South-Eastern Asia, capital Singapore

Cost of Studying in Singapore (2027) for International Students

Singapore runs a compact, English-medium higher education system built around six state-funded autonomous universities. International students pay full-cost tuition unless they take the government's Tuition Grant, which lowers fees sharply in exchange for a three-year work bond, and study on a Student's Pass issued through ICA's SOLAR system.

Verified 7 Sep 2026 Sources
Public tuition, per year
S$33,400 to S$62,080
international students
Living cost, per month
S$1,200 to S$2,500
typical range
Work during study
16 h
per week
Post study work
1 yr
after graduation
Intakes
August, January
main application cycles

Tuition for international students without the MOE Tuition Grant runs from around S$33,000 a year at the lower end of NUS's and NTU's mainstream faculties to S$45,000 to S$62,000 a year at Business, Law or SUTD, which charges one flat rate across all programmes. Students who receive the Tuition Grant pay roughly 40 to 60 percent less, in exchange for a three-year bond to work for a Singapore entity after graduating. On top of tuition, expect a Student's Pass processing fee of S$45, an issuance fee of S$60, and S$30 more for a multiple-journey visa where required. Living costs are the other major expense: S$1,200 to S$2,500 a month is a realistic range depending on whether a student lives in university housing or rents privately, before food, transport and personal spending.

Sources, checked 7 September 2026
  1. https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/STP/apply/ihl
  2. https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/STP/collect
  3. https://www.moe.gov.sg/financial-matters/tuition-grant-scheme
  4. https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-pass-exempt-activities
  5. https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/LTVP/apply/graduate-from-an-institute-of-higher-learning-seeking-employment-in-singapore
  6. https://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/docs/default-source/default-document-library/english-test-scores.pdf
  7. https://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/docs/default-source/administrative-policies-procedures/ugtuitioncurrent.pdf