
We put school fees in Singapore side-by-side so you can find the perfect education within your budget for your child
Famous for its high quality schools, Singapore is the perfect place to bring your kids if you want to give them a good education, but do your homework first or it could cost you.
International schools
In the competitive world of international schooling, school fees in Singapore go into the tens of thousands, so unless your company is footing the bill you need to consider your options carefully – there’s a lot more to these costs than just tutoring.
Who can join?
Foreign System Schools (FSS) are for, well, foreign students primarily, and any Singapore Citizen wishing to enter the system needs special MOE approval to do so, with applications considered on a case-by-case basis. More details here.
Fees
We calculated a cross-section of some of the bigger international school fees, using a junior age group and totting up the cost per year. For extras such as school trips, uniform, funds and other miscellaneous fees, visit each school’s website.
Stamford American International School
Local schools
Although known for their rigorous approach to learning, Singapore’s own schools are well respected, much sought after and a whole lot cheaper than the international options.
Who can join?
It is possible for overseas students to join Singaporean schools but the top slots are given to locals before foreigners. Those who are not Citizens or PRs can enter using the International Student Admissions system, subject to availability, and after applying for a Student Pass.
Fees
In the Singaporean school system, pupils are split into four areas: Singapore Citizen (SC), Singapore PR, Foreigner (ASEAN), and Foreigner (non-Asean). Primary fees don’t really exist so we took costs from secondary schools instead. Where the different schooling systems are outlined (Express or Integrated Progamme) we have chosen to highlight the IP. For miscellaneous fees, details of Edusave scholarships and other funding methods and discounts, take a look at the school websites.
More information from MOE here.
Edusave
Even with the lower charges, some families struggle to pay the fees for schooling, and in such cases they can tap into this useful scheme set up by the Singaporean government to reward hard-working children. The idea behind it is that if you perform well at school (both academically and non-academically) then you could be rewarded with funds to help pay for any enrichment programmes or other costs your education incurs. More details here.
For more details of school costs check out our school selector tool.
**Costs as of July 2014, schools may amend fees at their discretion.
Lead Image: Australian International School