Singapore is never short of some good institutions—from primary, secondary to colleges and universities.
Here in this post, we are going to share 10 of the most rated secondary schools in Singapore, and we hope you will find them useful.
Singapore is considered an education hub of Asia for a justifiable reason. The country boasts a population of 5.7 million people, although not really that much when compared to that of its neighbors.
However, it caters to several 10s of thousands of students—both domestic and foreigners. That is one of the reasons why Singapore stands out, strong and tall when it comes to education.
Secondary schools in Singapore are much more specialized. Therefore, children are more likely going to be enrolled in a school that prioritizes their academic abilities.
Check Also: Top 10 Best International Schools in Singapore
Secondary level education is the second most essential stage of education in Singapore after the primary. And, unlike the primary school level that focuses primarily on the use of the English language, the mother tongue, science, and mathematics. The secondary school level, on the other hand, emphasizes more on specialized classes and courseworks.
In Singapore, secondary school can last for up to five years, and it is also divided into streams, which are:
- Express
- Special
- Normal (Academic), and
- Normal (Technical)
These various streams allow students a place at a secondary school depending upon their performance at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
That said, the importance of secondary school education has made it even more essential to stream students according to their academic prowess and interests.
What are the best secondary schools in Singapore, you ask?
Before we delve right straight into listing some of the leading high schools in Singapore, let’s quickly take a look at a couple of things, and probably answer a few questions.
How many secondary schools are there in Singapore?
There are a total of 165 secondary schools in Singapore—that is relatively much for a country of fewer than 8 million people. These schools comprise private and public schools. However, a large chunk of them is funded by the state.
For simplicity and ease of readability, however, we are not going to list all the high schools in Singapore. Instead, we are only going to write about only ten of the best high schools in the country.
List of Top 10 Best Secondary Schools in Singapore
| S/N | NAME | GENDER | PHONE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanyang Girls’ High School | Girls | 6466 3275 |
| 2 | Raffles Institution | Co-ed | 6419 9242 |
| 3 | Raffles Girls’ Secondary School | Girls | 6737 1845 |
| 4 | Hwa Chong Institution | Co-ed | 6468 3955 |
| 5 | Dunman High School | Co-ed | 6345 0533 |
| 6 | Singapore Chinese Girls’ School | Girls | 6252 7966 |
| 7 | Methodist Girls’ School | Girls | 6469 4800 |
| 8 | Anglo-Chinese School Independent | Co-ed | 6773 1633 |
| 9 | NUS High of Mathematics and Science | C-ed | 6516 1709 |
| 10 | CHI St Nicholas Girls’ School | Girls | 6354 1839 |
Top 10 Best Secondary Schools in Singapore
1. Nanyang Girls’ High School
| nanyanggirls@nygh.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6466 3275 |
| ADDRESS | 2 Linden Drive Singapore 288683 |
| WEBSITE | nygh.edu.sg |
Nanyang Girls’ High School, abbreviated as “NYGH”, is one of the most high-rated, single-gender, high schools in Singapore.
The school is located in Linden Drive (off Dunearn Road), and currently has an enrolment of approximately 1,600 students from Sec 1 to Sec 4.
Founded in 1917, NYGH is a leading independent and Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school, with an emphasis on providing an all-around education to all girls, so that they can thrive.
The vision of NYGH is to develop and nurture every learner to be a good ambassador of society.
Academic excellence continues to be the hallmark of the students, given its vibrant history. NYGH has remained steadfast to its goal of developing learned women who will contribute to society.
Despite ranking top in the chart of the best secondary schools in Singapore, NYGH is a high-achieving school with various awards under its belt.
Some of the awards won by Nanyang Girls’ High School includes School Distinction Award, School Excellence Award, Singapore Quality Award (SQA), Character Development Award (CDA), Best Practice Awards, to mention but a few.
2. Raffles Institution
| comms@ri.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6419 9242 |
| ADDRESS | One Raffles Institution Lane, Singapore 575954 |
| WEBSITE | ri.edu.sg |
Raffles Institution, commonly known as “RI”, is a single-gender, private school in Singapore. It was founded in 1823 and is the oldest active school in the country.
