Here's what fresh graduates from NTU, NUS, SMU & SUSS are earning [Class of 2021]

SMU's Class of 2021 recorded the highest median gross monthly salary (S$4,000), followed by those from NUS (S$3,850). 

- With inputs by Aditi Sharma Kalra.

The 2021 graduating batch from Singapore Management University (SMU), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) observed a healthy level of employment and salaries upon graduation, the Joint Autonomous Universities Graduate Employment Survey 2021 has revealed.

According to the survey, all four universities saw an increase in graduates' median gross monthly salary when compared to the 2020 survey — with fresh graduates from SMU recording the highest median gross monthly salary (S$4,000), followed by those from NUS (S$3,850).

Breaking the data down per course, Nanyang Business School (a college of NTU)'s business & computing (double degree) course earned the highest among all courses involved, taking home a median gross monthly pay of S$6,300.

Read on for each institution's findings:

SMU fresh grads’ median monthly salary for 2021 at an all-time high of S$4,000 in 2021 

Among the 1,461 (or 76.3%) Singapore Management University (SMU) alumni who graduated in 2021 and took part in the survey, both mean and median gross monthly salaries soared to an all-time high. The mean gross monthly salary of those in full-time permanent jobs was S$4,358 in 2021, an increase over 2020’s S$4,196. Meanwhile, the median gross monthly salary was S$4,000, up from $3,900 in 2020.

Overall, 96.2% of SMU’s fresh graduates in the labour force gained employment within six months of completing their final examinations, an increase from 93.9% in 2020. Among those who were in full-time jobs, about half (47.4%) got these assignments through internships.

The top three industries of employment for SMU graduates were:

1. Financial and insurance,
2. Information & communication, and
3. Legal, accounting, and auditing.

The financial and insurance sector maintained its position as the highest-paid industry with a mean gross monthly salary of S$5,107.

Top five highest-earning degrees for SMU fresh grads (by median gross monthly salary): 

1. Law (Cum Laude and above): S$5,800
2. Information systems (Cum Laude and above): S$5,350
3. Economics (Cum Laude and above): S$4,900
4. Business management (Cum Laude and above): S$4,480
5. Accountancy (Cum Laude and above): S$3,850

On the launch of the report, SMU Provost, Professor Timothy Clark shared his happiness over SMU graduates being in demand, “with the great majority being successful in finding employment”.

Further highlights of SMU’s 2021 graduates’ monthly salaries across all six schools: 

• Information systems graduates earned the highest mean monthly salary of S$4,906, as compared to the 2020 cohort’s S$4,683.
• Economics graduates earned a mean monthly salary of S$4,777, up from S$4,290 in 2020. The median gross monthly salary was S$4,435, as compared to S$3,800 in 2020.
• Business management graduates earned a mean gross monthly salary of S$4,371, as compared to 2020’s S$4,293. The median gross monthly salary was S$4,000, up from S$3,850 in 2020.
• Social sciences graduates earned a mean monthly salary of S$3,836 as compared to S$3,626 in 2020. The median gross monthly salary was S$3,600, as compared to S$3,500 in 2020.
• Accountancy graduates earned a mean monthly salary of S$3,814 as compared to S$3,694 in 2020. The median gross monthly salary was S$3,400, up from S$3,100 in 2020.

NTU fresh grads' median gross monthly salary rose to S$3,750 in 2021 

Out of 4,292 NTU Singapore fresh graduates surveyed, more than nine in 10 were employed within six months after completing their final examinations, the university said in a press release.

Despite the pandemic, the university's Class of 2021 earned higher salaries, with a mean gross monthly salary of S$4,000 for fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment, an 4.2% jump from S$3,840 in 2020.

Their median gross monthly salary was also higher at S$3,750, up from S$3,660 in 2020.

Additionally, the survey revealed that apart from graduates from the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Medicine who achieved a 100% overall proportion in employment, other courses with the highest overall proportion in employment include accountancy & business (99.2%), maritime studies (98.4%), civil engineering (97.7%), accountancy (97.7%), computer science (97.0%), and communication studies (96.9%).

Top three highest-earning courses by college (by median gross monthly salary) 

College of Business (Nanyang Business School)

1. Business & computing (double degree): S$6,300 (up from S$5,400 in 2020)
2. Accountancy & business: S$4,500
3. Business: S$4,000

College of Engineering

1. Computer science: S$4,800
2. Engineering and economics (double degree): S$4,583
3. Computer engineering: S$4,500

College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences 

1. Public policy and global affairs: S$3,804
2. History: S$3,675
3. Inter-disciplinary double major*: S$3,650

*Refers to economics and media analytics, economics and psychology, economics and public policy and global affairs, English literature and art history, psychology and linguistics and multilingual studies, psychology, and media analytics.

