Undergrad interest in engineering, accountancy and humanities is dwindling. What will it mean for Singapore's future?
University enrolment in Singapore has always closely followed the country's economic priorities, but rapid technological change and an increasingly complex economic landscape have made admissions planning more challenging.
University enrolment patterns in Singapore are evolving in response to changes in the economy and labour market. (Illustration: CNA/Nurjannah Suhaimi)
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When Mr Tan Jun An applied to study accountancy at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), artificial intelligence (AI) was already casting a long shadow over a profession that had, up until then, been regarded as a sure bet.
Even so, the 24-year-old went ahead with his application in 2022, driven by a long-standing interest first nurtured by his principles of accounts teacher in secondary school and strengthened during his polytechnic internships.
Although he does not regret his choice of study, the stability Mr Tan once linked to pure accountancy careers in audit or tax now feels less certain.
"With changes in AI and market demand, there is some fear about the job market and my perception has shifted. I'm thinking about broadening my options beyond pure accountancy," said the second-year undergraduate.
He joined the 180 Degrees Consulting Club in NTU to develop strategy skills and position his accountancy knowledge as a value-add in consulting.
If given the chance again, however, he said that he might have added a second major or minor, perhaps in sustainability or data analytics, to diversify his skill set in an increasingly unpredictable job market.
Mr Tan is part of a shrinking pool of pure accountancy students across Singapore's universities.
A study by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants found that enrolment in accountancy programmes dipped by more than 10 per cent between 2018 and 2023.
As technology-driven disciplines have reshaped the global economy and job market, university enrolment figures have shifted correspondingly.
Besides accountancy, other popular disciplines are also seeing notable changes in recent years.
At the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences – once the university's largest faculty with about 6,400 undergraduates in 2019 – saw its enrolment fall to around 4,000 in 2025, according to figures published by the university.
In tandem with declines in some disciplines, student demand for technology-related courses has surged.
At the Singapore Management University (SMU), total enrolment across its four significant computing-related degree programmes – Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, and Computing & Law – rose from 1,999 students in 2021 to 2,518 in 2025, an increase of about 26%.
Over the same period, enrolment in its Computer Science programme alone rose from 246 to 569 students. The programme, launched in 2019, had only three cohorts on campus in 2021 and has since reached its full complement of four cohorts.
"SMU has seen sustained growth in enrolment for our computing-related programmes over the past few years, and our programmes are consistently oversubscribed by around six times," said Professor Pang Hwee Hwa, dean of the SMU School of Computing and Information Systems.
NUS, in response to queries from CNA TODAY, said that as digital technology has become a significant driver of industry transformation, it has seen strong interest in computing, AI and related information and digital technology programmes.
From 2021 to 2025, combined enrolment in its school of computing and computer engineering programme increased 31 per cent from 4,860 to 6,348.
Recent graduate employment data offers an insight into why students are paying close attention to labour market signals.
The latest joint survey by Singapore's six autonomous universities, released on Mar 5, found that graduates in information and digital technologies commanded the highest median gross monthly salary at S$5,500 (US$4,304).
Those in the business cluster, which includes accountancy alongside majors such as business administration, had a median monthly salary of S$4,400. For humanities and social sciences graduates, it was S$4,350.
Employment rates were highest among business graduates at 91.2 per cent, compared with 88.4 per cent for information and digital technologies, and 88 per cent for humanities and social sciences.
From an economic perspective, too, the shifts in university enrolment are neither abrupt nor surprising, experts said.
Associate Professor Kelvin Seah from the Department of Economics at NUS said the surge in enrolment in technology-related disciplines reflects a rational response to labour market signals.
"Their attractiveness to students has understandably increased as such occupations currently command a wage premium," he noted, pointing to data showing that starting salaries for graduates entering tech roles are significantly higher than those in many other fields.
Mr Song Seng Wun, an economic adviser at Singapore-based fintech firm SDAX, added that enrolment patterns have historically fluctuated alongside economic cycles.
"What students choose to study varies across different periods," he said. "Today, it's largely about technology-driven opportunities. Coding and related skills have attracted a lot of interest."
However, from a broader macroeconomic perspective, Assoc Prof Seah said there could be wider implications for both the economy and society if enrolment declines in certain disciplines lead to persistent underproduction of specific capabilities and skill sets.
"That could reduce sectoral diversity, weaken economic resilience, and lower Singapore's ability to adapt to future structural shifts," he said.