Like many independent high schools in Singapore, RI offers the six-year Integrated Programme, which allows students to take the GCE A-Levels, and skip the GCE O-Levels.
RI has outstanding academic performance and has achieved tremendous success since its establishment. Raffles Institution was among the first secondary schools in Singapore to receive the MoE’s School Excellence Award (SEA).
Presently, the school has an enrolment of more than 4,000 students, ranging from Year 1 to Year 4, and Year 5 to Year 6 (Junior College).
RI is an independent school; hence, payment of fees is unavoidable. However, the school is committed to helping children experience the best education, regardless of their financial background.
Raffles Institution fees are as follows; note, fees are payable every month;
For Year 1 to Year 4: Monthly school fees payable for Singaporeans is S$335; Permanent Residents S$745 per month; International Students (ASEAN) S$1,565 per month; and S$2,285 per month for non-ASEAN International Students. Year 5 to Year 6 school fees range from S$335 to S$2,330 per month for Singaporeans and non-ASEAN International Students, respectively.
3. Raffles Girls’ Secondary School
| rgss@moe.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6737 1845 |
| ADDRESS | 2 Braddell Rise, Singapore, Singapore |
| WEBSITE | rgs.edu.sg |
Raffles Girls’ School, abbreviated as “RGS”, is a private secondary school for girls, located in Braddell Rise. It was established in 1879 and is one of the oldest secondary schools in Singapore.
The school caters to approximately 1,600 students and has made great strides in educational and co-curricular excellence.
RGS is one of the premier high schools in Singapore and was awarded the School Excellence Award by the Ministry of Education (MOE)—an award that recognizes schools with very good practices and processes.
At RGS, school fees are payable over 12 months of the academic year. The school fee for Singaporeans is S$4,080; S$9,000 for Singapore Permanent residents; S$18,840 for ASEAN International Students; and S$27,480 for non-ASEAN International Students.
4. Hwa Chong Institution
| admin@hci.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6468 3955 |
| ADDRESS | 661 Bukit Timah Road Singapore 269734 |
| WEBSITE | hci.edu.sg |
Hwa Chong Institution, abbreviated as “HCI”, is one of a few private secondary schools in Singapore established in the early 2000s. HCI was founded in 2005, with a mission to provide both secondary and pre-university education.
The school enrolment has been on the rise over the past few years and presently has an enrolment of approximately 4,000 students.
As an independent school, however, it has a strategic alliance with other prestigious institutions across Asia, and it operates under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) and offers the School-Based Gifted Education Programme and Integrated Programme (IP) – a scheme that allows top-performing students in high schools in Singapore to bypass the O-Level to proceed to sit for the A-Level, instead.
School fees at HCI range from S$300 to S$1,750 per month for Year 1 to Year 4 students.
5. Dunman High School
| dhs@moe.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6345 0533 |
| ADDRESS | 10 Tanjong Rhu Rd, Singapore 436895 |
| WEBSITE | dunmanhigh.moe.edu.sg |
Dunman High School, simply abbreviated as “DHS”, is a government-aided, co-educational secondary school located in Kallang, Singapore.
Founded in 1956, the school has an enrolment of approximately 2,400 students and offers the Special Assistance Plan (SA) and Integrated Programme (IP). DHS is among the largest government secondary schools in Singapore.
It is also one of the top-ranking high schools in the country in terms of academic results. Its graduate has always done the school proud by performing exceedingly well at the GCE A-level Examinations each year.
This only goes to show how outstanding DHS has been over the past few years.
For parents who are interested to send their children to a government high school in Singapore, DHS is simply one of the best you’ll find.
Top High Schools in Singapore
6. Singapore Chinese Girls’ School
| scgps@moe.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6252 7966 |
| ADDRESS | 190 Dunearn Rd, Singapore 309437 |
| WEBSITE | scgs.moe.edu.sg |
Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) is a private school for girls situated in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It was founded in 1899 and is one of the oldest and best secondary schools in Singapore.
With a staggering enrolment of approximately 2,400, entry at the school is quite competitive. Although SCGS is largely a high school institution, it also has a primary school division that caters to pupils between the ages of 6 and 13.
Like most private secondary schools in Singapore, payment of fees is important and is charged monthly. In addition, school fees might vary depending upon the stream and nationality. School fees for Singaporeans are generally lower compared to non-citizens.
