Singapore private uni grads face tougher job market

Fewer than half of fresh graduates from Singapore’s private education institutions (PEIs) secured full-time employment in 2024, highlighting growing challenges in the graduate job market amid economic uncertainty and a slowdown in hiring.

According to the latest Private Education Institution Graduate Employment Survey released by SkillsFuture Singapore, only 46.4% of fresh PEI graduates found full-time, permanent jobs within six months of graduation – a significant decline from 58.7% in 2023.

At the same time, more graduates turned to part-time or temporary roles (24.2%, up from 18.9% in 2023), while freelance work saw a slight drop (4.2%, down from 5.7%).

The findings underscore a growing employment gap between graduates of private institutions and those from autonomous universities (AUs) such as Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore. A separate joint survey published in February showed that 79.5% of AU graduates secured full-time permanent roles, with a median starting salary of S$4,500 (US$3,509).

In contrast, PEI graduates in full-time roles earned a median monthly salary of S$3,500, a modest increase from S$3,400 in 2023. The highest salaries among PEI graduates came from Parkway College of Nursing and Allied Health and ERC Institute, both averaging S$4,000, followed by Singapore Institute of Management at S$3,600.

Despite the salary gains, overall employment outcomes for PEI graduates have weakened. Among the 2,300 respondents in the labour force – defined as those working or actively seeking employment – 74.8% secured full-time, freelance, or part-time work within six months. This represents a notable decline from 83.2% in 2023.

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The employment survey, conducted between November 2024 and March 2025, covered graduates from 27 PEIs, including James Cook University, PSB Academy, and the Management Development Institute of Singapore. It focused on individuals who completed full-time external degree programmes between May 2023 and April 2024. Out of 9,600 graduates, around 3,500 responded.

Notably, 28.3% of these graduates were either unemployed and job-seeking or stuck in involuntary part-time or temporary roles, which is significantly higher than the rates of 10.7% for AU graduates and 7.2% for post-national service polytechnic graduates.

Despite these headwinds, certain disciplines offered better employment outcomes. PEI graduates in engineering posted the highest full-time employment rate at 55.3%, followed by those in the sciences at 51.8%. Graduates in information and digital technologies commanded the highest median salary at S$4,080, reflecting continued demand for digital skills.

Meanwhile, post-NS polytechnic graduates saw improved outcomes, with a median starting salary of S$3,000, up from S$2,963 in 2023, reported The Straits Times.