QS Best Student Cities 2015: Hong Kong Vs Singapore

Two of the four “Asian Tigers”, known for their fast-growing, fiercely competitive and high-income economies, Hong Kong and Singapore have also emerged as two of Asia’s most popular destinations for international students. Offering a mixture of well-established and young but rapidly developing institutions, they now collectively claim five of the world’s top 50 universities, and half of Asia’s top 10. As wealthy, efficient and international cities, they also both score well in terms of overall living standards and desirability.

So, with so much to commend either of these “Tigers”, how can you choose whether to study in Hong Kong or Singapore? Take a closer look at key similarities and differences, based on data from the latest edition of the QS Best Student Cities index.

Hong Kong Vs Singapore: Universities

Winner: Hong Kong

Hong Kong has seven universities featured in the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings®, while Singapore, with a much smaller higher education system overall, has just two. Yet although Hong Kong has the larger selection, Singapore’s two leading universities are both extremely strong contenders, having steadily climbed in the international rankings in recent years. The National University of Singapore (NUS) is currently ranked 22^nd in the world, and Nanyang Technological University (NUT) 39^th. While too specialized to get a place in the overall ranking, Singapore Management University ranks within the world’s top 100 for accounting and finance, top 150 for economics and law, and top 200 for statistics, adding to the city’s clout in the social sciences arena.

Meanwhile Hong Kong’s top rankers are the University of Hong Kong (28^th), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (40^th) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (46^th) – pretty impressive to find three of the world’s top 50 universities within such close proximity. Hong Kong’s larger selection of high-ranking institutions ultimately gives it the stronger score in the “university rankings” category of the QS Best Student Cities index – but both cities have plenty to offer for ambitious students across all subject areas.

Hong Kong Vs Singapore: Affordability

Winner: Hong Kong

Both cities are notoriously expensive places to live; in the latest Mercer Cost of Living survey, Hong Kong comes 3^rd out of 214 cities, and Singapore 4^th. Tuition fees at universities in Singapore have increased significantly over the last year, particularly for international students. These rising fees combine with the city’s high living costs to make Singapore one of the world’s most expensive places to study abroad – second only to Australia, according to the latest HSBC study.

The picture in Hong Kong is a little more complex. International tuition fees remain somewhere in the mid-range when viewed in terms of global averages (around US$13,000 per year), while the city’s famously expensive accommodation costs are offset by low daily living expenses, such as food and transport. Overall, for most students, Hong Kong is likely to work out as the cheaper option.

To see the 10 most affordable cities in the QS Best Student Cities index, click here.

Hong Kong Vs Singapore: Student Community

Winner: Hong Kong

The “student mix” category of the QS Best Student Cities index assesses the size of each city’s student community (based on ranked institutions) – both overall and as a proportion of the population – and also considers how internationally diverse the city’s student enrolments are. As well-established overseas study hubs, the leading universities in both Hong Kong and Singapore have highly international student communities. In both cases, international students account for comfortably more than a quarter of the student body at internationally ranked institutions – 28% in Hong Kong and 31% in Singapore. But, with a larger overall student community, and students accounting for a higher percentage of its resident population, Hong Kong again wins this round.

Hong Kong Vs Singapore: Employer Activity

Winner: Singapore

When it comes to “employer activity” – calculated based on a major global survey of employers, who are asked to name the institutions they prefer to recruit from – Singapore comes out on top. This reflects the high profile and strong reputation of Singaporean universities in the global graduate recruitment arena; in the latest QS World University Rankings, the National University of Singapore comes out 10^th in the world according to employers, while Nanyang Technological University is 35^th. Hong Kong’s institutions lag just a little behind, led by the University of Hong Kong (rated 40^th by employers) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (54^th). So both cities are good choices for students keen to choose an institution with a strong reputation among employers, but this time Singapore has the edge.

Hong Kong Vs Singapore: Desirability

Winner: Hong Kong

The final category, “desirability”, draws on a collection of indicators assessing different aspects of living quality – including safety, pollution and international connectivity. Once again, the competition here is close.

Both cities are among the world’s safest; in Numbeo’s safety index (based on cities with the lowest crime rates), Singapore comes 7^th out of 372 cities, and Hong Kong 8^th. As important financial centers, they’re also two of the world’s most globally significant and connected hubs – in the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) index both are classed as “Alpha+” (only London and New York get a higher rating). Both cities get extra points for being featured among the 30 urban hubs highlighted in PwC’s Cities of Opportunity index.

Singapore gets a slightly healthier rating for pollution, and a slightly cleaner score in Transparency International’s Corruptions Perceptions Index. But in terms of overall daily living quality, The Economist’s Global Livability Report places Hong Kong 31^st out of 140 cities, and Singapore 52^nd. For context, this means both come well below Melbourne or Vancouver, but higher than London or New York (that Alpha++ status clearly comes at some cost).

This lead ultimately gives Hong Kong a slightly stronger score for “desirability” – but ultimately, this attribute will come down to each individual student’s preferences and priorities. Hong Kong or Singapore: which would you choose?