Located in the heart of southeast Asia, Singapore has plenty to offer international students.

The country offers a cosmopolitan blend of cultures, languages and religions – its population is made up of Chinese, Malay and Indian citizens and a large number of expatriates, but while crowded, it’s known for its cleanliness and safety.

Studying in Singapore offers a fast-paced, big-city lifestyle, tropical climate and a whole bunch of attractions and activities to keep you occupied in your spare time, such as parks, museums, cinemas and restaurants. You could visit Jewel Changi Airport to see the tallest indoor waterfall in the world or head to the Night Safari – the world’s first night zoo.

The city also has a thriving arts scene, perfect for creative types. Superb transport links also make it a great base for exploring the rest of southeast Asia.

Singaporean universities

For a small country Singapore’s higher education landscape is varied and well respected. It is recognised as a world leader in research and innovation, adding to its appeal with foreign students.

Singapore houses a number of public and private universities, as well as polytechnics, art schools and foreign institutions.

It has six national universities (five public and one private). These include:

• Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

• National University of Singapore (NUS)

• Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)

• Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

• Singapore Management University (SMU)

• Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

The NUS (the oldest higher education institution in the country) and NTU are the largest and most high profile, placing 11th and 12th respectively in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

Many world-leading foreign institutions also have campuses in the country, for example, INSEAD (France), James Cook University Singapore (Australia), Newcastle University Singapore (UK), Yale NUS College (USA) and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Singapore (USA).

The academic year in Singapore is usually split into two semesters. Semester one runs from August to December, while semester two runs from January to May.