School Fees in Singapore: The Total Cost of Education (2026)

How much does it really cost to put one child through school in Singapore, from infant care all the way to a university degree?

Two things decide it: your child’s citizenship status, and the schools you pick. For a Singapore Citizen in government schools, the total is far lower than most parents expect. For everyone else, the bill runs into six figures before university even begins.

Below we work through the average total cost of education in Singapore, for both public (government schools, unless otherwise stated) and private schools (including international schools). This guide sits within our wider research on education cost statistics in Singapore, and we update it as fees change.

(All figures are quoted in Singapore dollars.)

Key Education Cost Statistics in Singapore (2026)

All figures below are from SmartWealth’s analysis of 2026 fee schedules published by MOE, ECDA, the polytechnics, ITE, and the six local universities.

• SmartWealth’s analysis puts the average total cost of education for a Singapore Citizen child at $77,739, from infant care to a local university degree, as of 2026
• Preschool is the single biggest cost before university: $36,021.80 after the basic subsidy
• School fees from primary school to junior college total $2,928 for a citizen, $77,184 for a PR, and up to $243,372.96 for a non-ASEAN international student
• A four-year general degree at a local university costs an average of $38,790 for citizens (AY2026/27)
• The cost of education in Singapore rose 69.6% from 2005 to 2025, an average of 2.68% per year
• For a child born in 2026, the same journey is projected to cost around $170,000 in future dollars once inflation and university living costs are included, or roughly $190,000 if education inflation runs closer to 4% a year

Average Total Cost of Education in Singapore (2026)

The average total cost of education in Singapore is $77,739 for a Singapore Citizen child who attends government schools from infant care through to a local university degree, as of 2026.

The above estimate is based on a few assumptions:

• The child is a Singapore Citizen
• Infant care (full-day) provided by an ECDA-licensed centre (AOP) for 16 months: $11,938.40 (after the basic subsidy)
• Child care (full-day) provided by an ECDA-licensed centre (AOP) for 66 months: $24,083.40 (after the basic subsidy)
• Primary school for 6 years: $936
• Secondary school for 4 years: $1,200
• Junior college for 2 years: $792
• University for 4 years: $38,790

The estimate assumes the child only attends government schools. It leaves out student living costs and miscellaneous items such as textbooks, stationery, uniforms, and excursions. It also reflects today’s fees with no inflation applied, so expect these figures to rise.

By how much? For a child born in 2026, SmartWealth projects the same journey at around $170,000 by the time they finish their degree, once university tuition is grown at education inflation and four years of university living expenses are added. If education inflation runs closer to 4% a year, that figure climbs to roughly $190,000. Either way it is a projection, not a certainty. What you actually pay will depend on inflation and the path your child takes.

PRs and international students face a very different set of numbers.

How Much More Do PRs and International Students Pay?

For the same journey from primary school to junior college in government schools, a PR family pays about 26 times more than a citizen family, and a non-ASEAN international family pays about 83 times more, based on 2026 fees.

Residency Status	Primary (6 years)	Secondary (4 years)	Junior College (2 years)	Total (Primary to JC)
Singapore Citizen	$936	$1,200	$792	$2,928
Singapore PR	$24,696	$33,600	$18,888	$77,184
International (ASEAN)	$43,860.24	$53,366.40	$31,666.32	$128,892.96
International (non-ASEAN)	$75,540.24	$106,166.40	$61,666.32	$243,372.96

Put another way, a PR child’s school fees from primary school to JC ($77,184) cost almost as much as a citizen child’s entire education journey from infant care to a university degree ($77,739).

These totals are computed from the 2026 monthly fees in MOE’s fee schedule and assume fees stay at 2026 levels. In practice, fees for non-citizens rose every January from 2024 to 2026 under the ministry’s last announced revision, so the real totals are likely to be higher.

Here are the fees at each level of education.

The Education System in Singapore

In Singapore, education is treated as a basic right that every child is entitled to, regardless of family background.

Under the Compulsory Education Act, parents are required by law to enrol their children in primary school.

This is the usual education journey for school-going children here.

Most children follow this route, though there are variations.

Some skip infant care or playgroup during the preschool years. At secondary level, students can enrol in Integrated Programme (IP) schools, where they skip the national exam in their 4th year and sit the A-Levels in their 6th. Others go to international schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB), which also runs over 6 years. The post-secondary route varies the most, depending on where the student is academically.

So the point at which you stop paying differs from family to family. You may be planning to fund your child through an undergraduate degree, or only as far as a polytechnic diploma.

How Has the Cost of Education Changed Over the Years

The cost of living in Singapore comes up in almost every conversation about family finances, and education is a large part of it.

Some inflation is normal in a healthy economy, and MAS aims to keep Singapore’s inflation moderate rather than at either extreme. Education costs have followed that upward path.

From 2005 to 2025, the cost of education in Singapore increased by 69.6%.

Recent years saw unusually high inflation, but averaged across the past 20 years, the education inflation rate works out to 2.68% per year.

