Singapore University of Technology and Design
新加坡科技设计大学
Singapore's design-and-AI university, where every student spends the first three terms in a shared Freshmore core.
- Tuition
- SGD 30,200
- From · 2026-27 (AY2026 intake)
- Founded
- 2009
- QS World Ranking
- #266
- 2027 edition
- Campus
- Suburban
About SUTD
The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is the youngest of Singapore's publicly funded autonomous universities. It was established in 2009 with Thomas Magnanti of MIT as founding president, taught its first students on an interim campus in Dover from 2012, and moved to its purpose-built campus in Upper Changi, in the east of the island, in January 2015.
SUTD is small and deliberately different. Instead of faculties, it is organised into pillars: Architecture and Sustainable Design, Engineering Product Development, Engineering Systems and Design, and Information Systems Technology and Design (home of the Computer Science and Design degree), plus a Design and Artificial Intelligence programme. All undergraduates start with a common Freshmore year, which from AY2026 weaves AI into all three terms, and finish with a Capstone project in which students from different majors work in teams on real problems, often for industry partners. The academic year runs in terms rather than semesters, with one undergraduate intake each September.
Admission is holistic: SUTD reviews grades (with a strong focus on mathematics and the sciences), personal qualities such as curiosity and resilience, portfolios and teacher recommendations, and shortlisted applicants have a conversation with a faculty member. It suits students who want to build things, like working in teams and are comfortable with a tight-knit, hands-on campus rather than a large comprehensive university.
Trailblazing A Better World By Design
University motto
Why students choose SUTD
Every undergraduate completes a cross-disciplinary Capstone project, working in mixed-major design teams on real-world challenges set by industry partners.
The Design and Artificial Intelligence (DAI) degree and the AI-infused Freshmore curriculum (from AY2026) put AI into every student's first year.
Strong Tuition Grant subsidies bring fees for international students in the 2026 intake down from S$62,076 to S$31,600 a year (S$30,200 for ASEAN students).
In the 2025 Graduate Employment Survey, 88.4% of SUTD graduates in the labour force found work within six months, at a median gross monthly salary of S$4,900.
Admissions
2027 intake (September 2027 matriculation)
Selectivity
SUTD does not publish an acceptance rate. For Singapore-Cambridge A-Level applicants offered places in 2025, almost all had taken H2 Mathematics (about half scoring A or B) and most had taken H2 Physics or H2 Chemistry.
Typical entry requirements
| Minimum | At least 12 years of general education, or taking the Year 12 national/international examination in the year of application; strong mathematics and physics or chemistry preferred |
|---|---|
| A-levels (UK, Hong Kong, Brunei, Sri Lanka) | Good passes in at least three A-level subjects in the same sitting; no published grade cut-off |
| IB Diploma | Actual or school-attested predicted IB results; no published points cut-off |
| Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level | 2025 offer holders: almost 100% took H2 Mathematics, about half with A or B; most took H2 Physics and/or H2 Chemistry |
| English language | Compulsory for applicants whose qualifications are not taught in English (IELTS, TOEFL iBT, SAT, ACT, PTE Academic or C1 Advanced accepted, scores from the two years before applying). SUTD states there is no prescribed minimum score. |
Deadlines
- International qualifications (e.g. IB, UK A-levels, Gaokao, US high school diploma) Non-binding Passed2 March 2026 (2026 intake; window opened 2 January 2026)
2026-intake dates. SUTD says 'See you in 2027'; the 2027 window has not yet been published but has run from early January to early March.
- Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level Non-binding Passed19 March 2026 (2026 intake; opens on A-Level results day)
2026-intake dates; interviews by end April, outcomes by mid-May.
SUTD has not yet published its 2027 admissions window. For the 2026 intake, international-qualification applications ran 2 January to 2 March 2026, and GCE A-Level applications from results day to 19 March 2026; the UEE was held on 5 April 2026. Expect similar dates for 2027 entry and check the admissions page from December.
How to apply
Apply directly through SUTD's online admissions portal using the form for your qualification (one application per admissions exercise); the same form covers scholarships. Upload results from Grade 10 onwards, your final-year or predicted results, and optional recommendation letters and evidence of leadership, research, internships or community service. Answer SUTD's personal insight questions; selected applicants are invited to a conversation with faculty (by end April) and outcomes arrive by mid-May.
What admissions looks for
- Academic competency with a focus on mathematics and the sciences, judged in the context of the opportunities you had, including results over the 2 to 3 years before your final exam.
- Qualities that match SUTD's values: a growth mindset, collaboration, curiosity, drive, resilience and willingness to take risks.
- A portfolio of co-curricular activities, notable accomplishments and leadership roles, backed by strong teacher recommendations.
- Thoughtful answers to SUTD's personal insight questions and, if shortlisted, a good fit shown in the conversation with a faculty member.
Tips for applying to SUTD
- 1 Physics is not compulsory, but SUTD wants evidence of strength in maths and at least one science, so highlight those results.
