Study in Singapore for Pakistani Students 2024

Studying in Singapore for Pakistani students in 2024 can be an ideal destination because it is a highly developed country with one of the world's highest GDP per capita. It is Southeast Asia's most beautiful island country, bordered by Malaysia and Indonesia. It's capital and city state is Singapore. The official languages in Singapore are English, Chinese, Mandarin, and Tamil because so many ethnic groups live in Singapore. The official currency of Singapore is the Singaporean Dollar. (SGD).

Singapore is considered a hub of educational excellence across the world, and its most prestigious universities offer admission to bachelor, master, and PhD students. The most famous courses offered in Singaporean Universities are computer sciences, law, medicine, business administration, and engineering. The average tuition fee for Public Universities in Singapore ranges from 8200-9600 SGD per year while private universities may go up to 30000 SGD per year. Scholarships for international students, both partially and fully funded, are also available in Singaporean Universities.

IELTS requirements by Singaporean University are optional, so you can study in Singapore without IELTS based on English language proficiency. International students can avail part-time work of 16 hours/week. The average pay per hour in Singapore for international students is 15-25 SGD, depending upon the type of job. The average living costs in Singapore for international students may be costly and range from 1500-3000 SGD.   

Pakistani students can get a one-year after-study work permit in Singapore if they graduate from the institutes of higher learning; otherwise, it will be 90 days. Getting PR in Singapore after studying is difficult because the Singaporean Government has stringent policies for it.

For international students, a bank statement of about 25000-35000 SGD per year is required to study in Singapore. The Visa acceptance rate in Singapore for Pakistani students is 90%. 

Benefits Of Studying In Singapore 

Studying in Singapore can be a little expensive, but you can have the following benefits;

• Singapore provides a high standard of education with its top-ranked universities. Two of Singapore's universities are among the top 15 best in the world, ensuring that you will receive a world-class education.
• It offers the best employment opportunities and career development to international students, as its unemployment rate is only about 2%, providing a promising start to your career.
• All international students can avail of a varied amount of educational grants for tuition fees and courses, provided they stay and work in Singapore.
• Based on its economic development and one of the highest GDP per capita, it is designated as one of four Asian tigers, the others being Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.
• The courses offered in the universities of Singapore are mostly English-taught, so International students won't have to face a language barrier.
• Singapore offers unique cultural immersion. Ethnic groups of Chinese, Mandarin, Tamil, Pakistani, and Indian people live together, so you will have a chance to explore rich cultural exposure, making your study experience more enriching and diverse.
• Singapore is a modern, forward-thinking country, providing international students with the perfect environment to focus on their personal growth and academic development.   

Top Scholarships In Singapore For Pakistani Students 

All international students are provided with tuition grants in Singapore. Besides that, some partially and fully funded scholarships are also available for International students. Some of them are listed below;

1. Singapore International Graduate Award
2. Asian Development Bank Scholarship
3. Commonwealth - Scholarship
4. National University of Singapore undergraduate scholarships
5. Nanyang Technical University scholarships 
6. ASEAN Foundation Scholarships
7. Singapore Millennium Foundation Scholarships
8. GIIS Singapore Global Citizen Scholarship
9. SMU Global Impact Scholarship Award 
10. A*STAR Graduate Scholarship

1. Singapore International Graduate Award

The Singapore International Graduate Award is a fully funded, merit-based scholarship that rewards academic excellence and a passion for research. It's an excellent opportunity for students interested in conducting research in Singapore.

Benefits

• Full tuition fee coverage for 4 Years of PhD 
• Monthly stipend: 2700-3200 SGD
• Accommodation: 1000 SGD
• Airfare:  1500 SGD 

2. Asian Development Bank Scholarship

This is a fully funded scholarship awarded to students from developing countries like Pakistan who study in Singapore's education system. It is for a limited and specific number of programs and does not sponsor undergraduate studies.

Benefits:

• Full Tuition fee waiver 
• Housing allowance 
• Monthly subsistence 
• Health and travel expenses 

3. Commonwealth - Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to the citizens of commonwealth countries studying in Singapore. Only master's and PhD students are eligible to apply.

Benefits:

• Full tuition fee coverage 
• 1500 SGD per month for masters 
• 2000 SGD monthly for a PhD 
• Additional 500 SGD per month for those candidates who pass the PhD qualifying exam 

4. National University of Singapore undergraduate scholarships

It is a fully funded merit-based scholarship for undergraduate international students pursuing education in full-time degree programs at NUS. The candidates should have a strong academic background, leadership qualities, and a strong grip on extracurricular activities. 

