Engineering, Business, Computing and Data Science, Science, Education, Humanities, Medicine
Nanyang Technological University began as the Nanyang Technological Institute, established in 1981 on the grounds of the former Nanyang University. Parliament approved the university in March 1991, and it officially began on 1 July 1991, with the National Institute of Education incorporated into it. It became autonomous in 2006.
The main campus covers 200 hectares in the Western Water Catchment area and is the largest university campus in Singapore. The Novena campus, in the healthcare district of the city, is the medical campus. At Yunnan Garden, the former administration building of Nanyang University houses the Chinese Heritage Centre, a national monument, and the National Institute of Education occupies 16 hectares in the western part of this campus.
In 2024 and 2025 the university enrolled 37,458 students, among them 24,800 undergraduates and 12,658 postgraduates. About 31 percent of the students, 8,089 in all, are foreign nationals, and about 65 percent of the faculty and staff are foreign nationals. The staff numbers 1,590 academics and 6,407 administrative employees.
The College of Engineering is the largest academic division, and Nanyang Business School is described as the largest business school in Singapore. The other units include the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the College of Science, the College of Computing and Data Science, created in February 2024, the Graduate College, formed in August 2018, and the NTU Honours College. The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine was established in 2013 in collaboration with Imperial College London, and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies teaches international affairs.
Research is organised in two Research Centres of Excellence, the Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science and the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, and in university institutes such as the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, the Energy Research Institute and the Earth Observatory of Singapore. The Singapore AI Safety Institute is hosted at the university. Alumni include Tan Lip-Bu, chief executive of Intel, and the singer Stefanie Sun. Fees differ by nationality and programme. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Imperial College London for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, the National Institute of Education, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and the Singapore AI Safety Institute.
Research:
Environmental life sciences engineering, digital molecular analytics, water and environment, energy and earth observation, artificial intelligence and data science.
Famous Alumnis:
Tan Lip-Bu, Tito Karnavian, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Ajit Mohan, Stefanie Sun
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7997
Current students***:
37458
Foreign students***:
31%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Large green campus, strong engineering and business, college of computing and data science, many research institutes, high share of international students.
Cons
Campus in the west of Singapore away from the centre, competitive admission, cost of living in Singapore.
Best For
Students seeking a large technological university in Singapore with strong engineering, business, education and computing.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
National University of Singapore works in much the same fields, chiefly chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it covers finance as well, and has almost the same size, at about 35,900 students.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Students considering a move abroad can look at Nanjing University in China, where chemistry, physics and mathematics also form the core, and it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers astroscience as well.
Henan University offers an international parallel to this university, with chemistry, physics and mathematics as common ground; it is slightly larger, at about 50,000 students against roughly 37,458 here, and is also a public institution.
For chemistry, physics and mathematics outside the home country, University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong is a natural reference; it has almost the same size, at about 39,200 students, and is also a public institution.
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong pursues a similar profile in chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it covers finance as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 20,475 students against roughly 37,458 here.
Looking internationally, Macquarie University in Australia is where chemistry, physics and mathematics get a comparable treatment; it also offers graduate certificate programmes and covers finance as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is NTU Singapore?
On a campus of 200 hectares in the west of Singapore, with a medical campus at Novena.
When was it founded?
As the Nanyang Technological Institute in 1981, and the university officially began on 1 July 1991.
When did it become autonomous?
In 2006.
How many students does it have?
In 2024 and 2025 it enrolled 37,458 students, including 24,800 undergraduates.
What share of the students are foreign nationals?
About 31 percent, or 8,089 students.
Which colleges and schools does it have?
Among others engineering, science, humanities, arts and social sciences, computing and data science, business, medicine and the National Institute of Education.
What is the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine?
A medical school established in 2013 in collaboration with Imperial College London.
Which research centres are there?
The Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science and the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering.
What is at Yunnan Garden?
The Chinese Heritage Centre, a national monument, and the National Institute of Education.
What does it cost?
Fees differ by nationality and programme. Check the current tariff.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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