Study abroad in Singapore

Studying in Singapore is considered a favorite destination for international students to study. However, to make your studies smoother, you need to know the information about the conditions, costs and scholarships. Let’s take a look at the main information when learning about the study abroad program in Singapore 2025 through the following article.

Geographical location and culture

As we all know, Singapore is a country in Southeast Asia, so it is quite close to Vietnam. The flight time from Vietnam to Singapore only takes 2-3 hours of flight. Parents can visit their children at any time without having to apply for a visa in advance.

On the contrary, on short holidays or weekends, students can also easily fly back to Vietnam to visit their families. Flights to Sing are also quite cheap. In the low season, you can completely hunt for round-trip tickets from Vietnam to Singapore for less than 100 USD.

Not only that, because it is a Southeast Asian country, Singapore’s culture will be almost similar to Vietnam and Eastern culture. You won’t be afraid of culture shock, or racism when you go to school in this country.

Education System for Studying Abroad Singapore

The education system in Singapore, whether public or private, must be clearly accredited for the quality of education. If international students study in Singapore’s public schools, their qualifications after graduation will have international value, and the chances of getting a job are quite high.

Singapore has 3 public universities in the top in the world, so the quality of education here is quite high. Not only Asian students, but also other countries around the world come here to experience and study in a country with a highly developed economy and education.

For the private education system, schools will link training with other large and prestigious universities in the world from countries such as the UK, Australia, and the US,… for teaching and awarding degrees. Any private education institution that wants to enroll international students to study in Singapore needs to be granted an Edutrust certificate by the Ministry of Private Education (CPE) to recognize the quality, management system and qualified teaching institution.

Edutrust has terms including Edutrust 2 years, Edutrust 4 years and Edutrust Star. The schools that Vietnamese students often choose when studying in Singapore are those that have achieved 4-year Edutrust and Edutrust Star.

English is the main language spoken in Singapore

Singapore is a country where English is the primary language of communication, administrative writing, and teaching in schools at all levels. Because of the professional English environment, students will have many opportunities to improve their English skills when studying here. As a result, you will always be ready to go to higher education or work in any country after that.

When studying in Singapore, you can pre-equip with an IELTS certificate of at least 5.5 or higher. For students who do not have IELTS, it is still possible to study in Singapore thanks to the introductory English courses before entering the main major. The duration of learning English will depend on the student’s entry level.

Possess a globally valid qualification

Programs that are trained and awarded have been censored, so they are worth acknowledgment. In addition, joint training programs are awarded by major universities around the world, so students can use the degrees obtained in Singapore to apply for the next level of study in any country. Or students can also find jobs in other countries.

Studying in Singapore without financial proof

Another highlight of studying in Singapore is that there is no need for financial proof. For families who have enough financial conditions for their children to study abroad, but have difficulty proving how the money is, they can choose Singapore as a study destination for their children.

With simple documents and procedures, students can receive a visa in between 2 – 4 weeks to apply. All of them are processed online, so it does not cause time and travel in the process.

High-paying job opportunities Singapore is one of the countries with many job opportunities for many people, including international students. Students have the opportunity to receive extremely attractive salaries when working here.

Especially, the crime rate is low

Singapore has always been among the safest countries in the world, with an extremely low crime rate. When students go to school here, parents can be completely assured of the safety of their children.

Singapore rarely experiences violence, protests, or political tensions. Therefore, Singapore is a great country if families are concerned about the safety factor of studying abroad.

Levels of study abroad Singapore

Primary education

The primary school program in Singapore lasts for 6 years from grade 1 to grade 6 (Primary 1 – Primary 6). Schools will accept students from 6 years old to enter grade 1. After the end of grade 6, students will take a transfer exam to move on to the next level of study.

Middle School

The middle school program lasts from 4 to 5 years depending on the student’s learning ability. The curriculum will be from Secondary 1 – Secondary 4 or 5. Upon completion of this level, students will receive an O-level or N-level degree to transfer to the next level of study.

Besides the public system, students can also study internationally under the Cambridge program. Upon completion of the programme, students will receive an IGCSE diploma and have a wide range of options for the next level of study.

 

College Prep

In the public system, the pre-university program of studying in Singapore will be called Junior College with a training period of 2 years. Upon completion of these 2 years of study, students will receive an A-level certificate to apply to Singapore’s Polytechnic Colleges or public universities. This route is suitable for those who have good and excellent academic ability to achieve good results in the A-level exam.

For those who have a good academic ability or higher and international students can choose the Foundation Year program of Singapore private schools. This Foundation Year program lasts from 6 to 12 months, depending on the student’s previous academic performance. Upon completion of this course, students will continue their studies in specialized college and university programs in Singapore.