The challenge is made more difficult by Singapore's small population and the increasing complexity of the modern global economy – there is only so much human capital to divide among a widening array of economic sectors and disciplines, economists noted.
DEGREES BY DESIGN
Throughout Singapore's development, university enrolment has closely followed the country's economic priorities. When new industries emerged, training pipelines expanded to support them.
In his 1970 Budget speech, then-Finance Minister Goh Keng Swee stressed the need to build local expertise in the long run.
"In the long term, the scientific know-how and technological processes which we now borrow from abroad must in course of time develop on an indigenous base at our institutions of higher learning," he said.
In the years that followed, deliberate steps were taken to steer students towards science and engineering.
As scholars Goh Chor Boon and S Gopinathan documented, in a book chapter about the development of education in Singapore since 1965 that was published in 2008, measures such as improved employment prospects and higher baseline salaries were introduced to encourage young Singaporeans to pursue science and engineering disciplines.
The result was a sustained increase in the output of science and engineering graduates during the 1980s, reflecting what was widely regarded as successful manpower planning to support Singapore's industrial and infrastructure ambitions.
This alignment between economic strategy and university training resurfaced in later years, as Mr Song from SDAX noted.
After the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, policymakers identified biomedical sciences and pharmaceuticals as a new pillar of value-added manufacturing.
Anticipating the rise of biotechnology, the government moved to expand polytechnic and university training in related fields to build local capabilities.
The broader pattern has been consistent: Disciplines grow when they align with national priorities – and shrink when the economic focus shifts.
Engineering offers a clear example. Once central to Singapore's development strategy, its prominence has declined amid changes in the economy and labour market.
Ministry of Education (MOE) figures show that in 2003, 42.9 per cent of university students were enrolled in engineering sciences. By 2023, that share had fallen to 22.2 per cent.
To bridge the shortfall in local talent, Singapore has had to rely on foreign professionals to fill engineering roles.
According to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) 2024 report on job vacancies, positions such as civil, industrial and production engineers were among the top 10 professional, manager, executive and technician (PMET) vacancies.
The evolution of university offerings over the decades also reflects the growing complexity of Singapore's economy.
When the Nanyang Technological Institute – NTU's predecessor – was established in 1981, its mission was clear: To train three-quarters of Singapore's engineers for a rapidly industrialising nation.
Today, NTU has expanded far beyond its engineering roots. It now comprises multiple colleges and schools spanning engineering, science, business, humanities and medicine – a far cry from its early, single-minded focus.
WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S OUT
That pattern of expansion and contraction across various disciplines continues today, driven by broader economic trends.
In the accountancy discipline, for example, uncertainty about the profession's future is growing. The rapid advancement of AI has fuelled perceptions that parts of accounting work could be automated.
Mr Russell Tan Yu Jin, a freshman studying accountancy at NTU, said the AI boom intensified after he had already committed to the course in 2025.
"At that point, we knew AI might impact jobs, but the larger effects weren't as visible yet. So AI didn't really affect my degree choice at that time," he said.
But as AI efficacy and adoption accelerated – even referenced in Budget 2026 by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in relation to accounting – the undergraduate acknowledged that its impact has become harder to ignore.
"I guess it does make me think that maybe fewer accountants are needed now," said Mr Tan. "I am worried that AI might eventually take over more of the jobs."
While he remains hopeful that some aspects of the profession cannot be automated, he no longer views accountancy as a guaranteed long-term path.
"It's a good backup to have," he said, adding that he hopes to secure a job in banking or finance instead.
That sentiment is shared by Mr Tan Jun An, the second-year undergraduate, who described "some fear" among students as job opportunities at large firms appear to have tightened after the pandemic and with greater AI adoption.
Rather than rely solely on their degrees, both students are seeking ways to widen their options, such as the consulting-related club activities Mr Tan Jun An is currently pursuing.
For some undergraduates, accountancy is increasingly seen as a foundation rather than a fixed career path, one that needs to be supplemented rather than relied upon.
This instinct is reflected at the institutional level. NTU has observed growing interest in interdisciplinary programmes, while newer accountancy-related courses that integrate sustainability and data science are gaining traction.
Across campuses, the humanities, as well as arts and social science disciplines, have also seen enrolment decline in recent years. These fields span languages, literature, history, geography, philosophy, anthropology, and more.
