Cheapest and Affordable Universities in Singapore 2024-25

Cheapest and Affordable Universities in Singapore 2024-25

Edited By Piyush Kohli | Updated on May 21, 2024 12:01 PM IST

Cheapest Universities in Singapore 2025: Singapore is not a just country of wealth, efficient transportation and high standard of living. Some of the best institutions of higher education are located in Singapore. Including National University of Singapore (NUS) four Singapore universities have been listed among QS 2025 rankings indicating that the country has invested in quality education. International students are migrating to Singapore in search of better education and career opportunities. However, education is expensive for Indian students. Singapore is encouraging international students to come and study in Singapore by offering tuition fee discounts and the permit to stay in the country for up to three years without additional work permit.

This Story also Contains
  1. Cheapest Colleges in Singapore for International Students 2025
  2. National University of Singapore (NUS)
  3. Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
  4. Singapore University of Technology & Design
  5. Singapore Management University
  6. Republic Polytechnic
  7. Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
  8. Temasek Polytechnic
  9. Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
  10. Top Courses in Singapore 2025
  11. Tuition Fees for Top Courses in Singapore 2025
Cheapest and Affordable Universities in Singapore 2024-25
Cheapest and Affordable Universities in Singapore 2024-25

Though the cost of studying in Singapore is high, there are many cheap universities to choose from. Let’s look at the cheapest universities in Singapore for international students 2025 along with tuition fees in this article.

Cheapest Colleges in Singapore for International Students 2025

One of the top reasons to study in Singapore is the heavily subsidized education system in universities. Government has taken this step to attract international students to study and work in the country without many restrictions. Following is the list of low cost universities in Singapore for international students.

Cheapest University in Singapore for International Students 2025

University

Tuition Fees in Singapore 2025 (per annum)

Tuition Fees in Indian Rupees (per annum)

National University of Singapore (NUS)

SGD 17,650 – SGD 98,650

10.8 L– 60.1 L

Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

SGD 17,650 – SGD 75,550

18.9 L– 46.04 L

Singapore University of Technology & Design

SGD 29,900

17.7 L

Singapore Management University

SGD 51,840 – SGD 358,000

31.6 L – 2.18 Cr

Republic Polytechnic

SGD 12,041


73.4 L

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)

SGD 8,200 for diploma courses

5 L

Temasek Polytechnic

SGD 11,400 for diploma courses

6.95 L

Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

SGD 31,680–SGD 57,600


19.3 L – 35.11 L

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*The above fees are after receiving grant from Ministry of Education, Singapore

Additional Read: Scholarships to Study in Singapore

National University of Singapore (NUS)

NUS (National University of Singapore) is a flagship university with a global reputation and approach for teaching and research. It has 17 faculties and schools along with 30 research centers across three campuses in Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah, and Outram. There is a choice of 68 UG programs and 216 PG programs at this one of the cheapest universities in Singapore for 2025. Around 38,000 students are studying at NUS hailing from 100 countries across the world making it a truly Global university to thrive. Admission deadlines vary according to the course.

Acceptance Rate: Less than 10%

Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is the world’s #1 best young university for five consecutive years in QS rankings. Imperial NTU is a joint medical school of NTU in partnership with Imperial College London. However, NTU also offers courses in engineering, science, arts, business, humanities and social sciences, and education. 7,600 international students are enrolled at the university. As one of the cheapest universities in Singapore for international students 2025, Nanyang Technological University is frequently cited among top 15 beautiful universities in the world.

Acceptance Rate: 36%

Singapore University of Technology & Design

Singapore University of Technology & Design has been established in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology for giving responsible and capable leaders to the present society. The curriculum followed at SUTD has been developed by MIT, 4 year degrees can be completed in 3 1⁄2 years itself. Doing foundation programmes is mandatory at SUTD to establish a strong base in the courses they are going to do.

Acceptance Rate: 36%

Singapore Management University

Singapore Management University is a private university in Singapore that is exclusively dedicated to Business, Economics and Finance studies. Various undergraduate, postgraduate research and professional programmes are offered at SMU through its eight schools to 12000 students. Business programs at Singapore university of Technology & Design have been modeled following the Wharton School of Business curriculum. Despite being a private university, annual fees at SUTD are subsidized by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, thus offering one of the affordable universities in Singapore for international students 2025.

Acceptance Rate: 49%

Republic Polytechnic

One of the cheapest universities in Singapore, Republic Polytechnic offers 43 Full-Time Courses to international students. Republic Polytechnic is known for its 100% placement experience with around 60,000+ alumni spread across the world. Republic Polytechnic boasts of its 2000+ industry partnerships across the world. High visibility among industry partnerships results in a high number of career opportunities offered to graduating students. The university offers courses in Applied Sciences, Engineering, Management and Communication, Hospitality, Infocomm, Sports, Health & Leisure, etc through its seven schools.

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)

Founded as a private university, there are many diploma courses aided by public funding at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Exclusively dedicated to art programs, various courses are offered as diplomas and degrees. NAFA has partnered with University of the Arts London and Royal College of Music, London and is the founding member of University of the Arts Singapore. Students aiming to pursue courses in arts must choose NAFA for getting industry relevant education. International students looking for the Singapore cheapest university 2025 for Arts courses may apply to Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts now.

Acceptance Rate: 52%

Temasek Polytechnic

Temasek Polytechnic, a relatively young university established in 1990. It is a public university that receives funding from the Singapore government to deliver cost-effective education to talented students from across the world. Tuition fees of diploma courses after receiving subsidy from the government start from 6.95 Lakh per annum. The campus of Temasek Polytechnic has an impressive architecture, adding to the beauty of studying at Temasek Polytechnic.

Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

The best reason to choose Singapore University of Social Sciences is not only the fact that it is among the cheapest universities in Singapore for international students 2025. But also the employment opportunities facilitated by the university. SUSS reports that every 9 graduates out of 10 receive employment offers every year. Supply Chain Management, Finance, and Accountancy are top courses to study at SUSS.

Top Courses in Singapore 2025

Students can refer to the below-mentioned best courses in Singapore. As the country is renowned for its strong economy creating ample job opportunities for international students, top notch educational system, English & rigorous courses, and more, thousands of students explore study in Singapore. Here are the high paying courses in Singapore for international students:

  • Medicine
  • MBA
  • IT
  • Computer Science
  • Law
  • Banking
  • Hospitality & Tourism

Tuition Fees for Top Courses in Singapore 2025

The exact tuition fees vary depending on the level of study, university, and the type of course in Singapore. Students must explore the selected university website to learn more details. However, we have given a table with approximate tuition fees in top universities in Singapore 2025. International students might be able to receive some grants from scholarships and financial aid that can impact the cost of studying a course in Singapore.

Approximate Tuition for Best Courses in Singapore 2025:

Best Courses in Singapore

Average Tuition Fees 2025

Computer Science

18,000 - 35,000

Medicine

50,000 - 70,000

Engineering

20,000 - 40,000

Nursing

18,000 - 30,000

Law

25,000 - 45,000

IT

18,000 - 32,000

Finance

20,000 - 35,000

Business

16,000 - 30,000

Must Read:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the cheapest engineering universities in Singapore?

The cheap degree courses in Singapore in the field of Engineering are offered by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Both universities are public universities and offer subsidized tuition fees to all students, including international students. In addition to NUS and NTU, the following universities in Singapore also offer engineering programs at relatively affordable tuition fees:

  • Singapore Management University (SMU)

  • Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

  • Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

2. How much are tuition fees for international students in Singapore?

Depending on the university and the programme, different international students in Singapore pay different tuition. Generally speaking, though, foreign students should budget between SGD 10,000 and SGD 20,000 for undergraduate programmes and between SGD 20,000 and SGD 50,000 for graduate programmes annually.

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Questions related to

Get answers from students and experts

Hello,

Hope you are doing great.

To answer your question To gain admission to the Computer Engineering program at the National University of Singapore (NUS), it is crucial to comprehend the admission criteria

JEE Mains Percentile:

The anticipated JEE Main Cutoff for 2024 across different categories is as follows:

General: 89+ percentile

EWS: 78+ percentile

OBC: 74+ percentile

SC: 44+ percentile

PwD: 0.11+ percentile¹.

A commendable percentile in JEE Mains 2024 falls within the range of 90-95 percentile³.

However, it is important to note that meeting the previous year's cutoff does not guarantee admission for the current year.

Hope this helps!!



Dear Aspirant,
Singapore is one of the best country across the world for Business and Finance Studies. Some of the best institutions for Masters of Business Adminstration (MBA) are as follows-
1. INSEAD
2. NUS (National University of Singapore)
3. Lee Kinf Chian School of Business
4. Manchester Business School
5. Nanyang Business School
6. ESSEC Global MBA
7. The Strathclyde MBA

You can visit the respective websites for details .

Hope this helps you !

Hello,

Yes you can! As long as your medical certification is from a recognised institution by the Singapore Medical Council, yo can apply to be allowed to practice in Singapore. Of course there will be a set of admin stuff you will have to complete before being allowed to practice here.

For practicing in in Singapore as a medical practitioner you must secure a job with hospitals, register with Singapore medical council and finally get accredited with Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB)  registration if you are practising as a specialist.

Alternatively, if there is a hospital/Medical institution willing to hire you, they can complete the procedutes on your behalf which will be much more convinient for you.


Hope this helps!!!

Dear Aspirant,

There are many colleges that accept students without the said exams but make sure you have your transcripts ready- LORs, projects/internships/Volunteering certificates, Statement of Purpose, Essays, Extra-curricular activities. These things are a must when trying to apply for colleges abroad.

Colleges in the US:

https://yocket.in/blog/universities-that-dont-require-sat-act-3527

There are 08 top Australian Universities which follow the above given criteria in order to exempt international students from submitting IELTS scores for admission. They are as follows:

  • UNSW
  • University of Adelaide
  • University of Queensland
  • University of Southern Queensland
  • Macquarie University
  • University of South Australia
  • Swinburne University of Technology
  • Bond University

Most of the colleges in Australia require an IELTS test score but have been waived off only on a case by case basic which is entirely judged. Many a times they have also waived it off if the students have completed their education in english medium.

Colleges in Singapore:

  • Nanyang Technological College
  • National college of Singapore
  • Singapore Management University

Singapore also has numerous centres of internationally acknowledged universities like Duke University, University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and SP Jain Centre of Management.

Colleges in Canada:

  • University of Saskatchewan
  • Brock University
  • Carleton University
  • University of Winnipeg
  • University of Regina
  • Memorial University
  • Concordia University

Hope this helps!




Hello,

Designing is an upcoming and demanding field and is gaining recognition faster than ever. Studying abroad does seem desirable but it is not entirely different from studying in your own country. Several Indian institutes ,not just NID offer amazing designing programs. Many Institutes in India have tie-ups with international universities and study abroad programs which will give you the exposure required for an undergraduate degree.

Studying abroad for an UG degree also requires a lot of capital ,so instead of spending that money for UG , you can save up for PG/higher studies abroad which will be of much more use. As long as you choose study and work hard, choose a good college with experiential learning then from where you study NID or NAFA or Lasalle or UAL it doesn't matter.


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