National University of Singapore

A big school sits in Singapore.

It started a long time ago. First, people built a school for doctors. Later, other schools were made. In 1980, two schools joined together. This made one big, strong school. Students can study many things. They can learn music or math. They can also learn about law. It has many buildings in different spots.

It is a great place to learn.

The National University of Singapore, or NUS, is a big school in Singapore.

Its story began a long time ago. In 1905, a medical school was founded. A man named Tan Jiak Kim helped raise money to start it. Later, other schools like Raffles College were made. In 1949, these schools joined to form the University of Malaya. In 1962, the Singapore part became the University of Singapore. In 1980, the University of Singapore and Nanyang University joined together. This made the NUS we know today.

The school has many campuses. One is at Kent Ridge. Another is at Bukit Timah. A third is at Outram. Students can study many things. They can learn about law, music, or medicine. Many people from other countries study there too. In 2025, the school celebrated 120 years. It is a very famous school around the world. Many of its teachers have won big prizes for their work.

The National University of Singapore, or NUS, is a major research university. It is a place where people study many different subjects. Students can learn about medicine, law, music, and engineering. It also has programs for business and computing. The university is very important to the country of Singapore. It helps people gain new skills for their future jobs.

Learning at NUS happens in many different ways. The school uses a semester system for its undergraduate courses. It combines ideas from two different teaching styles. One style comes from Britain and uses small group tutorials. The other style comes from America and uses course credits. Students can study at three different campus locations. These are Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah, and Outram.

The history of the school started a long time ago. In 1904, Tan Jiak Kim led a group to ask for a medical school. He raised 87,077 Straits dollars to help this goal. The medical school finally opened on 3 July 1905. Later, Raffles College was started in 1928 to teach arts. In 1949, these schools merged to form the University of Malaya. By 1962, the Singapore division became the University of Singapore.

In 1980, the university took its modern form. The government merged the University of Singapore with Nanyang University. This merger helped create a single, stronger institution. The new coat of arms uses symbols from both old schools. It has a lion to represent Singapore. It also has an open book for knowledge. Three rings represent creativity and innovation.

Today, NUS is known all around the world. It is a very international place for learning. About 65% of the faculty and staff are from other countries. There are also 12,057 foreign students studying there. In 2025, the school celebrated its 120th anniversary. Many researchers at the school have won famous prizes. One researcher even won a Nobel Prize.

The National University of Singapore, commonly known as NUS, is a major public research university. It serves as a central hub for higher education in Singapore. The university offers many different degree programs. These programs cover subjects like medicine, law, and engineering. Students can also study arts, social sciences, and music. NUS is a significant institution for research and academic growth. It connects students to many global opportunities.

Learning at NUS uses a specific academic structure. The university follows a semester-based modular system for undergraduate courses. This system combines two different educational styles. It uses the British system of small group tutorials. It also uses the American system of course credits. This blend helps students learn in diverse ways. The university manages 17 different faculties and schools. These are spread across three distinct campus locations in Singapore. The main campus is at Kent Ridge. The Outram campus hosts the Duke–NUS Medical School. The Bukit Timah campus is home to the Faculty of Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

The history of the university began with a medical school. In September 1904, a leader named Tan Jiak Kim led a petition. He wanted to establish a medical school in Singapore. Tan raised 87,077 Straits dollars from the community. He even gave a personal donation of $12,000. On 3 July 1905, the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School was founded. In 1912, the school received a $120,000 endowment. This came from the King Edward VII Memorial Fund. In 1928, a separate institution called Raffles College was established. This college focused on arts and social sciences.

These institutions eventually merged to form larger universities. On 8 October 1949, Raffles College and the medical school merged. They formed the University of Malaya. This was done to meet higher education needs. The university grew very fast in its first decade. In 1959, it split into two autonomous divisions. One was in Singapore and one was in Kuala Lumpur. By 1962, the Singapore division became the University of Singapore. Meanwhile, Nanyang University was established in 1955. Nanyang University was created within the Chinese community of Singapore.

The modern version of NUS was formed through a government merger. On 6 August 1980, the University of Singapore and Nanyang University joined together. The government wanted to pool resources into one strong entity. This merger also promoted English as the main language of education. The new university created a special coat of arms in 1980. It combined symbols from the previous institutions. The design includes a lion to represent Singapore. An open book represents knowledge. Three interlocking rings represent creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

NUS is recognized as a very international institution. It has a high level of foreign representation. About 65% of the faculty and staff are foreign nationals. This ranks NUS 3rd among the top 100 universities for foreign faculty. The student body is also very diverse. There are 12,057 foreign students, which is 36% of the total. Most of these international students are post-graduate students. The university also collaborates with famous schools like Harvard and Yale. This global connection helps researchers work together on big ideas.

The university holds a very high global reputation. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, NUS ranked #8. It also holds high positions in other major rankings. For example, it was #17 in the 2025 Times Higher Education rankings. NUS performs very well in specific subjects too. It is ranked in the global top 10 for 19 different subjects. In 2024, it ranked 9th globally in Engineering. It also ranked 11th in Computer Science and 11th in Law. These high ranks show the strength of its various departments.

In 2025, the university celebrated several important milestones. It marked its 120th anniversary alongside the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Other departments also celebrated major anniversaries. NUS Engineering reached its 70th year. The Duke-NUS Medical School and NUS High School celebrated 20 years. To celebrate, the university held a year-long series of events. This included a Distinguished Speaker Series. Experts like AI professors Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio spoke about the future. These events highlight the university's role in discussing pressing global issues.