82% of parents will consider sending children overseas for university studies: Survey

Despite with the fact that Singapore's higher education is among the top in the world, why Singaporean parents preferred to send their children to overseas? Read the full story below.  

SINGAPORE: Four in five (82 per cent) Singaporean parents will consider sending children overseas for their university studies, revealed an HSBC survey Wednesday (Sep 10). They cited independence, international work experience and confidence as key benefits of studying abroad.

The survey interviewed 4,500 parents from 15 countries - 309 of which were Singaporeans.

Among overseas universities, 51 per cent of Singaporean parents ranked the United States as among the top three countries to send their children. The United Kingdom came in second at 38 per cent, while 27 per cent ranked Germany in the top three.

That said, 75 per cent of Singaporeans surveyed agreed that the quality of education in Singapore is better than in other countries.

This quality may come at a price, as Singapore was the second most expensive option for university studies among the 15 countries surveyed, with average annual costs of over US$39,000 (S$49,000) for international undergraduate students.

ANNUAL UNIVERSITY FEE AND AVERAGE COST OF LIVING FOR INTERNATIONAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

(Data provided by HSBC)

More than half of Singapore parents said that paying for their children's education is the best investment, and they would allocate an average of 53 per cent of their, ahead of long-term investment or a deposit for a house.

Source - CNA/av