Cheapest Universities in Singapore 2026 for International Students

Cheapest Universities in Singapore

If you’re looking for the cheapest universities in Singapore for international students, you’ve come to the right place. There’s no need to look any farther; you’ve arrived at the perfect location.

Singapore is well-known for its stellar reputation, entrepreneurial energy, and world-class development. It is known as the world’s ‘garden city’ because of the amazing mix between its own culture and globalized western modernism. It is one of the fastest-growing countries on the planet.

In this post, we’ll give you a list of the cheapest universities in Singapore for international students, as well as a breakdown of whether studying in this well-known country is genuinely expensive or not.

Cheapest University in Singapore

1. National University of Singapore (NUS) https://www.nus.edu.sg

The National University of Singapore (NUS) was established in 1905, making it the country’s oldest higher education institution. It is also the most populous in terms of the student population, with over 40,000 students, and is widely regarded as Singapore’s best.

In the 2020 QS University World Ranking, it was ranked 11th best, while in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Ranking, it was ranked 23rd best.

The University of Singapore is organized into 17 schools and faculties. Business, medicine, public policy, the arts, and social sciences, design and the environment, music, law, integrative sciences and engineering, public health, computing, dentistry, and science are among the fields where these are offered.

This low-cost institution in Singapore also offers programs in collaboration with universities throughout the world, such as a medical school with Duke University, a liberal arts college with Yale University, and a research and technology partnership with MIT.

There are numerous student houses and halls at NUS. Over 6,000 pupils can be accommodated in these facilities. There are four residential colleges within the institution, with a total of 5,100 students and researchers.

International students’ tuition rates range from 17,550 SGD (12,900 USD) to 61,850 SGD (45,500 USD) per year, depending on the program. Except for those in dentistry, law, and music, the majority of programs cost less than 20,550 SGD (15,000 USD approx.). To learn more, contact them.

2. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) https://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx

Singapore had had one institution for a long time until the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was founded in 1981. With roughly 33,000 students, this is Singapore’s second-largest university and is frequently regarded as the country’s second-best higher education institution.

In the 2020 QS World University Ranking, it was rated 11th, however in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Ranking, it was ranked 51st.

On three separate campuses, NTU is divided into many schools, colleges, and research centers. Medicine, humanities, arts, social sciences, business, science, and engineering, as well as education, are among these fields. To see which undergraduate programs are available, go here.

This low-cost institution in Singapore also includes student housing for over 14,000 students.

Studying in Singapore on a budget — what the fees above actually mean

Tuition is only one line in the budget, and on its own it is a poor guide to whether you can afford to study in Singapore. A country with low tuition and high living costs can end up more expensive than one with higher tuition and cheap accommodation. Work out the total annual cost before you compare anywhere.

How to check a tuition figure before you rely on it

Fee figures on any website — including this one — go out of date. Universities revise tuition annually, and governments change policy. Before you rely on a number:

Open the university’s own website and find the fees page for international or non-national students. That is the only figure that counts.
Check the academic year the figure applies to. A 2023 fee table tells you very little about what you will pay in 2026/2027.
Confirm whether the price is per year, per semester or per credit. Per-credit pricing is common and makes cheap-looking programmes expensive.
Check whether international students pay a different rate. In many systems local and EU students pay far less than everyone else.
Email the admissions office and keep the reply. A written quote protects you.

A live example of why this matters: Norway’s public universities were free for everyone until 2023, when parliament introduced cost-covering fees for non-EU/EEA students — and non-European enrolment fell by roughly 80% within two years. In June 2025 the government proposed letting institutions set their own fees again, including at zero, from August 2026. Anyone relying on a five-year-old “tuition-free” article would have got it badly wrong in both directions.

Entry route: Singapore issues a student visa after you hold an offer, and in many Asian systems the institution files part of the application on your behalf. Requirements typically include the admission letter, proof of funds, medical clearance and authenticated academic certificates. Confirm the exact document list with your university — it varies a lot between institutions.

Language of instruction: English is an official or primary language of instruction in Singapore, so you will not face a language barrier in the classroom. Many institutions also waive IELTS or TOEFL where your previous degree was taught in English — and Nigerian universities teach in English. Ask the admissions office directly whether your Nigerian certificate qualifies for a waiver before you pay for a test.

Build a realistic total-cost budget

Before applying to any institution in Singapore, price all of the following. Applicants routinely underestimate the second half of this list:

Tuition for international students, for the correct academic year
Application and acceptance fees, which are usually non-refundable
Accommodation — on-campus versus private rent can differ enormously
Living costs — food, transport, data, utilities
Health insurance, which is compulsory in most study destinations
Visa or permit fees, plus biometrics and courier charges
Flights, and a return flight if the visa requires proof of one
Proof of funds — money you must show you hold, on top of what you actually spend
Document costs — transcripts, notarisation, apostille, translation, courier
The naira exchange rate, and how a further depreciation would affect year two

How to bring the cost down honestly

Apply for scholarships in parallel, not afterwards. Most funding deadlines fall before or alongside admission deadlines, not after.
Look at government scholarships from Singapore itself. Many countries fund international students directly, and these are often less competitive than the famous named awards.
Ask about assistantships and tuition waivers at postgraduate level. Teaching or research assistantships can cut or eliminate tuition.
Ask about fee instalments. Many institutions allow termly payment, which matters when you are converting naira.
Check student work rights on your visa — how many hours, and whether you may work at all. Never plan a budget that depends on illegal work.
Compare smaller cities. Rent outside the capital is often the single biggest saving available.

A warning about agents

No agent can guarantee you admission or a visa. If someone promises either in exchange for money, walk away. Legitimate agents are paid by institutions, publish their registration details, and will never ask you to send money to a personal account. Apply directly to the university wherever you can — almost every institution accepts direct applications, and it is free or cheaper.

Frequently asked questions

Can Nigerians study in Singapore?
Yes. Nigerian students are admitted to institutions in Singapore subject to meeting the academic entry requirements, the language requirement and the immigration rules set out above.

Is the cheapest university the best choice?
Not automatically. Check that the institution is recognised by the national regulator in Singapore and, if you plan to return home or move on, that its degrees are accepted where you intend to work. A cheap degree from an unrecognised institution costs you everything.

Do I need IELTS to study in Singapore?
It depends on the programme and the institution. Where teaching is in English, many institutions waive the test for applicants whose previous degree was taught in English — which covers most Nigerian graduates. Always confirm in writing before paying for a test.

How much money do I need to show?
That is set by the immigration authorities, not the university, and it changes. Check the official government source for Singapore shortly before you apply, because the figure is usually updated annually.

Can I work while studying?
Some countries permit limited part-time work on a student visa and some do not. Confirm the rule for your specific visa type, and treat any earnings as a supplement rather than the basis of your budget.

Related guides

Tuition fees, visa rules and proof-of-funds thresholds change every year. Always confirm the current figures on the official university and government websites for Singapore before you apply or pay anything.