Top Universities in Singapore

In 2018, Singapore was in the 15th position in the world in the QS Best Student Cities 2018. A large number of students in almost hundred different countries have opted to gain education in Singapore. The top schools in the country give students a great chance at getting good jobs. Below are some of the top universities in Singapore.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

This educational institution is known for their excellence. The university is ranked as one of the best not only in the city but also all over the world. It has continuously been part of the top 20 schools worldwide and the best in Asia. This school was founded in 1905 and initially named the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. It is the oldest university in the country. The school specializes in different courses including Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Technology, Business Studies, Social Sciences, Engineering and Music among others. As of the writing of this article, NUS has over 35,000 students and over 2500 academic staff. Students are able to do undergraduate degree, double-degrees and Masters programs, among others in various fields. In fact the school offers over 350 degree programs. The school encourages entrepreneurship and supports their students in the attainment of this with courses like entrepreneurial education among others. Students from all over the world have access to the school.

NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The Nanyang Technological University is also one of the top universities in Singapore and the world. It is believed to be the second best and the second oldest school after the National University of Singapore. The school was founded in 1981 and was initially named Nanyang Technological Institute. As at 2020, it was in 11th place in the QS World University rankings in the world and in 3rd place in Asia alone. The school has also been mentioned as one of the top fifteen most beautiful campuses in the world. The school has over 30,000 students enrolling and over 3800 teaching staff working full time. NTU is made up of different learning centers including College of Humanities, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, College of Engineering and Nanyang Business School among others. Their engineering courses especially make them very recognized all over the world. They have been ranked the best in the World for Citations in Artificial Intelligence. The size of their main campus makes them the biggest campus in Singapore. International students are very welcome in the school. As part of its Smart Campus Vision, the school currently has collaborations with Volvo, Rolls Royse and BMW among others.

SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY

This university is the third most recognized tertiary institute in Singapore. The school was started in the year 2000 and has over 10,000 students and over 350 teaching staff. The school is known for its proficient instructors. SMU offers PHD, professional studies, graduate and undergraduate programs. The school offers PHD courses like Financial Services, Business Administration, Social Sciences and Information Systems Management among others. SMU was modeled after the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The school has different sectors like School of Economics, School of Law, Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Executive Development among others. Ashoka; a nonprofit organization that works globally, named the school a Change maker Campus in the field of social entrepreneurship, making it the first University in Asia to attain that honor. The school is not limited to just studying. Events are organized for both local and international students. Clubs in different sectors are also created for students who want to join or gain knowledge in different areas. The school has collaborations with over 200 Universities from over 45 countries for exchange programs.  The school introduces guest lecturers from time to time to share knowledge with the students.

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN

This school which was founded in 2009 is one of the most acknowledged schools in the city. The school has a collaboration with The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The founding president, Thomas Magnanti is associated to the MIT as a professor. The school is focused on Technology and Design as the name signifies and offers programs like Design and Artificial intelligence, Information Systems Technology and Design, Architecture and Sustainable Design, Master of Engineering and Master of Science in Security by Design. SUTD offers Career Guidance and Internships to help their students find their footing in the work space after they are done with school.

The school also has a program for students aspiring to venture into entrepreneurship and offers support and activities for them. SUTD has clubs in fields like sports, arts and dance among others whiles the students also have different clubs they created themselves. Furthermore, SUTD offers selected exchange programs with international students. For students who are unable to partake in exchange programs due to financial challenges, the school offers scholarships and awards to help. They also have partnerships with particular international universities for exchange programs.

SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

The Singapore Institute of Technology is also a top university in Singapore. It is the first University in Singapore for applied learning and was opened in 2009. The school has about 6000 students and over 140 teaching staff. The school offers degrees in Design and Specialized Businesses, Chemical Engineering and Food Technology,  Health and Social Sciences, Engineering and Infocomm Technology. The founder of the school, Tan Chin Tiong was from Singapore Management University.

SIT accepts students not only based on how well they do in academics but in extra curriculum activities as well. SIT also partners with foreign universities for exchange programs and also offers international internship programs. The school gives the students a chance to learn from professionals who are already on field so they can gain more knowledge. SIT also aspires to be the leading expert of finding innovative ways of gaining knowledge. The school also organizes fairs, games and events to provide entertainment for the students and also for cultural immersion. There are events and programs that help students decide on which career to choose. The school does its best to offer any help they can to help the students have a worthwhile experience in the school including counseling services and diversity and inclusion offers.

