💯Fresh Graduate Annual Starting Salary to University Fee Ratio 2021

As usual, after the A Level results are released, my former students will seek my advice on the course they should apply based on their results.

This year, I have decided to check the Return on Investment (ROI) for several of the courses.

With the help of data consolidated DollarsandSense.sg, I further calculated how long it takes for a fresh graduate to recoup their university course fees.

Bear in mind this guide should only be used as a starting point and does not indicate future earning potential.

You should also consider your interest and whether you can work in the particular industry for a long time.

My university course, the NUS Engineering Science Programme has a ratio of 1.42 , ranked 26th out of 112nd, which is not too bad.

What is not considered here is the future earning potential.

And naturally, fresh graduates undergoing apprenticeship will be expected to draw a lower starting salary.

Graduates from NUS Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land) may rejoice since they potentially earn 2x of what their tuition fees within the first year of work.

It is also interesting to note that 14 courses have a ratio < 1.

Highest annual start salary to university fee ratio: 2.05 from NUS Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)

Lowest annual start salary to university fee ratio: 0.36 from NUS Medicine

Highest annual start salary: $5,350 from NUS Bachelor of Science with Honours (Yale-NUS)

Lowest annual start salary: $2,800 from NTU Art, Design and Media

Since we are on this subject,

I have a recent story to share.

My tutee told me that his HOD from his JC suggested for all the students to take a particular H2 Art subject rather than H1 Art subject, as the school performance for the preceding years for the H2 Art subject is better.

This will mean taking either Chemistry or Physics as a H1 subject instead.

I was advising him not to, as it will strictly limit his future career options (he had wanted to take non-arts career), even if it means taking a hit to his aggregate score.

Furthermore, past school performances may not indicate future performance.

This HOD had managed to convince many to change from the H1 Art subject to H2 Art subject, including my tutee.

However, when my tutee shared his concerns with the HOD,  he was instead questioned by the authoritative figure: “do you believe in your tutor or me?”

I was appalled.

It shouldn’t have been a contest of ego, but as educator we should provide informed choices for our students.

This is by no mean saying the particular art subject is not practical, it is just less so in importance for many university entrance course requirements.

I studied the art subject and enjoy the subject.

However, if my tutee had an option to take a potentially beneficial subject in the expense of me losing him as a student, then by all means he should go for it since it yields the highest chance for him to be successful in the future.

My personal take is that it is far more advantageous to get into a decent course and subsequently growing industry,

than to have excellent grades and enter a prestigious university but a sunset industry.

My tutee’s parents also engaged me in a discussion to find out what is the most favorable decision to make moving forward.

We decided that H2 Chemistry makes the most sense, also since he is more inclined towards science.

Luckily, my student is not pressured by him and requested to swap back to taking H1.

However, most students were persuaded to take the H2 Art subject by the HOD.

Lo and behold, when the latest A Level results came out,

a higher percentage of students obtained A for the H1 Art subject as compared to H2 Art subject.

Many students had a shock and wanted out.

However, by then it is too late.

You could imagine how grateful my tutee is towards my intervention.

Bottom line – educators should not place the school’s ranking ahead of the students’ career.

Story aside, here’s the ranking you are interested in:

Annual Starting Salary to University Fees Ratio

Annual Starting Salary Rank