Benefits:

• Tuition fees subsidy
•  Living allowance of 5800 SGD per year
• Computer allowance of 1750 SGD
• Accommodation allowance of 5000 SGD per year

5. Nanyang Technical University scholarships

It is also a fully funded merit-based scholarship open to students of all nationalities enrolling in full-time degree programs at NTU. It is an undergraduate scholarship awarded based on academic achievements and leadership qualities.

Benefits:

• Full Tuition fee subsidy
• Living allowance of 6500 SGD per academic year
• Computer allowance of 1750 SGD (one time)
• Accommodation allowance of 2000 SGD per academic year

Top universities in Singapore for international students 

Singapore universities are renowned worldwide because of their high standard of education and top-quality research. Some of the top universities in Singapore are listed below;

1. National University of Singapore
2. Nanyang Technological University
3. Singapore Management University
4. SUTD (Singapore University of Technology and Design)
5. SIT (Singapore Institute of Technology) 
6. University of Social Sciences - Singapore 
7. MDIS (Management Development Institute of Singapore)
8. James Cook University of Singapore
9. LASALLE College of the Arts
10. Ngee Ann Polytechnic

1. National University of Singapore

It is one of the top-ranked public universities in the world, and it was established in 11905. The total student count in NUS is about 30000 local students, excluding 8000 international students. Its tuition fee ranges between 13000-16000 USD per year with a low acceptance rate of 5-10%. An IELTS score of 7 is required to get admission to this university. 

2. Nanyang Technological University

It is a Public, Non-Profit University in Singapore established in 1981. The university is famous for its intercultural exchange between local and international students. It is one of the world's 15 top-ranked universities, with an average tuition fee of 12000-15000 USD per year. Its acceptance rate for international students is 35%, and an IELTS score of 5.5-6 is required. 

3. Singapore Management University

It is a public non-profit university founded recently in 2000. The general courses offered at Singapore Management University are computer sciences, IT, business administration, and social sciences. IELTS is optional if your previous degrees are in English. The tuition fee for this university is 16000-19000 USD per year with an acceptance rate of 40%. 

4. Singapore University of Technology and Design

It is one of the youngest higher education universities in Singapore, founded in 2009. Through its museums, cinemas, and theatres, it plays a role in the cultural development of international students. It requires an IELTS score of 6 bands and a tuition fee of 18000-25000 USD per year. Its acceptance rate is calculated as 36%.

5. Singapore Institute of Technology

It is an autonomous public university established in 2009. It offers degree programs like Food and health sciences, computer sciences, business studies, and social sciences. It requires an IELTS score of 6.5-7 and an average tuition fee of 18000-28000 USD per month but they can be subsidized for international students. Its acceptance rate is 53%. 

Admission documents required for Pakistani students

• Valid passport
• Academic transcripts attested by HEC, IBCC, MOFA 
• Recent Passport size photographs
• Birth certificate
• Financial accommodation proof
• Approval letter from University 
• 2 Letters of recommendation
• Admission and language test scores (if applicable)
• Application fee 30-50 SGD payment receipt
• Medical clearance certificate

Visa documents required for Pakistani students

• Passport having at least a validity of 3 months at the time of application 
• National Identity Card 
• 2 Recent Photographs
• Acceptance letter from University 
• Health certificate
• Police Clearance Certificate 
• Language proficiency certificates if applicable 
• Receipt of paid Visa Application fee of 60 SGD
• Attested Academic records
• Bank statement of 25000-35000 SGD per year 
• All Documents must be submitted in English 
• The VISA success ratio to study in Singapore for international students is 90%.

Cost of living in Singapore for Pakistani students 

The average cost of living for international students residing in Singapore is approximated as 1500-3000 SGD per month but it varies with lifestyle. The breakdown of monthly expenses is listed below;

• Accommodation: 800-2000 SGD per month 
• Food: 500-1000 SGD per month
• Transportation: 100-150 SGD per month 
• Mobile and Internet expenses: 40-100 SGD per month 
• Other expenses: 100-200 SGD per month 

Part-time working hours and after-study work permit

International students including Pakistani students can work part-time for 16 hours/per week during their study period and earn a handsome amount of 3000-4000 SGD per month. Although it is costly to live in Singapore as a student, you can manage your expenses with your part-time salary.  

International students may get an after-study work permit of about 1 year if they graduate from higher learning institutes. In another case, it will be just only 3 months. You can look for employment in this period or explore options for higher studies in Singapore. 

Future opportunities

As an International student in Singapore, you will have a chance to enjoy high living standards and modern cultural development. A highly developed economy with extensive research and innovation, Singapore offers diverse employment opportunities to work and thrive in it.