5 hard truths about the cost of private education in Singapore

Expats need over $500,000 in total tuition fees.

International schools in Singapore rank among the world’s most expensive educational institutions, according to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr).

In 2015, the average annual tuition fee at a Singapore-based international school was $27,300 for pre-preparatory, $30,300 for preparatory and $35,100 for senior school.

This means that a student who enters an international school in Singapore in 2015 and remains in the international school system all the way to Year 13 will pay an average of $589,900 in total tuition fees.

This compares to $479,100 for a student that started reception in 2010, meaning that fees have climbed by 23.2% in just half a decade.

However, international school fees in Singapore are still relatively affordable because of high wages in the city-state.

“International schools in Singapore have some of the world’s most modern facilities and consistently achieve outstanding academic results. In the five years to 2020 we expect fees to continue to go up in Singapore and elsewhere and expats need to prepare for this,” said Nina Skero, an economist with the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

The report was commissioned by financial advisory firm The Fry Group (Singapore).
 

Here are the key findings