It may be small, but in the realms of higher education and research, Singapore is a big hitter. A whole series of global reports have recognized Singapore as a world leader in research and innovation over the past few decades. In recent years, it’s been ranked seventh in the 2015 INSEAD Global Innovation Index, third in IMD’s 2014 World Competitiveness Rankings, and second in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2014-15.

Within this context of global competitiveness and innovation, universities in Singapore are also gaining growing recognition, as Asian nations more generally strengthen their position in the global education market. Singapore’s two leading universities are now both ranked within the world’s top 15, and the city itself is ranked 15th in the QS Best Student Cities 2018, reflecting its combination of educational excellence, high quality of life, and diverse student community.

Universities in Singapore There are 34 universities in Singapore, of which six are national. The two best-known, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) both feature very highly in the QS World University Rankings 2019, offering courses in a wide range of subjects to their student populations of over 30,000 each.