- 2 If you apply with predicted IB or AS-level results, be ready for the free UEE: 25 maths/logic and 15 physics multiple-choice questions in one hour.
- 3 Treat the portfolio seriously: upload evidence of projects, research, internships, leadership and community work, since SUTD reviews them alongside grades.
- 4 International students should apply for the Tuition Grant in the admission form; without it the 2026 fee was S$62,076 a year, but it carries a 3-year work bond in Singapore.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 (AY2026 intake) · figures in SGD
Most students take the MOE Tuition Grant, which subsidises fees; international and PR recipients must sign a Tuition Grant Agreement with two guarantors and serve a 3-year bond working in Singapore after graduating. SUTD offers bond-free scholarships, including the SUTD Trailblazers (International) Scholarship for PRs and international students, which covers subsidised tuition for up to four years, plus bursaries and MOE Tuition Fee Loans capped at the Singapore Citizen fee.
- S$20,996 (tuition S$15,700, hostel S$1,710, meals S$1,680, books and personal S$1,350, transport S$324, fees S$232)
- Estimated gross expenses per term for an international student with Tuition Grant (Term 1, AY2025 estimate)
- Covers subsidised tuition for up to 4 years; no bond (Tuition Grant required)
- SUTD Trailblazers (International) Scholarship
Academics
Academic calendar: Terms (one September intake; 8 to 10 terms across the degree, plus special January periods such as the Independent Activity Period)
Computer Science and Design
SUTD's computing degree in the ISTD pillar, pairing a technical foundation with design thinking.
Design and Artificial Intelligence
A newer degree; 81.8% of its graduates found work within six months in the 2025 employment survey.
Architecture and Sustainable Design
SUTD's architecture degree; ASD students must complete Term 6 on campus, so their exchange timing differs from other majors.
Engineering Product Development
Engineering of physical products and devices, ending in a multidisciplinary Capstone with industry partners.
SUTD-Duke-NUS Special Track
A pathway for engineering or architecture students aiming for medical school at Duke-NUS.
Research
- Over S$665 million in external research funding and 83 start-ups incubated since 2010 (as of October 2024).
- iTrust, a cybersecurity centre set up with Singapore's Ministry of Defence, studies attacks on critical infrastructure such as water and power systems.
- The Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and Temasek Laboratories @ SUTD are among its 17 research centres.
Schools & faculties
- Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD)
- Design and Artificial Intelligence (DAI)
- Engineering Product Development (EPD)
- Engineering Systems and Design (ESD)
- Information Systems Technology and Design (ISTD)
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
- Science, Mathematics and Technology (SMT)
2025 Joint Autonomous University Graduate Employment Survey: 88.4% of SUTD graduates in the labour force were employed within six months of final exams, 73.1% in full-time permanent jobs; median gross monthly salary S$4,900 (mean S$5,041). About one in three in full-time permanent jobs received two or more offers.
Student life
SUTD is a compact, single-campus university where students learn in cohorts and live close to where they study. From AY2026, all new undergraduates must live in the campus hostel for their first three Freshmore terms, which SUTD treats as part of the learning experience; later housing is allocated through a scheme designed by student leaders to mix local and international residents. Students can use the January Independent Activity Period to run or join projects, take part in the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Programme, and go on overseas exchange in their third year.
- Compulsory on-campus living for the first three terms (from AY2026).
- The Independent Activity Period, a three-week January window of student- and staff-led activities.
- Global Exchange Programme options in Year 3, with some destinations allowing an overseas internship afterwards.
- The Capstone design showcase, where mixed-major teams present their final-year projects.
Housing. Hostel living is compulsory for undergraduates in their first three terms (Freshmore), with later places allocated through annual housing exercises each February.
Location
SUTD's campus sits in Tampines, near the Changi Business Park in eastern Singapore, and is served by Upper Changi MRT station on the Downtown Line. It was the only university in the east of the island when it opened. The area is quieter and greener than the city centre, which is a train ride away, and Changi Airport is close by.
Nearest airport: Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
Frequently asked questions
How much does SUTD cost for international students?
For the AY2026 intake, international students with the Singapore Government's Tuition Grant paid S$31,600 a year (S$30,200 for ASEAN students); without it the fee was S$62,076. Fees are fixed for each cohort once you start.
What is the catch with the Tuition Grant?
International and PR recipients sign a Tuition Grant Agreement with two guarantors and must serve a 3-year bond, working in Singapore, after graduating.
When is the SUTD application deadline for 2027?
The 2027 dates are not yet published. For 2026 entry, international-qualification applications ran from 2 January to 2 March 2026, and Singapore-Cambridge A-Level applications closed on 19 March 2026.
Does SUTD require the SAT or IELTS?
Only if your qualification is not taught in English; then you must submit one of IELTS, TOEFL iBT, SAT, ACT, PTE Academic or C1 Advanced. SUTD sets no minimum score.
Does SUTD interview applicants?
Yes. Selected applicants are invited, by the end of April, to an in-person or online conversation with an SUTD faculty member or leader before outcomes are released in mid-May.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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