University

The duration of undergraduate training is from 3 to 5 years in the public direction and from 2 to 3 years in the private direction, depending on the student’s major. You can choose from a variety of majors according to your preferences.

Each major will have different school options. Contact DTS Study Abroad for advice on choosing the right school for your field of study.

Master

Singapore’s Master’s program will have a training period of 1-2 years depending on the major. At this level, students can also choose from different majors. Depending on the entry requirements of each course, you can choose the study program that suits you.

What does it cost to study in Singapore?

To own British, Australian, and American degrees, it will usually cost you a lot of money. However, when you study abroad in Singapore, you will have the opportunity to own globally valuable degrees at a lower cost. So how much does it cost to study in Singapore, and what costs are included??

Cost of Tuition

Tuition fees for courses in Singapore will vary depending on the student’s level of study and major. You can refer to the overview of tuition fees as follows

Tuition fees for courses in Singapore will vary depending on the student’s level of study and major. You can refer to the overview of tuition fees as follows:

– Primary school: 6,000 – 15,000SGD

– Secondary School: 10,800 – 15,000SGD

– Pre-university: 12,000 – 20,000SGD

– University Preparation: 6,000 – 7,000SGD

– College: 8,000 – 13,000SGD

– Bachelor: 22,000 – 35,000SGD

– Master: 25,000 – 40,000SGD

Cost of living

Living expenses when studying in Singapore will include expenses such as rent, food, electricity, water, work, and personal living expenses. This amount will not be fixed because each student will have different spending needs. Here are the basic costs that a student needs to spend during their studies in Singapore:

  • Housing fees: 650 – 1,200SGD
  • Electricity and water bills: ~100SGD – 200SGD
  • Food and beverage expenses: 360 – 500SGD
  • Travel expenses: ~50SGD
  • Phone bills: ~50SGD
  • Other living expenses: ~300SGD

How to save money on studying in Singapore 2025

For studying in Singapore, students are not allowed to work part-time is a government regulation. If violated, the student may be deported, or worse, may be banned from re-entering Singapore. Therefore, to save the cost of studying in Singapore, you can apply the following ways:

– You can go to the market and cook at home, which not only helps to save the cost of eating out, but also suits your taste and ensures hygiene

– Try to take advantage of the time to study and get good grades in subjects. Avoid getting poor grades, retaking exams or re-studying to incur additional costs

– Singapore is a shopping paradise, you should limit and save on luxury items or not really necessary

Chance of receiving a scholarship to study in Singapore 2025 up to 100%

Like other countries, Singapore also has many valuable scholarships for students who wish to study here. The Singapore Study Abroad Scholarship 2025 applies to students applying for courses from Undergraduate to Master’s level with a value of up to 100% of the tuition fee.

High-value scholarships will have many academic entry requirements, and students will also need to participate in scholarship exams and interviews with the university to be considered for high-value scholarships. In addition, there are also many tuition fee incentive programs, when students submit their admission documents through the school’s admissions representative.

Notable Majors in Singapore?

The country is known as the Lion Island with a relatively small area, but it has the potential to have a highly developed economy and education to the top of the world. This answers the reason why Singapore attracts a large number of students to study here. To answer the question of what major should you study in Singapore, as well as to help you easily give your career direction in the future. DTS would like to introduce some of the hottest majors in Singapore today.

International Business

With the strength of the economy and a methodical education investment strategy, Singapore is a cradle for creating excellent business leaders with high job prospects. The program provides students with a solid foundation in economics such as business administration overview, global economics and problem-solving, negotiation, and negotiation skills…

Information Technology

Currently, IT is a popular field in the world labor market in general and studying in Singapore in particular because everything in life is related to the applications of information technology. Moreover, Singapore also updates the trend of disciplines in the IT sector such as Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Information Systems… to help technology enthusiasts easily choose their favorite major..

Tourism and Hospitality Management

This is a key service industry of Singapore, because it attracts thousands of international tourists to visit and travel every year. In particular, with a teaching method that focuses on developing both theory and practice, equipping students with the best professional skills before graduation.

Supply Chain Management and Logistics

Known as one of Southeast Asia’s vast seaports, Singapore will be an ideal study destination for international students who want to be equipped with solid knowledge and hands-on experience in the distribution processes, cargo control of logistics and supply chain management.

Marketing

Not only is it just a field of study in advertising, reaching customers in the traditional way as before, but Marketing has developed to a new level with the Digital Marketing program, which is marketing activities carried out on a digital platform on electronic information channels such as Facebook, etc.  Email, Website,… Therefore, career opportunities for students to study this major after graduation are quite diverse.