At SCGS, the school fees for Singaporean range from S$270 to S$320 per month; and can go up to as high as S$1,715 per month for non-ASEAN International Students.
However, the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School has assured parents that no student will be deprived of education because of financial constraints. Please visit the school website for further information as regards fees and enrolment.
7. Methodist Girls’ School
| mgss@moe.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6469 4800 |
| ADDRESS | Blackmore Drive Singapore 599986 |
| WEBSITE | mgs.moe.edu.sg |
Methodist Girls’ School, commonly known as “MGS”, is a private school for girls located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. Founded in 1887, MGS is among the oldest single-gender high schools in Singapore.
Presently, there are approximately 2,500 students enrolled—from age 7 to 16. MGS offers Integrated Programme (IP), and her students have done exceedingly well in areas such as sport, music, and most importantly academics.
Methodist Girls’ School pride itself on providing girls with the best possible education from the ground up.
Also, their committed staff works tirelessly to ensure that girls are provided with optimum care and assistance so that they can thrive and be useful to their community.
8. Anglo-Chinese School Independent
| acsindep@acsindep.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6773 1633 |
| ADDRESS | 121 Dover Road, Singapore 139650 |
| WEBSITE | acsindep.moe.edu.sg |
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), or ACS(I) is an independent school for boys and girls. ACS(I) was founded in 1886 and is among the oldest private secondary schools in Singapore.
The school has approximately 500 staff, catering to more than 2,900 students. Over the past few years, ACS(I) has transformed from a school that started with just 13 pupils in a single class, to a school that is attracting hundreds of international students from around Asia. The school’s facilities are out of this world.
ACS(I) is one of a few high schools in the country with an International Baccalaureate (IB) status. It also offers the Integrated Programme which allows students to skip O-Level and proceed to the IB Diploma Programme.
School fees at ACS(International) are payable monthly and vary from student to student depending on the citizenship status. Basically, it ranges between S$365 and S$1,945 per month.
9. NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
| einstein@highsch.nus.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6516 1709 |
| ADDRESS | 20 Clementi Avenue 1, Singapore 129957 |
| WEBSITE | nushigh.edu.sg |
NUSH is one of the best high schools in Singapore that focus on Mathematics and Sciences. NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, abbreviated as “NUSH”, is a co-educational, specialized private school in Singapore.
Founded in 2005, NUSH has an enrolment of approximately 1,000 students with ages ranging from 13 to 18. Presently, the school has 54 classrooms, and a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 which is quite impressive!
NUSH curriculum is accelerated, hence, inspiring students who have a passion for Science and math.
In addition, students are also exposed to the research curriculum, a program administered by the Office of Research, Innovation, and Enterprise.
10. CHI St Nicholas Girls’ School
| chijsng_sec@moe.edu.sg | |
| PHONE | 6354 1839 |
| ADDRESS | 501 Ang Mo Kio Street 13 Singapore 569405 |
| WEBSITE | chijstnicholasgirls.moe.edu.sg |
CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls’ School, abbreviated as “SNGS”, is a Catholic, Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school for girls located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore.
SNGS began with an enrolment of 40 students in two classes during its early days in 1933; and today, the school has expanded to a full school with approximately 3,000 students enrolled across the primary and secondary classes.
CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School offers 4-year Secondary Special/Express courses alongside the Integrated Programme (IP) which is in collaboration with other top high schools in Singapore.
At SNGS, students are offered a range of stimulating and challenging programs that would enable them to be more resourceful and self-independent.
Please visit the school’s official website for more information on how to enroll at the school.
Final Thoughts
That was the list of the top 10 best secondary schools in Singapore. However, do not panic if you did not find your childhood school on the list.
This article is purely educational as it’s aimed at parents looking to send their children to the top-rated secondary schools in Singapore.
Having talked about the nitty-gritty of these schools, one would agree that they are indeed designed to cater to every child, irrespective of their academic abilities.
So, whether your child is exceptionally brilliant or otherwise, there is a place for him/her. Every school listed on this page has various curricular and non-curricular programs designed to foster childrens’ academic development; and match the learning needs and abilities of different children.
