Singapore has a famous reputation for its excellent education, and maintain high standards of teaching and learning. The cost of study in Singapore is generally cheaper compared with the cost of study in other popular overseas study destination such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
There are mainly two types of universities in Singapore, public universities, foreign and international university campuses in Singapore.
The government mostly subsidises public universities. Therefore, they could offer selected students admission at a reduced tuition fee. International students are charged higher fees in certain university than local Singaporeans. Foreign and international university campuses in Singapore are generally expensive than public universities.
We are here comparing the six public-funded university’s tuition fee (per year) for accounting and finance programmes.
| University | Programme | International Students (Subsidised*) | International Students (Non-Subsidised) |
|---|---|---|---|
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | BBA Accountancy (3 years) | 20,550 | 32,250 |
| MSc Finance (1 year) | 48,150 | 48,150 | |
| Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) | Bachelor of Accountancy (3 years) | 20,100 | 36,830 |
| MSc Accountancy (1 year) | 45,000 | 45,000 | |
| Singapore Management University (SMU) | Bachelor of Accountancy (4 years) | 24,500 | 43,870 |
| Master of Professional Accounting (1 year) | 41,730 | 41,730 | |
| Singapore University of Technology and Design | Undergraduate (4 years) | 27,950 | 60,455 |
| Graduate (1 year) | N.A | 39,980 | |
| Singapore Institution of Technology | BAcc (Hon) Accountancy (3 years 4 months) | 21,251.47 | 31,892.35 |
| MEng Tech (1 year) | N.A | 33,994 | |
| Singapore University of Social Science | Bachelor of Accountancy | 22,000 | 33,440 |
| Master of Finance (1.5 years) | N.A | 33,897.60 |
*The Ministry of Education (MOE) Singapore offers subsidies (Tuition Grant) for international students who study at local public universities. Under this scheme, international students will be required to work in Singapore-registered companies for a minimum period of three years upon graduation.
Therefore, to complete an accountancy Bachelor degree at a public university in Singapore, an international student (Non-MOE subsidies) needs to spend an average of SGD$33,000 *3 = SGD$99,000. Some other degree streams might take four years to complete which could spend higher.
Below table provides a further breakdown of the tuition fee for a few universities which offer accounting and finance-related programmes:
| University | Programme | Duration | Tuition fees for International Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtin Singapore | Bachelor of Commerce | 2-3 Years | 51,840 |
| Master of Business Administration (Global) | 1 year and 4 months | 46,080 | |
| ESSEC Business School | Global Bachelor of Business Administration | 4 years | 84,600 |
| Master of Finance | 1 - 2 years | 37,800 | |
| INSEAD Asia Campus | Master in Business Administration | 1 year | 133,884 |
| James Cook University Singapore | Bachelor of Business (Accounting) | 2 years | 57,780 |
| Master of Professional Accounting | 1 year and 4 months | 50,504 | |
| S P Jain School of Global Management | Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance) | 4 years | 115,356 |
| Master of Global Business (Global Finance) | 1 year and 4 months | 32,410 |
To complete a Bachelor degree in a foreign and international university in Singapore, the international student tuition fees generally from SGD$51,840 to SGD$115,350 depends on the nature of the course. A master degree’s tuition fee is from about SGD$46,080 to SGD$133,884.
The cost of study in Singapore differs in accordance with the level of study. When it comes to the cost of living, it varies depending on the individual living standard, the average cost for a student could be anywhere from SGD $1,000 to $3,000 monthly.