Singaporeans in Undergraduate Courses in Private Universities and Overseas

Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked the Minister for Education (a) how many Singaporeans are currently pursuing undergraduate courses in private universities in Singapore; and (b) how many Singaporeans are enrolled in undergraduate courses overseas.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Currently, the only private universities in Singapore, ie, institutions with the rights to award degrees in Singapore, are SIM University (UniSIM), and the Foreign University Branch Campuses (eg, INSEAD) brought in under EDB's Global Schoolhouse Initiative. Besides these, many other private education institutions (PEIs) offer external undergraduate degree programmes in collaboration with their overseas university partners.

Currently, about 41,000 Singaporean Citizens and Permanent Residents pursue undergraduate degrees at the private universities and PEIs. About two-thirds of these individuals are enrolled in part-time programmes, such as those at UniSIM. This suggests that many of the students are working adults who are upgrading their knowledge and skills.

MOE does not collect data on the number of Singaporeans enrolled in undergraduate courses overseas.

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