College of Science

1. Environmental earth systems sciences*: S$3,892
2. Mathematical sciences / mathematical sciences and economics: S$3,750
3. Physics and applied physics: S$3,570

*'Environmental earth system science refers to environmental earth system science, and environmental earth system science and public policy and global affairs. 

Top three highest-paid courses, overall 

1. Business & computing (double degree): S$6,300
2. Medicine: S$5,500 (after completing their one-year housemanship or first-year residency)
3. Computer science: S$4,800

About 94% of fresh grads from NUS were employed within six months of completing their exams 

Among NUS fresh graduates surveyed in the labour force, 94.1% were employed within six months of completing their final exams, compared to 93.9% in the 2020 survey. Another 2.8% in the labour force have either accepted a job offer and are pending commencement of duty, or are actively starting a business venture.

In a press release, the institution noted that of the 5,144 graduates surveyed, those from accountancy, information security, business analytics, dentistry, and computational biology achieved 100% employment, while 99.1% of computer science majors landed jobs.

Looking at what these graduates are earning — per the survey, the mean gross monthly salary recorded for fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment stands at S$4,258, a 4.3% increase from S$4,082 in 2020.

As for the median gross monthly salary, this stands at S$3,850, a slight increase from S$3,800 in 2020.

Top three highest-earning courses by faculty (by median gross monthly salary) 

Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences 

1. Bachelor of Social Sciences: S$$3,600
2. Bachelor of Arts (Hons): S$3,650
3. Bachelor of Arts: S$3,200

Faculty of Engineering

1. = Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Science): S$4,500 
   = Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial and Systems Engineering): S$4,500
2. Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering): S$4,150

Faculty of Science 

1. Bachelor of Science (Data Science and Analytics): S$4,800
2. Bachelor of Science (Computational Biology): S$4,500
3. Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy): S$3,915

NUS Business School 

1. Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons): S$4,347
2. Bachelor of Business Administration: S$3,700
3. Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) (Hons): S$3,500

School of Computing

1. Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science): S$6,000
2. = Bachelor of Computing (Information Security): S$5,400 
   = Bachelor of Science (Business Analytics): S$5,400

School of Design & Environment 

1. Bachelor of Arts (Architecture): S$4,000
2. Bachelor of Arts (Industrial Design): S$3,825
3. Bachelor of Science (Real Estate): S$3,700

Top three highest-paid courses, overall 

1. Bachelor of Computing (Computer Science): S$6,000
2. Bachelor of Laws: S$5,600
3. = Bachelor of Computing (Information Security): S$5,400 
   = Bachelor of Science (Business Analytics): S$5,400 
   = Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering): S$5,400

Other highlights of the survey:  

• More than nine in 10 fresh graduates in the labour force, from courses in arts and social sciences, business, computing, design & environment, engineering, nursing, and acience were employed within six months of completing their final exams.
• More than nine in 10 follow-up graduates from architecture, law, and pharmacy were employed after completing their practical training, practical law course, and pupillage.

SUSS’ full-time accountancy grads continue to be in high demand with overall employment of 98.6%

More than 94% (or 372) of SUSS full-time graduates from the Class of 2021 secured employment within six months of completing their final examinations, indicating "continued strong demand" for SUSS graduates despite the COVID-19 pandemic. the university said in a press release.

Among the SUSS pioneer batch of full-time graduates, 93.5% from business analytics, and 100% from the law programmes were employed within six months of completing their final examinations.

Additionally, SUSS’ full-time accountancy and SCM graduates continue to be in high demand with overall employment of 98.6% and 97.4% respectively among those who entered the labour force in 2021.

On the salary front, the mean and median gross monthly salaries of SUSS graduates in full-time permanent employment stand at S$3,438 and S$3,300 respectively.

What SUSS' 2021 graduates are earning (by median gross monthly salary) 

S R Nathan School of Human Development

1. Bachelor of Social Work: S$3,530
2. Bachelor of Human Resource Management: S$3,200
3. Bachelor of Early Childhood Education: S$3,000

School of Business

1. Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics: S$3,800
2. Bachelor of Science in Finance: S$3,500
3. Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management: S$3,300
4. Bachelor of Science in Marketing: S$3,275
5. Bachelor Accountancy: S$3,200

Photo / 123RF 

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