National University of Singapore facts for kids
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Former names
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Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School (1905–1921) King Edward VII College of Medicine (1921–1949) University of Malaya, Singapore campus (1949–1962) University of Singapore (1962–1980) Nanyang University (1956–1980) |
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| Type | Public research university |
| Established | 3 July 1905 (as King Edward VII College of Medicine) 8 August 1980 (as National University of Singapore) |
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Academic affiliations
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ACU, IARU, APRU, Universitas 21, GEM4, AUN, ASAIHL, APSIA, McDonnell International Scholars Academy, UAiTED |
| Endowment | S$6.46 billion (2020) (US$4.81 billion) |
| Chancellor | Tharman Shanmugaratnam |
| President | Tan Eng Chye |
| Provost | Aaron Thean |
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Academic staff
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2,555 (2018) |
| Students | 35,908 (2018) |
| Undergraduates | 27,604 |
| Postgraduates | 8,304 |
| Location |
Queenstown, Singapore
1°17′44″N 103°46′36″E / 1.29556°N 103.77667°E |
| Campus | Urban, 150 ha (370 acres) |
| Colours | NUS Orange, NUS Blue |
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The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a top public university in Singapore. It is known for its strong focus on research. NUS was officially created in 1980. This happened when two older universities, the University of Singapore and Nanyang University, joined together.
NUS offers many different degree programs for students. These include studies in science, medicine, dentistry, design, law, arts, social sciences, engineering, business, computing, and music. The main campus of NUS is located near Kent Ridge in Queenstown. Some special schools are in other parts of Singapore. For example, the Duke–NUS Medical School is at the Outram campus. The Bukit Timah campus is home to the Faculty of Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Many famous people have been part of NUS, including Nobel Prize winners and other award recipients.
Contents
History of NUS
The story of NUS began in 1904. A group of people, led by Tan Jiak Kim, asked the Governor of Singapore to start a medical school. They needed a medical school because there weren't enough doctors. Tan Jiak Kim and his group raised a lot of money from the community.
On July 3, 1905, the medical school officially opened. It was first called the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. In 1912, the school received a large donation from the King Edward VII Memorial Fund. Because of this, its name was changed to King Edward VII Medical School in 1913. Later, in 1921, it became the King Edward VII College of Medicine. This new name showed that it was a proper college.
In 1928, another important school, Raffles College, was started. This college focused on arts and social sciences.
Joining Forces: University of Malaya
On October 8, 1949, Raffles College and King Edward VII College of Medicine merged. They formed the University of Malaya. This merger helped provide better higher education for the region. The University of Malaya grew very quickly. By 1959, it had two main parts: one in Singapore and one in Kuala Lumpur.
Nanyang University and University of Singapore
In 1955, Nanyang University was founded. This university was important for the Chinese community in Singapore.
In 1960, the governments of Singapore and Malaya decided to make their university parts into national universities. So, on January 1, 1962, the Singapore part became the University of Singapore.
How NUS Was Formed
The National University of Singapore (NUS) was finally created on August 6, 1980. This happened when the University of Singapore and Nanyang University merged. The government wanted to combine their resources to make one strong university. They also wanted to promote English as the main language for education in Singapore. The old symbol of Nanyang University, with three linked rings, was added to the new NUS symbol.
Most of the university's departments moved to the Kent Ridge campus. This move started in 1969 and finished in 1986. NUS also began to focus on helping students start their own businesses in the 1980s. They set up the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre (NEC) to help students with new ideas. Today, NUS has 17 faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore. It also works with many universities around the world, like the Georgia Institute of Technology.
NUS Symbol
The symbol, or coat of arms, of the National University of Singapore was created in 1980 and updated in 2001. It combines parts from two older university symbols. It has a lion, an open book, and three linked rings.
- The lion shows that NUS is a university from Singapore.
- The open book stands for knowledge and learning.
- The three rings represent how the university creates, shares, and uses knowledge. They also stand for creativity, new ideas, and starting businesses.
NUS is one of two public universities in Singapore that uses a coat of arms. The other is the Nanyang Technological University.
University Rankings
NUS is known as one of the top universities in the world. Here are some of its recent rankings:
- It was ranked 8th globally by QS World University Rankings in 2025.
- It was ranked 19th globally by Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings in 2024.
- It was ranked 26th globally by USNWR in 2022–2023.
- It was ranked 71st globally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) in 2023.