The fees that follow are current, and historically they have trended upwards, so plan for them to be higher by the time your child reaches each stage.

School Fees For Various Education Levels

Preschool

As more households run on two incomes, more Singaporean children are enrolled in preschool so that both parents can work during the day.

If that is the route you and your spouse take, be prepared to set aside a meaningful sum.

Government-supported preschools keep to fee caps set by ECDA. Since 1 January 2026, Anchor Operator (AOP) preschools cap full-day child care at $610 and full-day infant care at $1,235 a month (both before GST). Partner Operator (POP) centres have slightly higher caps of $650 and $1,290. Private centres set their own fees, are not subject to caps, and can charge several times more.

These are the AOP fee caps by grade level, with 9% GST included:

Grade/Level	Monthly fee cap at AOP centres (incl. GST)
Infant Care (Full Day)	$1,346.15
Child Care (Full Day)	$664.90
Kindergarten	$163.50

Any Singapore Citizen child enrolled in an ECDA-licensed infant or child care centre is eligible for subsidies. The amount given depends on the family’s household income and whether the applicant (usually the mother) is working.

For infant care, working applicants can receive a basic subsidy of $600 and an additional subsidy of up to $710. Non-working applicants can receive a basic subsidy of $150 but no additional subsidies.

For child care, working applicants can receive a basic subsidy of $300 and an additional subsidy of up to $467. Non-working applicants can receive a basic subsidy of $150 but no additional subsidies.

Note that every family pays a minimum co-payment even at the highest subsidy tiers, starting from $3 a month for full-day child care. You can estimate your own figures with the subsidy calculator created by ECDA.

What does that leave you paying? Take a household earning just above ECDA’s $12,000 additional-subsidy ceiling, with the mother working and the infant or child care centre under the AOP. At this income, only the basic subsidy applies.

If you enrol your child in preschool from two months old, you can expect to pay a total of $11,938.40 (infant care for 16 months) plus $24,083.40 (child care for 66 months), which comes to $36,021.80 for their preschooling years (after the basic subsidy).

Families earning $12,000 or below also receive an additional subsidy on top and pay less, with the lowest-income families paying the least. A household on the median income, for example, sits under the ceiling and would qualify for that additional subsidy.

If you are able to care for your child at home until 18 months, you skip the infant care portion entirely and pay $24,083.40 (child care for 66 months) after the basic subsidy.

Preschool is the largest single block of spending before university. Getting this choice right frees up money for the years that follow.

Primary School

Primary school is where the pressure on the family budget eases considerably.

All Singapore Citizens are entitled to free primary school education. Parents pay only a monthly miscellaneous fee of $13, which goes towards the school’s operating budget.

For PRs, the monthly fee in 2026 is $343. International students pay $609.17 (ASEAN) or $1,049.17 (non-ASEAN) a month. These are the final figures of a three-year round of increases that MOE announced for 2024 to 2026, so non-citizen fees have risen every January over that period. No schedule beyond 2026 has been announced yet.

Here are the totals for 6 years of primary school at 2026 rates.

Residency Status	Monthly Fee (2026)	Total Cost for 6 Years (72 months)
Singapore Citizen	$13	$936
Singapore PR	$343	$24,696
International (ASEAN)	$609.17	$43,860.24
International (non-ASEAN)	$1,049.17	$75,540.24

For a Singapore Citizen, the total cost of 6 years of primary school education is $936 in a government or government-aided school, as of 2026.

Secondary School

Secondary schools in Singapore are split into 5 types: government schools, government-aided schools, independent schools, specialised independent schools (e.g. SOTA), and special education schools.

What you pay depends on which type your child attends. The table below covers the 2026 monthly fees for government and government-aided schools.

Independent, specialised independent, and special education schools set their own fees, so they are not listed here.

Residency Status	Monthly Fee (2026)	Total Cost for 4 Years (48 months)
Singapore Citizen	$25	$1,200
Singapore PR	$700	$33,600
International (ASEAN)	$1,111.80	$53,366.40
International (non-ASEAN)	$2,211.80	$106,166.40

For a Singapore Citizen, the total cost of 4 years of secondary school education is $1,200 in a government or government-aided school, as of 2026.

Post-Secondary Education

Students take one of three routes after secondary school: junior college, polytechnic, or the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Here is what each costs.

Junior College

Junior college (JC) is still heavily subsidised. Monthly school fees for Singaporeans are $33 in 2026. Most students spend 2 years at JC, though Millennia Institute students take 3.

Residency Status	Monthly Fee (2026)	Total Cost (24 months)
Singapore Citizen	$33	$792
Singapore PR	$787	$18,888
International (ASEAN)	$1,319.43	$31,666.32
International (non-ASEAN)	$2,569.43	$61,666.32

For a Singapore Citizen, the total cost of 2 years of junior college education is $792, as of 2026.

Polytechnic

Polytechnic students graduate with a diploma after what is typically 3 years of full-time study.

