas students feel absolutely safe both on and off campus. 
• Employment Opportunities: 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. Students studying in universities/colleges can easily get a part-time job with a good company and earn something to manage their additional expenses. 

Study in Singapore: Highlights

Education System in Singapore

Study 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. Listed below are those courses which are sought-after by various overseas students who have opted for institutions in Singapore.

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 10^th and 12^th.
• 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 12^th.
• 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 obtain education loan 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.

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.

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.