NUS has been in the top 15 universities worldwide by QS since 2016. It has also been in the top 30 by THE since 2013. In 2023, THE named NUS the 10th most international university in the world. Many NUS researchers are also listed among the world's top 2% scientists by Stanford University.
Top Subjects at NUS
NUS is highly ranked in many specific subjects. In the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject, NUS was among the top 10 globally for 19 different subjects!
For example, in the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject, NUS was ranked:
- 11th in Computer Science.
- 9th in Engineering.
- 11th in Law.
- 15th in Business & Economics.
NUS also holds the top spot nationally (in Singapore) for all subjects it offers.
How NUS Teaches
NUS uses a system where courses are divided into modules, like building blocks. It combines ideas from both British and American university systems. This means students have small group discussions (tutorials) along with larger lectures.
NUS has 17 different faculties and schools across its three campuses. It even has a music conservatory!
Special Programs
- University Scholars Programme (USP): This was a special program for talented undergraduate students. It focused on a general education. Students in USP lived in Cinnamon College.
- NUS College: This is a newer, more advanced version of the USP. It is the university's honors college. It focuses on helping students become global citizens. Students in this program often do service-based exchanges in Southeast Asia.
Faculties and Schools
NUS has many different schools where students can study specific subjects.
Business School
The NUS Business School started in 1965. It is highly ranked for its MBA programs. NUS also works with universities like Peking University, HEC Paris, and Yale University to offer joint MBA degrees.
Computing School
The School of Computing was set up in 1998. It has two main departments: Computer Science and Information Systems and Analytics.
Dentistry Faculty
The Faculty of Dentistry began in 1929 as a department within the King Edward VII College of Medicine. It offers a four-year course to become a dentist.
Design and Engineering College
The College of Design and Engineering (CDE) was formed in 2021. It brought together the School of Design and Environment (SDE) and the Faculty of Engineering (FoE). The Faculty of Engineering, started in 1968, is the largest faculty at NUS.
Humanities and Sciences College
The College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) was created in 2020. It includes the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science. These two faculties are still well-known on their own. The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences offers many subjects, including 13 different languages. The Faculty of Science covers many natural and applied sciences.
Law Faculty
The NUS Faculty of Law started in 1956. It moved to the Kent Ridge campus in 1980 but returned to the Bukit Timah campus in 2006. It offers various law degrees, from undergraduate to PhD.
Medicine School
The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS is very old, starting in 1905. It offers a program to become a doctor (MBBS). It also has a nursing program and postgraduate studies in medicine.
Duke–NUS Medical School
The Duke–NUS Medical School is a special graduate medical school. It was set up in 2005 as a partnership between Duke University in the United States and NUS.
Music Conservatory
The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM) is Singapore's first music conservatory. It is a collaboration between NUS and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. It was renamed after a generous gift from the family of Dr. Yong Loo Lin.
Public Health School
The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health is Singapore's only school for public health. It started from a department formed in 1948.
Public Policy School
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy was established in 2004. It teaches students about how governments make decisions and policies.
Yale-NUS College
The Yale-NUS College was a unique college started in 2013. It was a joint project between Yale University and NUS. It was an independent college within NUS, meaning it had its own rules but could use NUS facilities. However, in 2021, NUS announced that Yale-NUS College would merge with the University Scholars Programme to form the new NUS College by 2025. The last group of students for Yale-NUS College started in 2021.
Teaching and Research Centres
NUS has several centres that help with teaching and learning. It also has the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, which is a special school for younger students who are good at math and science.
Research at NUS
NUS focuses on many important research areas. These include biomedical science, engineering, information technology, and social sciences. The university has received grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for research on vaccines, water treatment, and fighting diseases like tuberculosis.
NUS also has many research institutes and centres. Four of these are recognized as top Research Centres of Excellence by the Singapore government. NUS works with other universities to create research centres, like The Logistics Institute – Asia Pacific with the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
NUS helps students and researchers turn their ideas into new businesses. The NUS Entrepreneurship Centre (NEC) helps with this.
The NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) program lets students live, work, and study in places known for new businesses. Students spend 6 months or a year overseas, taking courses and working at start-up companies.
The NUS Industry Liaison Office (ILO) also helps create new tech companies. It helps manage the university's inventions and connects researchers with industries.
Campus Life and Facilities
NUS's main campus is in the southwestern part of Singapore. It covers a large area of about 170 hectares. The Duke–NUS Medical School is at the Outram campus, and the Law and Public Policy schools are at the Bukit Timah campus.
