Singapore Breaks the Mold: NUS and NTU Top Asian Universities
Picture this: a tiny island nation holding up a banner that reads “Higher Education Champions.” That’s exactly what happened on April 6th when the QS World University Rankings by Subject turned Singapore into the star of the Asian academic galaxy.
Why Singapore Is the Lightning in the Sky
- 23 courses from NUS (16) and NTU (7) landed in the global top‑10.
- Out of 1 543 universities checked, 376 were from Asia – and the King‑pin of those was Singapore.
- They brag about things that matter: academic reputation, student‑faculty ratios, employer perception, and killer citation numbers.
- In Asia, Hong Kong closed the distance with 7 courses, China shows up with 4, and Japan tempers it with 3.
- On the world stage, Singapore sits comfortably in 4th place – right after the US, UK, and Switzerland.
Engineering: There’s Nothing to Be That Carried
NUS takes the crown in petroleum engineering and sits unshakably at the top of the global list – a spot it also held last year.
NTU isn’t just trailing; it’s punching above its weight in chemical engineering (ranked 7th worldwide).
In total, five Singaporean engineering programs are crack‑topping the global top‑10, proving the island’s prowess in turning oil, chemistry, and tech into gold standards.
Surprise Moves: Courses That Climbed the Ladder
- Anthropology (NUS): Fast‑tracked from 14th (2021) to a solid 10th.
- Linguistics (NUS): Morphing from 17th to 10th.
- Law (SMU): A brand‑new entry into the top 100.
- Business & Management (SMU): A two‑spot climb to 36th.
What Makes the Ambitions Real?
“Consistent improvements are the fruit of a decade‑long investment and strategy,” says Ben Sowter, QS’s research director.
“Flashback to 2010, Singapore launched the Singapore Universities Fund – a masterstroke that staves off the funding cuts that plague global universities.”
So there it is – Singapore’s academic battle‑cry echoes across the globe, with a splash of charisma, a dash of ambition, and a clear guarantee that the island nation’s universities are here to stay.
