Singapore

Best schools in Singapore

29 tracked schools · average editorial score 68.6/100

11Best 3008Rising Stars 4004Challengers 3006candidate

Editorial overview

Singapore’s school market is unusually compact yet varied. Across the city we track 29 schools, with a strong split between international and local provision and a curriculum mix that is broader than its size suggests. IB appears most often, with 9 schools, followed by Singapore National at 7, IB (Diploma) at 6, British at 5 and IGCSE at 2. For families, that means a genuine choice between globally portable programmes and the demands of the local system, with most options tending towards day schooling rather than a boarding tradition. The upper end of the market is well represented. Singapore has 11 schools in the Best 300, 7 in the Challengers 300 and 4 in the Rising Stars 400. That spread matters: it suggests both established schools with long records and younger or improving schools still earning their place. We have no regulator data on file, so comparison depends less on a single inspection framework and more on looking closely at curriculum, phase coverage, outcomes where published, and the fit between a school’s academic model and a child’s needs. Parents should read the shortlist below as a disciplined starting point: first by curriculum, then by age range and school type, and only after that by reputation.

Best 300

11Best 300 schools in Singapore

The flagship Best 300 — schools operating at or near the international frontier.

See all 11

Rising Stars 400

8Rising Stars 400 schools in Singapore

Ranks 601–1000. On the trajectory watchlist for the next edition.

Key dates · 2026-27

What's coming up in Singapore

Full calendar

25 Sept

Mid-Autumn Festival lantern displays

2 Oct – 4 Oct

Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

3 Oct – 5 Jun

SAT test dates (typical season)

15 Oct

UCAS deadline — Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry, vet

19 Oct – 23 Oct

October break

26 Oct – 13 Nov

IB November 2026 exam session

Relocation guide

Moving to Singapore with kids

Computed from 29 tracked schools — verified fees, live availability, no brochure numbers. All relocation guides →

In Singapore, a realistic annual budget is about SGD 26,700 per child, with most families landing between roughly SGD 24,800 and SGD 33,800; by the senior years, the midpoint rises to about SGD 39,800, with an upper quartile a little above SGD 50,700. If you are arriving for a five-year posting, the city’s median fee inflation of 9 per cent a year is the figure to take seriously rather than today’s headline price. Choice is broad but not unlimited: among 29 schools, IB dominates with 17 offerings, alongside 11 American and 9 British options, plus single-school routes for IP, A-Level and the German Abitur. Admission pressure is high: 13 of 23 assessed schools are constrained, 13 report waitlists, and 12 schools are waitlist schools.

Fee reality

$26,662

median annual day fee (USD) · middle half $24,750–$33,750 · 15 schools

Senior median: SGD 39,794 (~$29,846)

Fee trajectory

+9%/yr

median fee growth across 4 Singapore schools with verified fee history — budget for it over a multi-year posting

Curriculum mix

IB
17
American
11
British
9
IP (Integrated Programme)
1
A-Level
1
German Abitur
1

Admission pressure

High

13 of 23 schools are waitlist-only or closed at popular entry points (57%)

Open 10Waitlist 13Closed 0

Questions families ask

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The full list

Browse all 29 schools in Singapore

Filter by curriculum, boarding type, fees, inspection outcome and more in the full directory.