- Buildings of NUS
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Mochtar Riady Building, Business School
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Engineering 2
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Yong Siew Toh Music Conservatory
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Dentistry
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Faculty of Science
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SDE4
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School of Computing
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University Hall
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Entrance E
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Yale-NUS College
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Bukit Timah campus which houses the Law and Public Policy schools
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LKYSPP, Bukit Timah Campus
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National University Hospital
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Technology on Campus
NUS has its own computer network called NUSNET, which helps with teaching, learning, and research. In 2004, NUS set up a large grid computing network, connecting over 1,000 computers. This was one of the biggest virtual supercomputing systems in the region at the time.
Libraries at NUS
NUS has seven libraries with millions of books and digital resources. These include the Central Library, Law Library, Medicine+Science Library, and the Music Library.
- NUS Libraries
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Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library, 2006
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Open space outside Central Library, 2008
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Yale-NUS College Library, 2019
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Medicine+Science Library, 2023
University Town (UTown)
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The NUS University Town (UTown) opened in 2011. It's a special area on the Kent Ridge campus with student housing, research centres, lecture halls, restaurants, and shops.
- University Town, NUS
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Campus Transportation
NUS has a free shuttle bus system that takes students around the Bukit Timah and Kent Ridge campuses. In late 2022, the university started using electric buses.
- NUS Internal Shuttle Bus
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Student Housing
NUS offers different types of housing for students: halls of residence, student residences, and residential colleges. About 10,000 students can live on campus.
Halls of Residence
NUS has 7 Halls of Residence. These halls have their own student groups and activities. Students living in halls often compete in sports against other halls.
- Eusoff Hall
- Kent Ridge Hall
- King Edward VII Hall
- Raffles Hall
- Sheares Hall
- Temasek Hall
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Eusoff Hall
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Kent Ridge Hall
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Raffles Hall
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Temasek Hall
Student Residences
NUS has two student residences: Prince George's Park Residences and UTown Residences. These places have single rooms with shared kitchens and bathrooms. UTown Residences also has apartments.
Residential Colleges
Residential colleges are like smaller communities within the university. They have their own activities and academic programs.
- Cinnamon College/West Wing: This college used to house the University Scholars Programme. Now, it will be part of the new NUS College.
- Tembusu College: This college is mainly for first and second-year students. It also has professors and visiting scholars living there.
- College of Alice & Peter Tan (CAPT): This college focuses on helping students get involved in community service.
- Residential College 4 (RC4): Another residential college at NUS.
- Ridge View Residential College (RVRC):
RVRC was started in 2014. It is the only residential college not located in University Town.
Famous People from NUS
Since it started in 1905, NUS has had many famous graduates from Singapore and Malaysia. These include:
- Two Singapore Prime Ministers and four Singapore Presidents.
- Two Malaysian Prime Ministers.
- Many politicians, judges, business leaders, and educators.
Some well-known leaders who studied at NUS or its earlier schools include:
- Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister.
- Goh Chok Tong, Singapore's second Prime Minister.
- Tony Tan, a former President of Singapore.
- S. R. Nathan, another former President of Singapore.
- Mahathir Mohamad, a former Prime Minister of Malaysia.
- Halimah Yacob, the 8th President of Singapore.
Many business leaders in Singapore also came from NUS, such as Olivia Lum (Hyflux Group CEO) and Ho Ching (former Temasek Holdings CEO). In international affairs, NUS graduates include Margaret Chan, former head of the World Health Organization, and Kishore Mahbubani, a former President of the United Nations Security Council.
For a long time, NUS was Singapore's only law school. Many of Singapore's top judges and lawyers, like Chief Justices Sundaresh Menon and Chan Sek Keong, studied there.
- Notable Alumni of NUS
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Lee Kuan Yew, 1st Prime Minister of Singapore
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Goh Chok Tong, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore
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Tony Tan, 7th President of Singapore
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S. R. Nathan, 6th President of Singapore
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Mahathir Mohamad, 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia
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Margaret Chan, 7th Director-General of the World Health Organization
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Kishore Mahbubani, President of the United Nations Security Council (2001–2002)
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Halimah Yacob, 8th President of Singapore
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Ng Eng Hen, Singapore Minister for Defence
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Sha'ari Tadin, Member of Parliament and founder of Singapore Central Council (Majlis Pusat Singapura)
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Wang Gungwu, historian
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Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs Singapore
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K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, Singapore
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See also
- Education in Singapore
- National University Hospital
- Nanyang University
- University of Malaya