The polytechnics use a “cohort-based fee structure“, so your annual fee is locked in at enrolment and does not rise mid-course. The government also continues to absorb the GST on tuition fees for Singapore Citizen students. Here is the total for the AY2026 intake.

Residency Status	Annual Fee (AY2026)	Total Cost (3 years)
Singapore Citizen	$3,100	$9,300
Singapore PR	$6,400	$19,200
International (ASEAN)	$12,400	$37,200
International (non-ASEAN)	$13,600	$40,800

For a Singapore Citizen, the total cost of 3 years of polytechnic education is $9,300, as of AY2026.

Institute of Technical Education (ITE)

The third route is ITE, which suits students who learn better by doing and want practical skills they can take straight into a trade.

Like the polytechnics, ITE now uses a cohort-based fee structure for full-time Higher Nitec and Technical Diploma courses, so fees stay unchanged for the whole course. Higher Nitec courses run from 2 to 4 years depending on the pathway, with direct entry typically taking 2 years.

These are the annual Higher Nitec fees for the AY2026 intake, inclusive of GST:

Residency Status	Annual Fee (AY2026)	Total Cost (2-year course)
Singapore Citizen	$566	$1,132
Singapore PR	$7,582	$15,164
International	$21,122.34	$42,244.68

A Singaporean parent can expect to pay $1,132 for a 2-year Higher Nitec course, as of AY2026. That is considerably more affordable than a polytechnic diploma, for a qualification built around the skills a specific trade actually uses.

For students who progress to a Technical Diploma at ITE, tuition fees for citizens start at about $3,100 a year, comparable to polytechnic fees.

Universities

University is the stage most parents are saving towards, and the one with the widest range of price tags.

Singaporean students can choose from 6 local (autonomous) universities (NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT, and SUSS) or private ones such as SIM Global. Local universities charge comparatively lower tuition fees, and their degrees are recognised internationally.

Fees differ from one university to the next, driven mainly by two factors:

1. Type of degree (you can expect to pay more for medicine/dentistry/law)
2. Year of enrolment (fees typically increase every year)

Our study of university fees in Singapore found that parents have to set aside an average of $38,790 for a four-year general undergraduate degree.

For Singapore Citizens enrolled in local universities for AY2026/27, these are the total estimated course fees.

School	Annual Course Fees	Total Estimated Course Fees	Average Course Fees
NUS	$8,300 to $9,700	$33,200 to $38,800	$36,000
NTU	$8,300 to $9,500	$33,200 to $38,000	$35,600
SMU	$11,550	$46,200	$46,200
SUTD	$13,500	$54,000	$54,000
SIT	–	$23,580 to $37,440	$30,510
SUSS	–	$30,200 to $33,840	$32,020
Overall	$8,300 to $13,500	$23,580 to $54,000	$38,790

Tuition is not the whole bill. Our university costs survey looked at what students actually spend on top of fees, and the full guide linked above breaks down degree costs course by course.

International Schools

Expat families often prefer an international school that follows the curriculum of their home country. The better-known ones here include the Australian International School, Lycee Francais de Singapour (The French School of Singapore), and the German European School Singapore.

These schools take children from preschool right through to pre-university level. They also receive no subsidy from the Singapore government, and the fees reflect that.

The German European School 2026/27 fee schedule gives a sense of the annual tuition by grade level.

Item	Annual Tuition Fees (exclusive of other fees)
Pre-Kindergarten (3 half days & 2 full days per week)	$29,375
Pre-Kindergarten (Five full days)	$33,860
Kindergarten and Pre-Primary	$33,860
IB Primary Years	$35,770
IB Middle Years	$40,545
IB Diploma	$43,990

Families considering international schools are often thinking about a degree abroad too. If that sounds like you, our guide to overseas university costs sets out what to budget for the most popular destinations.

Final Thoughts

An education is one of the most valuable things we can give our children, and for most families it is also one of the largest commitments they will make.

For a typical Singapore Citizen child who starts at infant care, goes through primary and secondary school and junior college, then takes a four-year degree at a local university, the whole journey costs about $77,739 at today’s fees. In future dollars, with university living costs included, the same journey for a child born in 2026 works out to around $170,000.

The encouraging part is that this is one of the most predictable expenses you will ever plan for. You know roughly when each stage arrives and roughly what it costs today. Starting early with a child education savings plan means you have years, not months, to build the fund up.

A sensible first step is to run your own numbers through our education fund calculator and see what your child’s university fund needs to look like. For the wider view, from projecting these costs with inflation to the ways you can fund them, see our full guide to child education planning in Singapore.

Methodology

Figures were last checked in August 2026 against the published 2026 fee schedules from MOE, ECDA, the polytechnics, ITE, and the six local universities. The preschool worked example assumes a working mother at an AOP centre charging the fee cap, with household income just above ECDA’s $12,000 additional-subsidy ceiling, so only the basic subsidy applies (lower-income families pay less). The headline total excludes textbooks, uniforms, transport, enrichment, student living costs, and inflation, and non-citizen totals assume 2026 fees hold, which understates the true cost if fees keep rising.