Q: How many people applied for the local universities last year and how many were admitted?

A: The six public universities took in 18,000 Singapore citizens and permanent residents in 2022. This translates to a 42 per cent cohort participation rate, which has been reached in the last three years. Cohort participation rate refers to the percentage of a cohort given places in MOE-funded degree programmes.

But the demand for university places remains high with 38,000 school leavers applying for places in the local universities. This translates to about two applicants for every university place.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University also offer part-time undergraduate degree programmes which cater to working adults. The intake for such part-time degree programmes is about 4,000 a year.

Q: What proportion of A-level and polytechnic cohorts enrol in the six local universities every year? Does MOE limit the number of university places for polytechnic graduates because they are expected to start working after completing their diplomas?

A: MOE figures show that currently about four in five A-level and International Baccalaureate graduates enrol in the universities, up from around three in four in 2015.

In the case of polytechnic graduates, about one in three matriculate at universities here, up from around one in four in 2015.

There is no quota on the number of places given to polytechnic graduates.

In fact, with the expansion of university places in recent years, many more polytechnic graduates now make it to the local universities – more than 30 per cent, up from 20 per cent in 2012.

This means most of the new university places created over the last 10 years, including those at SUSS and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), went to polytechnic diploma holders.

SIT and SUSS cater more to polytechnic graduates, not just in their applied learning approach, but also in their degree programmes.

SIT, established in 2009, took in about 3,200 undergraduates last year, of which about 90 per cent were polytechnic graduates. It says it will be admitting a similar number of students for the 2023 academic year, which starts in September.

Many of its degree programmes are targeted at growth sectors of the economy, such as allied health services and cyber security.

Another change which favours polytechnic graduates is the move to aptitude-based admissions, where the universities look beyond grades and at the aptitude and talent of the applicants.

NUS has also started a special scheme to draw polytechnic graduates who have an interest in entrepreneurship.

NUS, which runs a programme to nurture entrepreneurs, asks the five polytechnics to nominate students who display a strong entrepreneurial inclination during their diploma studies. These include those who have participated in entrepreneurship-related programmes.

The programme benefits polytechnic graduates, who may not have top-line grades, but who have aptitude in an area.

Q: For two years, my son applied for a place in computing. Despite having a good grade point average (GPA), he was unable to get a place. Can MOE consider offering more places in popular courses such as computing?

A: First, there has been an increase in the number of computing courses being offered by the universities, and the intake figures have also gone up considerably in recent years.

There are also other degree pathways offered by the universities, which are worth considering, such as the SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree programme, where students work at a company and study for a degree at the same time.

The Straits Times asked MOE if it would consider increasing the intake for degree courses that are in high demand.

MOE replied that it has to take into account the manpower and talent needs of the economy.

It said: “Our approach must balance students’ aspirations for a university degree with Singapore’s economic needs and the need to guard against graduate oversupply and under-employment.”