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Established in 2017, this school is the sixth most recognized university in the city. The school which has about 15,000 students and over 1000 staff. The learning facility concentrates on Social Sciences. The school is in five parts including, the College for Lifelong & Experiential Learning. The university has partnered with other universities including the following:

• Beijing Foreign Studies University in China
• Cranfield University in the United Kingdom
• Athabasca University in Canada
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the United States of America

In the entrepreneurial field, students are given certificates. The program known as The Alibaba Cloud -SUSS Entrepreneurship Program teaches the students how to succeed on their own in the work space.

The school also has a program for adults who are married and have children known as Marriage and Baby Bonus Scheme. The school offers Sports and Physical Education with Minor, Professional Life Coaching, Translation and Interpretation and Taxation among others. The school also has a law program for people who want to study law. The school goes ahead to give students training to help them excel in the various fields they decide to venture into.

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE OF SINGAPORE

This Institute which was opened in 1956 is a vocational university and the 7th highest university in the country. The school is the oldest nonprofit educational institution in Singapore. MDIS offers courses in Mass Communications, Hospitality Management, Engineering, Psychology and Fashion Designing among others. During the 2017 Enterprise 50 awards, the school ranked 4th. The school has partnered with universities in different parts of the world including the United States, France and United Kingdom. MDIS currently has almost 10,000 students with about 20 percent of them being international students coming from over 25 different countries. It is believed that students from the school have a good employment rate. MDIS also offers courses that prepare students for ‘A’ level and GCE ‘O’ level. The aim of the school has been to train students to become overseers in their various jobs.

JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY SINGAPORE

Founded in 2003 as a branch of James Cook University in Australia, James Cook University Singapore. As at 2015, it was the first private Institute to win the EduTrust Star. The school falls within the top 2 percent of the best universities all around the world. Degrees from this school are awarded from the main learning Institute in Australia. The school offers programs like Aquaculture, Urban Planning, Psychology, Business, Information Technology, Tourism and Hospitality and Environmental Science among others.

Almost all decisions regarding the school are from the main branch in Australia which has helped residents who initially believed they had to go all the way to Australia to attend the same school. JCU Singapore has also received good rankings for their research on immunology, Inorganic Chemistry, Geology, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Fisheries Sciences and Biological Sciences among others. JCU offers both full time and part time courses. The institute has students from over 50 different countries. In 2019, during the School Green Awards, they won the Singapore Yellow Flame Award which is for schools that had gone past 80 percent scores but not exceeded 90 percent. Before that, in 2018, during the People’s Association Community Spirit Awards, they won the Community Partnership Merit Award.

YALE -NUS COLLEGE

This school is a liberal arts school and the first of its kind in Singapore. It is also part of just a few in the whole of Asia. It is one of the most renowned schools in the country. The school was established in 2011. Yale-NUS came about as a partnership between Yale University and National University of Singapore. This also makes Yale the first Ivy League school from the United States to have a school bearing its name in Asia. Degrees from the school are awarded by the National University of Singapore.

The school undertakes over a dozen majors including the following:

• Arts and Humanities
• Philosophy
• Politics and Economics
• Mathematics
• Computational and Statistical Sciences
• Urban Studies
• Life Sciences
• Anthropology
• History
• Physical Sciences

NANYANG BUSINESS SCHOOL

This list would definitely not be considered complete without the presence of Nanyang Business School. This tertiary institute is widely considered to be one of the best business schools not only in Singapore but in the world. The school has accreditation from the European Quality Improvement System. It is also part of the Nanyang Technological University and offers Masters and degrees among others. The school offers Business Administration, Technopreneurship, Management, Accountancy, Computing, Economics, Financial engineering  and Law among others. As of 2020, they are the only school in the city that offers three years direct honor degree in Accountancy and Business. There are over 6500 undergraduates and over 100 teaching staff from all corners of the world in the school. According to the Economist, for over ten years, the school has been adjudged the best business school in Singapore.