Cost of JC tuition v.s Cost of private University
Why is JC tuition so expensive? This is because many parents deem it to be an appropriate level of investment into their child’s education, and to mitigate further costs down the road at the tertiary level of education. JC tutors are mostly ex-JC students, university educated, specialize in certain subjects, and have small class sizes. JC classes, unlike PSLE classes, only caters to a small proportion of students in Singapore, making it a niche and specialized product. All these factors contribute to its high cost.
It is not sufficient to just pass the A-levels, as local universities typically require students to score above 65 rank points to qualify for most of their courses. Popular courses are also highly competitive, requiring multiple As as a bare minimum. Polytechnic graduates and Foreign students can compete with JC students for quite a large proportion of the spots as well. With increasing competition and constantly limited vacancies, it can be difficult to enter your ideal University course in Singapore. For students who have failed to qualify for their chosen courses in a local University, they would have to take the course in a foreign University if they want to continue pursuing their dream career.
Costs of Singaporean University v.s Foreign University(annual)
The International Universities chosen are popular schools that Singaporeans attend, which are also of a similar standing in the QS ranking, compared to our local Universities.
This does not take into account the costs of lodging, food, and other basic needs while studying in a foreign University, which can cost anywhere around $14k and up.
Fees are reflected as annual fees, and converted into SGD
University of Melbourne (Australia)
Average Cost: $40k – $45k
Medicine or related course: $86k – $91k
University of Toronto (Canada)
Average Cost: $52k – $55k
Link: https://utsc.utoronto.ca/admissions/tuition-fees
University College London (UK)
Average Cost: $32k – $47k
Medicine or related course: $60.6k
Link: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/fees-funding/tuition-fees/overseas
University of Chicago (USA)
Average Cost: $65k
Medicine or related course: $72k
Link: https://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/tuition-fees
Singapore (NUS, NTU, SMU, etc)
Average Cost: $8k – $12k ($12k for Law)
Medicine or other related course: $28k – $34k
Link: https://dollarsandsense.sg/2018-cost-guide-singapore-universities-tuition-fee-comparison/
Students studying in local Universities are also eligible for various scholarships and concessions in fees as compared to studying overseas. The difference in fees per year can be from $20k – $55k per year.For most students taking their honors programme, that can mean up to 200k savings in their tertiary education.
As you can see, this is the reason why some parents are willing to pay a few thousand a year for quality JC tuition, in order to secure their children a spot in the local Universities, and save on University education costs.
To find out more about our JC Tuition programmes, please click below:
