The top tourist attractions in Singapore include:

• The Orchard Road district (full of shopping centres and hotels).
• Singapore Zoo and Night Safari.
• Singapore shopping belts (The Orchard Road, Marina Bay, Bugis Street, Chinatown, Little India, and more).
• The island of Sentosa with Tiger Sky Tower.

Singapore has six national universities, with its two largest universities having more than 30,000 students each. Singapore’s most prestigious university is the National University of Singapore (NUS) which ranked 25th in the QS World University Rankings for 2012/13 and is one of the highest-ranking universities in Asia.

In many of the subject areas, the National University of Singapore is ranked within the global top ten, such as: law, computer science, mechanical engineering, geography, materials science, accounting and finance, pharmacy, communication and media studies, modern language and statistics. Other highly ranked institutions in the country are Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University.

In addition to these universities, Singapore also has a wide range of private institutions, along with foreign universities with campuses in Singapore, such as the Chicago Business School and Technische Universität München.

Singaporean universities regularly collaborate with the leading universities in other countries. These connections and collaborations contribute to the overall quality of education offered by universities in Singapore. This is yet another positive factor for international students who choose Singapore as their destination.

Currently, international students account for around 18% of all students in Singapore. However, the government is currently making some cuts to international funding opportunities to ensure more places for domestic students. The goal is to lower international enrolment to 15% by 2015. Despite this, there are still thousands of places available for international students who wish to study abroad in Singapore. Another important fact for all prospective international students is that the official language of instruction in Singapore is English. At the same time, the nation is officially bilingual as English is combined with one of 3 mother tongues (Mandarin, Malay and Tamil). This is a great opportunity for international students to study in English but to also experience a new language and culture while studying abroad.

The cost of studying in Singapore, whilst not as affordable as other Asian destinations, is still reasonable compared to universities in the big three destinations (UK, USA and Australia). This is one of the factors that make Singapore an attractive destination for international students seeking a quality education. Singapore uses the dollar, although it is the Singaporean Dollar which has a different rate to it’s American counterpart. Bear this in mind when checking costs.

On average, you can expect to pay around US$10,000 per year for tuition fees, although it depends on the course and institution. Arts courses tend to be less expensive than Science courses.

All students, be it domestic or international, are eligible to apply for tuition grants with the Singaporean Ministry of Education. However, you can only apply for a tuition grant after having been offered a place on a course. Tuition grants cover most of the costs of the tuition fees.

Grants are not repayable, but in return, all international students are required to sign a bond that will commit them to work for a Singapore-registered company for at least 3 years after completing their degree. The period of the employment bond is longer for students of medicine (6 years) and dentistry (5 years).

The standard of living is high, so Singapore is an expensive place to live. The actual cost of living will vary depending on your course of study and your individual lifestyle though. You can use StudyCostCompare to find out the latest costs of studying in Singapore.

International students who wish to study abroad in Singapore requier a visa. However, the application process is linked to the institution application. All students accepted to study at a college or university in Singapore receive their visa with their letter of approval.

It means that successful applicants don’t need to apply for a visa directly since it’s issued with their in-principle approval (IPA) letter which is provided by the institution. This letter works as a visa and it can be used at entry checkpoints.

There is another document needed for studying in Singapore: a Student Pass. You need to apply for it no earlier than two months before your course begins, yet no later than one month before your course commences. To obtain your Student Pass, you have to sign up with the special Student’s Pass Online Application & Registration System (SOLAR).

A Student Pass allows you to work during your studies. All international students can work during holidays but are limited to 16 hours of work per week in term time. However, it’s important to note not all students are allowed to work during term-time, so the student will have to check regulations to see if it applies to him.

There are 4 official languages recognized in Singapore: Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English. In addition to these, there are more than 20 other languages spoken in Singapore. These languages reflect the nation’s multicultural nature. Singapore has a policy of bilingualism, so all domestic students learn in English but are also taught the language of their own ethnicity (mother tongue).

It’s important to know that English is the official language of instruction in Singapore, so all international students who wish to study abroad in Singapore can expect courses taught in English. When it comes to everyday life, more than 75% of population speaks English too, so students who wish to study abroad in Singapore will have no problems in communicating with locals.

One note for all non-native English speakers who wish to study abroad in Singapore: in order to be accepted by a college or university for study in Singapore, you will need to present a proof of language proficiency. It means you have to pass an official language test (for example – TOEFL or IELTS). Singapore has very high standards when it comes to language proficiency and universities have demanding entry standards, meaning it’s not likely they will accept students without good English. For these reasons, it’s important to have excellent language skills if you wish to study abroad in Singapore.

There are variety of courses available in Singapore. Singapore offers some of the world class Science, Engineering and especially Information technology Programs. The Higher education institutes of Singapore also offers Various Business Programs specialising in Human Resource, Finance, Entrepreneurship etc. It also offres unique Hospitality programs with internships.