How to Choose the Right School in Singapore?

Choosing the right school to study in Singapore in 2025 depends on the finances of each student. Therefore, choosing a school is also important for your learning process. The following are some of the criteria for choosing the right school in Singapore:

  • The school’s teaching quality standards are certified by the CPE Board of Education Singapore Edutrust
  • The educational strengths of each school are tailored to your preferred field of study Course entry requirements, annual tuition fees, and scholarship levels offered to students
  • Accredited Qualifications After Graduation
  • University support services for students
  • Whether the facilities are equipped and upgraded in accordance with students’ learning trends
  • Outstanding achievements of the school for many years in a row

 

Requirements to study in Singapore?

Belonging to the same Southeast Asian region, the education system between Singapore and Vietnam is also similar to each other, so the conditions to study in Singapore for Vietnamese students are also quite easy. Depending on each age, level, and level of education, there will be different entry requirements.

Primary System

The appropriate age for primary school in Singapore is 7 – 12 years old, equivalent to grades 1 – 6. If they want to study in Singapore public schools, they must take the AEIS exam in September and October every year with 2 subjects: Math and English. After completing primary school, they must take the PSLE exam to graduate from the Singapore primary school program.

Secondary School

Secondary students in Singapore are between the ages of 13 and 16. Similar to primary school, students must also pass the AEIS exam if they wish to study in one of Singapore’s public schools.

At the end of secondary school, students will take the O-Level exam to enter the public college system or the pre-university system in the direction of Singapore private schools.

Preparatory – College – University System

With a shortened learning pathway and a major-focused curriculum right from grade 9, it has helped many parents decide to choose to study abroad in Singapore as a place to stick and study for their children right after graduating from secondary school. Details of the entry requirements for the courses are as follows:

– For the Reserve Tier

  • Graduated from secondary school or completed grade 11 (depending on the school’s requirements)
  • IELTS 5.5 or equivalent

– For Colleges

  • High School Graduation
  • IELTS 5.5 – 6.0 depending on the school

– For Bachelor’s Degree

  • Complete a relevant College program
  • IELTS 6.0

Postgraduate – Master’s Program

  • Graduated from a related university
  •  IELTS 6.0 – 6.5 depending on the major

What does a Singapore study abroad application include?

Students studying in Singapore only need to provide complete academic documents as follows:

  • Highest school diploma
  •  Transcript or transcript
  • Passport valid for more than 6 months
  • Birth certificate
  • Photo 4×6 blank background
  •  Employment certificate (if employed)
  • Marriage certificate (if married) IELTS
  •  English certificate (if applicable)

How easy or difficult it is to apply for a Singapore student visa?

Unlike other countries such as the UK, Australia, and the US,… Studying in Singapore is quite simple in the procedure of applying for admission and applying for a visa. There is no need for cumbersome financial proof, nor do you have to go through a rigorous interview, with just a beautiful set of documents mentioned above, applying for a Singapore student visa is not too difficult. International students only need to prepare the necessary documents and contact a reputable Singapore study abroad counseling center who will be supported from filling out the registration form to applying for a student visa.

The time to apply for a Singapore student visa is about 4-6 weeks, depending on each application, which requires a longer processing time. Therefore, students need to apply about 2 months in advance of the date of admission to ensure enough time to apply for a visa in time for their desired course.

Can you study in Singapore without IELTS?

The answer is YES. Although the entry requirement is IELTS 5.0 or 5.5, if students do not have IELTS or IELTS does not have the required score, they can still take the English entrance test instead. If the student is eligible to pass the English language proficiency test, the student can still enter the main program without having to supplement the IELTS.

If you are not eligible to pass the entrance test, you will be required to study English at the school before entering the main course. The duration of learning English depends on the student’s current level. This level is assessed based on the entrance test score. The duration of learning English will range from 2 months to 1 year depending on each school.

Can I study in Singapore as a part-time worker?

The issue of part-time work in the process of studying abroad is of interest to many students, but for studying in Singapore, the government stipulates that international students are not allowed to work part-time during the process of studying here. Except for majors that have paid internships and allow students to participate in practice and gain experience at companies that are recruiting in Singapore.

Let’s take a look at some majors that can be studied and worked in Singapore

  • Tourism and Restaurant
  • Management Hotels
  • Kitchen and Baking Supply
  •  Chain Management and Logistics

With an internship salary ranging from S$800 – S$1,300 per month, students can cover part of their living expenses while studying in Singapore. This is also a memorable experience in the process of studying abroad, if you are looking for a major that is allowed to work part-time, you should consider the above majors.