Planning to send your kids to an international school in Singapore? Here are the costs to consider, including application fees, lunch, building maintenance, and more.
With annual tuition fees generally in the region of $17,000 to $50,000 and rising, choosing an international school in Singapore is not a decision to be taken lightly. Did you know that tuition alone is just the tip of the iceberg?
Way before the first day of school, there are a bucket load of costs to consider and budget for. Think application fees, enrolment or registration fees, transport costs, building maintenance costs, contributions to the parents’ association, extra-curricular activities, exams, and insurance. And that’s before your little person has even reached the school gate…
Why location matters
Before choosing an international school in Singapore, ensure it fits your family’s needs. To help you decide, we suggest narrowing down your list of schools by focusing on the best locations.
Where do you live, where do you work, where are your ideal schools, and what distance are you comfortable travelling between these places? This will give you a diameter of school locations you can investigate. If your child’s school is far away, transportation costs are higher. It is also more difficult for you to reach them on sick days or for school events.
First, decide which school areas you are interested in, then visit HoneyKids’ online school comparison tool. Here, you can compare fees, curriculum, facilities, and more to find the best school for your children based on their values.
We’ve worked directly with schools and sought testimonials from parents to help cut down your research time. So make sure you bookmark our HoneyKids School Selector. This is the essential guide for parents of international school students in Singapore, updated twice a year.
The cost of international schools in Singapore
As you will discover, your initial annual investment could vary wildly. It all depends on which international schools you’re considering. It pays to check with prospective schools to learn more about the potential fees AND savings.
1. Tuition fees
The biggest piece of the pie is the actual cost of tuition. Depending on the school you choose, the range of fees is extremely broad, anywhere from around $17,000 up to around $50,000. The average annual tuition fee in Singapore is $28,392 for kindergarten. Some schools have three semesters, others have four terms, and students typically pay tuition fees in advance.
Although the fees aren’t getting any lower, many international schools are on the lower end of the price range. Some of those with higher fees might include costs other schools keep separate, such as facility fees or school trips.
2. Application fees and other one-off or yearly charges
Application fees can be brutal. While applying is free at some schools, this one-off payment can be up to $5,350 at others! You may get some of the application fee back if you don’t accept a spot. However, once you apply, the fee is usually non-refundable.
Your child may not be able to get a spot if there is a long waiting list. The waiting list can be years.
Other costs in this category include facility fees, building maintenance, and a yearly contribution to the Parent Association. Costs for these items can vary significantly from school to school. Considering and budgeting for them in your family’s finances is important. Make sure to account for these expenses when planning your budget.
Keep an eye out for school ‘Open Days’ with offers of discounted or waived registration fees. You’ll be saving a pretty penny!
3. Transport costs
Transportation costs in Singapore are going up because of increased GST and a lack of school bus drivers. Waving goodbye to your child on the school bus could set you back as little as $1,100 yearly or as much as $8,500.
Public transport can be a good option for families with kids. It depends on factors like their age, the number of children, and the distance between school and home. Schools are usually near MRT stations and bus stops.
Before enrolling, make sure to check the transportation options and travel time. If you have a car, you should consider the expenses such as gas, tolls, and time spent in traffic. Gas prices can fluctuate and tolls may be higher during peak hours. Traffic congestion can also impact the amount of time spent on the road.
4. Uniforms
Attending an international school in Singapore is often like attending a private school in your home country, meaning uniforms are essential to the school kit. With blazers that can cost upwards of $100, a smart formal uniform as well as a PE uniform, house shirt, and school-branded swim kit all required, just one set of uniform for one child can cost close to $300. And you’ll need to buy multiple shirts unless you can wash and dry daily!
5. School canteen and lunch options
The school lunch options have improved drastically since we spent time at school! Being more mindful of healthy choices and allergens, international schools in Singapore often outsource the canteen to an external provider for chef-quality meals with a hefty price tag.
From our calculations and discussions with the schools, going to the school canteen daily can cost anywhere from $900 to $1,800 per year. Get creative with homemade lunchbox ideas to save dollars on in-school dining!
6. Co-curricular Activities (CCAs), school excursions and exams
There are excellent opportunities for the kids to excel in sports, dance and drama, technology studies and languages as extra-curricular activities, however participation in these classes often incurs additional fees on a termly basis. As the kiddos get older, many schools encourage participation in school camps, with some even arranging costly overseas trips.
Other costs that might crop up include fees for technology, books, resources and exams. Then there’s insurance and learning support too. Some even charge for studying English as a Second Language.
Our top tips for saving money at international schools and things to note:
- Some fees are a one-off, so while you have to cough up for the first year, it won’t be applicable from the second year onwards.
- Sibling discounts are sometimes offered to families with more than one child attending the school. Bonus!
- Some schools allow you to pay in instalments, while others ask for full payment upfront.
- School fees increase as your child moves up an age group. Check with the schools to see if you plan to send your child to school in Singapore for an extended period.
You get the idea. International schools in Singapore are expensive (and local schools are VERY tough for non-Singaporeans to get into). But it’s costly for good reason. The facilities are top-notch, the teaching staff are among the best, and your children will benefit from their multicultural schooling foundations for the rest of their lives.
It’s one of the most important investment decisions you will make, so taking time to thoroughly assess your options is necessary. But don’t fret. The HoneyKids School Selector is your trusty companion, and with it, you’ll be packing your kids off to an excellent international school in no time.
*Amounts published here are based on research conducted online in January 2024, based on a mainstream program for a new Primary Year 1 (age 6-7) student in Singapore. Fees sometimes vary across different campuses of the same school. All fee amounts should be verified directly with schools.
