About Singapore

Singapore has outpaced the other Asian countries in terms of world-class education and is rapidly emerging as the most popular study destination in Asia.

The country’s two most leading universities, the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University, are ranked in the World’s Top 20 as per the QS World University Rankings. The escalating recognition of Singapore institutions owing to affiliations with top international universities in the USA, Australia and the UK offer the unparalleled benefit of degrees to students.

The Republic of Singapore, or Singapore is described as both an island and a country. It is often referred to as a “City-State” for it offers combination of both Western and Eastern style lifestyle, comprising of the mainland of Singapore along with 63 smaller islands.

Over the past 50 years, Singapore has transformed from a developing nation to a highly developed nation, become Asia’s infrastructure hub.

Singapore is one of ASEAN's founding members, the headquarters for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a member of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, The East Asia Summit, and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Singapore places very high on indicators like Education, Healthcare, Quality of Life, Personal Safety and Housing, and more.

Singapore is one of the cleanest, and safest countries globally, with world-class amenities. All public spaces are extremely hygienic and smoke-free.

Geography

Located in the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is made up of one island and 63 smaller islands and islets. It shares borders with the Riau Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. The mainland of Singapore is about 26 km from East to West and about 23 kilometers from North to South. It is located at a distance of 137 km from the equator and separated from Malaysia by the Strait of Johor, and by the Strait of Singapore from Indonesia.

In the last 50 years, Singapore has been considerably urbanized with very few primary rainforests left. Most of its current land developed and acquired through land reclamation. The highest point in Singapore is Bukit Timah Hill, at 182 meters above sea level.

Climate

Singapore's climate can be described as a tropical rainforest climate with no distinct seasons, high humidity, a lot of rainfall, and stable temperatures. The average temperatures range from 25-35 ºC.

From July to October, the city experiences some haze, resulting from bushfires in the neighboring island of Sumatra.

Annually Singapore gets about 2.3 meters of rainfall, with two monsoon periods per year, from December – March and June – September.

Singapore is extremely vulnerable to the risk of climate change due to rising sea levels.

Economy

Singapore has a highly developed market economy. It is considered to be one of the original ‘Four Asian Tigers,’ along with Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong. In recent years, however, Singapore has surged way ahead of its counterparts in per capita GDP.

It is considered an Alpha+ global city. Singapore is the only Asian country has an AAA sovereign rating from all major rating agencies. It has the 7th highest per capita GDP globally and is ranked 9th on the UN Human Development index.

Singapore is the world’s 14th largest exporter and 15th largest importer and has one of the world’s lowest unemployment levels, never rising above 4% since 2005. At present, the unemployment rate sits at around 3.1%.

Singapore is a global leader in several sectors, such as it is the 3rd largest foreign exchange center, a leading financial center, the 2nd largest casino gambling market, the world’s largest logistics hub, the world’s largest oil rig producer and ship repair service hub ,and the 3rd largest oil refining and trading center.

Why study in Singapore?

Singapore is a premier hub of higher education and has maintained high-quality teaching and learning standards. As per 2019 QS World University Rankings three Singapore Universities ranked in the Top 500.

Following are the top three Universities:

National University of Singapore (NUS)

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)

Singapore Management University

Singapore offers relatively affordable education with top courses in Computer science, applied science, law, and animation.

Singapore has strict law administration policies and has a stable environment, ensuring safety for international students.

Many colleges and institutions in Singapore offer courses in partnership with American and Australian institutions.

Intakes in Singapore

Academic intakes vary from universities to universities, generally intakes are from

January / February

July/ August

Flexible intakes for few courses in April, May and June

Scholarships in Singaporean Universities

The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore provides scholarships to international students. Few institutions in Singapore also offer financial aid on a need-blind basis i.e. merit-based scholarship and the student with an excellent academic record is preferred.

Cost of Education & Accommodation in Singapore

The tuition fee in Singaporean universities is relatively inexpensive compared to the rest of the developed countries. Most of the colleges offer financial support to the international students and tuition fee might vary in terms of college and course you choose to study at. The living cost in Singapore, on an average, may range from 14,000 – 27,000 SGD per year.

You can stay off campus and save on your accommodation expense by sharing apartment. International students can do freelancing jobs and also can work in institutes, volunteer for jobs as well to get employment later on.

Singaporean Study Visa Requirements

Getting a Student visa for Singapore is comparatively more comfortable than the rest of the Asian countries. To study in universities at Singapore you will need a Student’s Pass and it can be applied through Student’s Pass Online Application & Registration System (SOLAR). Students must apply 2-3 months before the commencement of the course.

Post Study Work (PSW) Permit in Singapore

Students willing to work, in Singapore, after graduation needs to apply for a work visa after they complete their respective program. Once the student visa expiries, international students are offered short-term visit visas, allowing them to stay and look for a job for up to 90 days period but doesn’t allow employment during this period.

Singapore offers three types of work visas for international students:

Employment Pass: It allows international students to work as a professional in a managerial, executive, or specialized job with a minimum salary of S$4500 per month.

S Pass: This allows international students to work after studies as mid-skilled employees as technicians or specialists with a minimum salary of S $2.400 per month.

Enter Pass: It allows international graduates to develop ideas and entrepreneurial skills by setting up a business in Singapore; it needs to be registered with ACRA.