This page compares the education systems of Singapore and Switzerland.
Education System Overview
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| System Type | Public-led system; centralized governance under the Ministry of Education, with government, government-aided, autonomous, independent, specialized and private providers. [Singapore MOE] | Public/private mix with a federal, decentralized governance model. The 26 cantons hold primary responsibility for compulsory education, while the Confederation and cantons share responsibilities in vocational education, higher education and other post-compulsory sectors. [EDK] |
| Governing Body | Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore, which oversees national education policy, schools and publicly funded post-secondary institutions. [Singapore MOE] | 26 cantonal education authorities; the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK); and, at federal level, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). [EDK] |
| Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) | 2.2% (2024). [World Bank] | 4.9% of GDP in 2022, the latest available value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS government-expenditure series. [World Bank] |
Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Age Range | For Singapore Citizen children residing in Singapore, compulsory education applies from above age 6 until below age 15, with the legal obligation centered on primary education. [Singapore MOE] | Compulsory education generally begins at about age 4 and continues to about age 15. Starting rules and transition dates can vary by canton. [EDK] |
| Total Compulsory Duration (Years) | 6 years of primary education, from Primary 1 to Primary 6. [Singapore MOE] | 11 years of compulsory education. [EDK] |
| Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access | Optional; official early-childhood data reported preschool participation of about 9 in 10 children aged 3–4 in 2021, with participation higher at ages 5–6. [ECDA] | In most cantons, the first two years of compulsory education are kindergarten or the first learning cycle. OECD data show that 50.3% of children aged 3–5 were enrolled in ISCED 0 early childhood education in 2023; age-specific participation rises sharply by age 5. [OECD] |
| Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years) | 6 + 4 for the typical primary-to-secondary route. Selected Integrated Programme pathways span six years across secondary and pre-university education. Under Full Subject-Based Banding, students take secondary subjects at G1, G2 or G3 levels rather than being placed in Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) streams. [Singapore MOE] | 2 + 6 + 3 within compulsory education: two years of kindergarten or the first learning cycle, six additional primary years and three years of lower secondary education. Upper-secondary education follows as a post-compulsory route, generally lasting 3–4 years. [EDK] |
| Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%) | — | Approximately 61% vocational / 39% general among upper-secondary students in 2023. Vocational education and training remains the larger upper-secondary route. [OECD] |
Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Year Start (Typical Month) | January. [Singapore MOE] | Typically August, although the exact opening date varies by canton and local school calendar. |
| Academic Year End (Typical Month) | November. [Singapore MOE] | Typically June or July, depending on the canton. |
| Instruction Weeks per Year | Approximately 40 weeks, organized across four school terms. [Singapore MOE] | Usually about 38–39 weeks, with cantons setting their own school calendars. |
| Instruction Days per Year | — | — |
Grading System
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Primary/Secondary Grading Scale | PSLE subjects use Achievement Levels AL1–AL8. Secondary assessment varies by subject level under Full Subject-Based Banding; the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate will replace the separate N- and O-Level certificates from 2027. [Singapore MOE] | A 1–6 scale is widely used, with 6 as the highest mark and 4 generally representing a passing result. Assessment and reporting rules vary by canton and school level. |
| Higher Education Grading Scale | Institution-specific; for example, the National University of Singapore uses a 5.0 GPA scale, while grading systems may differ among other institutions. [NUS] | Commonly 1.0–6.0, with 4.0 generally the minimum passing mark and 6.0 the highest grade. Individual institutions determine detailed assessment rules. [ETH Zurich] |
Language of Instruction
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Instruction Languages (K–12) | English is the main medium of instruction in national schools, apart from Mother Tongue Language subjects. [Singapore MOE] | German, French, Italian or Romansh, depending on the language region and canton. Students normally also study another national language and English during compulsory education. [EDK] |
| Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12) | Chinese, Malay and Tamil are the main Mother Tongue Languages taught in schools. [Singapore MOE] | Romansh is used in parts of Graubünden, while bilingual German/French and other bilingual models operate in selected cantons and schools. |
School Provision & Access (K–12)
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | — | There is no single public-school share that applies equally across all K–12 levels. At compulsory level, about 95% of pupils attend public schools. At upper-secondary level, public institutions educate roughly five-sixths of students. [EDK] |
| Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency) | $0 school fee for Singapore Citizens attending government and government-aided primary schools; fees at other levels and for non-citizens vary by school level and nationality. [Singapore MOE] | $0; public compulsory education is free of charge. [EDK] |
| Public Schools Nationwide Availability | Yes; government and government-aided schools operate across Singapore. [Singapore MOE] | Yes. Cantons and municipalities provide public compulsory education throughout Switzerland, with local organization reflecting the country's cantonal system. [EDK] |
| Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | — | Approximately 5% at compulsory level. At upper-secondary level, private institutions educate about one-sixth of students. [FSO] |
| Private Schools (Geographic Concentration) | — | Private schools are more common in densely populated areas. International and boarding schools are particularly visible around Geneva, Zurich, Lausanne and Basel and in established boarding-school locations. [FSO] |
International Schools (K–12)
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Number of International Schools (Total) | — | — |
| Number of IB World Schools | — | 53 IB World Schools currently offer at least one IB programme in Switzerland. [IB] |
| Main International Programmes Offered | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge/UK curricula, American curricula and French curricula are offered by different international schools. | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge and British qualifications, American curricula, French programs and bilingual Swiss programs, depending on the school. |
Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools) | MOE teachers complete an approved initial teacher-preparation route through the National Institute of Education (NIE). Routes include the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) for degree holders and specified diploma or degree programmes for other teaching levels and subjects. [NIE] | A recognized tertiary teacher-education qualification appropriate to the level taught. Teacher education is provided mainly through universities of teacher education and leads to a recognized teaching diploma, usually alongside a bachelor's or master's degree. [EDK] |
| Average Class Size (Primary) | 33.8 students per form class (2024). [Singapore MOE] | Approximately 19 students in the latest comparable Swiss reporting available for this measure; class sizes vary by canton and municipality. |
| Average Class Size (Lower Secondary) | Secondary 1: 33.6 students; Secondary 2: 33.4 students per form class (2024). [Singapore MOE] | Approximately 19 students in the latest comparable reporting available for Switzerland. |
| Average Class Size (Upper Secondary) | Secondary 3: 34.2; Secondary 4: 32.9; Secondary 5: 13.7 students per form class (2024). [Singapore MOE] | — |
System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| PISA Participation Years | 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] |
| PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 569 / 549 / 551 [OECD] | 515 / 484 / 495 |
| PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 575 / 543 / 561 [OECD] | 508 / 483 / 503 [OECD] |
| PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 563 / 535 / 560 [OECD] | 499 / 470 / 501 [OECD] |
| PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025 | Singapore first participated in 2009. Between 2022 and 2025, mathematics and reading performance was lower, while science performance was about the same. Over the longer period, science performance increased, while mathematics and reading remained relatively stable despite the recent declines. [OECD] | Between 2022 and 2025, mathematics and reading performance was lower, while science was about the same. Science remained broadly stable between 2015 and 2025, while mathematics and reading declined over that period. The 2025 mathematics and reading scores were the lowest recorded for Switzerland in PISA. [OECD] |
| Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025) | Mathematics — 563 points. [OECD] | Science — 501 points, narrowly above mathematics at 499. [OECD] |
Higher Education System
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total) | — | 55 institutions are currently listed by swissuniversities as accredited higher education institutions or other accredited institutions in the higher education sector. [swissuniversities] |
| Number of Universities (Research Universities) | 6 publicly funded Autonomous Universities: National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Social Sciences. Singapore also has the Government-supported private University of the Arts Singapore. [Singapore MOE] | 12 universities: 10 cantonal universities and the two federal institutes of technology, ETH Zurich and EPFL. [swissuniversities] |
| Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges | 5 polytechnics: Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic. [Singapore MOE] | 10 universities of applied sciences. Swissuniversities also lists 18 universities of teacher education as a separate higher-education category. [swissuniversities] |
| Main Institution Types | Autonomous Universities; University of the Arts Singapore and its constituent arts institutions; polytechnics; Institute of Technical Education (ITE); and private education institutions. [Singapore MOE] | Universities and federal institutes of technology, universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education and other accredited higher-education institutions. Tertiary professional education operates alongside the higher-education sector. |
| Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership | — | Approximately 92.5% in public or government-dependent provision / 7.5% in independent private institutions in 2023. [OECD] |
| English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%) | — | — |
| Main Global Ranking Used | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking) | 2 — National University of Singapore (#10) and Nanyang Technological University (#12) in QS 2027. [QS] | 3 in QS 2027: ETH Zurich (=8), EPFL (=22) and University of Zurich (=98). [QS] |
| Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking) | 4 — National University of Singapore (#10), Nanyang Technological University (#12), Singapore University of Technology and Design (#266) and Singapore Management University (#=411) in QS 2027. [QS] | 8 Swiss institutions in QS 2027: ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Zurich, University of Basel, University of Geneva, University of Bern, University of Lausanne and Università della Svizzera italiana. [ETH Zurich] |
| Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking) | 4 in QS 2027. [QS] | 10 Swiss institutions in QS 2027, including the eight top-500 institutions plus the University of Fribourg and Zurich University of Applied Sciences. [QS] |
| National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education) | — | Swiss Accreditation Council, with accreditation procedures carried out by recognized agencies including the Swiss Agency of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ). [Swiss Accreditation Council] |
| International Students (Total) | — | — |
| International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%) | — | 19.7% in 2023, up from 17.7% in 2018. [OECD] |
Education Costs (Indicative)
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency) | For 2026 entrants, subsidized common undergraduate programmes at NTU cost Singapore Citizens about $6,550 USD annually based on the published S$8,300 fee; programme-specific fees may be higher. [NTU] | For 2026/27, tuition at the universities listed by swissuniversities generally ranges from approximately $1,070 to $4,910 USD per year before additional compulsory fees, based on published annualized tuition of CHF 870–4,000 and the 12 September 2026 exchange rate. [swissuniversities] |
| Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency) | At NTU for 2026 entrants, subsidized common undergraduate programmes cost about $14,240 USD annually for ASEAN international students and $16,890 USD for other international students; published non-subsidized common-program fees are higher. [NTU] | For 2026/27, published university tuition for foreign students ranges from approximately $1,070 to $9,825 USD per year before additional compulsory fees, depending on institution and study level. Several universities charge higher fees to foreign students than to domestic students. [swissuniversities] |
| Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency) | — | — |
| Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency) | — | — |
Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms |
General Overview (Narrative)
| Category | Singapore | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Singapore operates a centrally governed education system under the Ministry of Education, with government and government-aided schools forming the main public network alongside autonomous, independent, specialized and private providers. Compulsory education applies to Singapore Citizen children residing in the country and centers on the six-year primary cycle. Students typically progress from six years of primary school to four years of secondary education. Full Subject-Based Banding, implemented across secondary schools from the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, allows students to take subjects at G1, G2 or G3 levels instead of being assigned to the former Express or Normal streams. English is the main medium of instruction, while Chinese, Malay and Tamil are taught as Mother Tongue Languages. In PISA 2025, Singapore scored 563 in mathematics, 535 in reading and 560 in science, with mathematics its highest-scoring core domain. Post-secondary routes include junior colleges, Millennia Institute, five polytechnics, ITE, six publicly funded Autonomous Universities and the University of the Arts Singapore. Recent changes include the removal of mid-year examinations across primary, secondary and junior college levels from 2025, expanded targeted support across 157 schools in 2026 and completion of the transition of Nitec courses to the three-year Higher Nitec structure by Academic Year 2026. | Switzerland has a federal, decentralized education system in which the 26 cantons hold primary responsibility for compulsory schooling while the Confederation and cantons cooperate in post-compulsory education. Compulsory education lasts 11 years, normally beginning around age four, and approximately 95% of pupils at this level attend tuition-free public schools. Instruction is mainly in German, French, Italian or Romansh according to language region. After compulsory school, vocational education and training is the larger upper-secondary route, accounting for about 61% of enrollment in 2023. Switzerland has participated in every PISA cycle since 2000. In PISA 2025, students scored 499 in mathematics, 470 in reading and 501 in science; mathematics and reading were lower than in 2022, while science was about the same. Higher education includes 12 universities, 10 universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education and other accredited institutions. Current developments include the 2025–2028 federal education funding period, the Swiss Education Report 2026 and new Professional Bachelor and Professional Master title additions taking effect in October 2026. |