For some like Ms Quek Yi Hui, 23, choosing to enrol in geography at NUS meant pushing back against expectations and her own initial doubts.
Coming from the science stream in junior college, she was among a minority pivoting into the humanities.
Many questioned her about the job prospects. One friend even urged Ms Quek to reconsider, pointing to a relative who had studied geography but struggled to find work.
Still, she followed her interest in the subject, inspired by a secondary school teacher who brought geography to life through creative lessons.
However, like many students today, she is not placing all her bets on a single degree.
Through her involvement in her student hall's board of photography, covering events and editing videos, Ms Quek developed an interest in media and later declared communications and new media as a second major, also within the faculty of arts and social sciences.
Another humanities undergraduate at NUS, Ms Celest Lee Kai Xin, also had to contend with scepticism when she chose to study geography and psychology.
"Everyone always jokes that geography means we study rocks," she said. "I do have to clear up misconceptions about job prospects whenever my relatives ask me about it."
The 21-year-old chose her course out of genuine interest rather than perceived market appeal.
"I wanted to understand how people think and how society works," she said, adding that geography helps her see how space and environment shape lives, while psychology deepens her understanding of individuals.
While some disciplines grapple with declining numbers, others have flourished.
Computing and science-related courses, often perceived as future-oriented and adaptable, have seen rising enrolment as students gravitate towards fields closely linked to technological change.
At the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), director of admissions Lynette Ang said interest in design- and technology-focused programmes has remained strong.
"This reflects a longer-term structural shift towards technology-linked disciplines – a trend that has been developing progressively rather than emerging suddenly," she said.
A similar realignment is also evident at other autonomous universities, including the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and NTU.
Professor John Thong, deputy president (academic) and provost at SIT, said applications to its degree programmes in the infocomm technology and business cluster have risen by more than 30 per cent over the past five years.
Over the same period, enrolment in NTU's computer science and computer engineering courses increased by 26 per cent from 2,073 to 2,620.
Responding to queries from CNA TODAY, NTU vice-provost (undergraduate studies) Professor Gan Chee Lip said the growth reflects both stronger student demand driven by industry needs and carefully calibrated increases in the university's capacity.
The university has also launched new computing-related programmes in recent years, including economics and data science, applied computing in finance, and AI and society.
For Ms Aishwarya Goyal, 20, a second-year computer science student at NUS, the appeal of computing lay in its versatility.
She considered other options, including business, but felt computer science would provide a stronger technical foundation for industries increasingly shaped by digital systems.
Around her, Ms Goyal noticed that even non-computing students were picking up coding skills, which reinforced her view that building a strong technical foundation through a computer science degree made sense.
Career prospects also played a role, though not solely in terms of salary.
"It's more about flexibility and growth. Since tech sits at the centre of many industries, I like that the skills I learn won't limit me to one field," said Ms Goyal.
Still, she is under no illusion that a computer science degree offers guaranteed security.
"The industry is going through transformation with AI reshaping workflows," she said. "It's exciting but also scary. I feel like I have to upskill much faster just to stay competent."
When companies speak of large portions of their code being AI-powered, Ms Goyal admitted it makes her wonder what will become of traditional software engineering roles.
"It's no longer just about graduating with a degree," she said. "You need to keep learning because the field is moving very fast."
To stay ahead, Ms Goyal has sought opportunities beyond the classroom, including participating in hackathons, to differentiate herself in an increasingly competitive field.
Taken together, these developments reflect how students are recalibrating their choices in response to technological disruption and labour market signals.
THE LONG GAME
For universities, allocating students across disciplines has become far more complex than in the past.
"It requires forecasting future labour market needs across industries and sectors," said Assoc Prof Seah from NUS.
In earlier decades, the shifting sands of the economy moved more slowly, allowing policymakers to anticipate workforce needs with greater confidence. Today, the accelerated pace of structural change has compressed those timelines, he said.
As a result, predicting which skills will be in demand by the time students graduate has become increasingly difficult.
"It's no longer just about graduating with a degree. You need to keep learning," says Ms Aishwarya Goyal, a computer science student at NUS.
The challenge is compounded by Singapore's demographic constraints. With a small and ageing population, alongside falling birth rates, the pool of students to allocate across disciplines is limited to begin with, experts noted.
"We are a small economy and birth rates are falling, so it's not realistic to talk about being all-rounded in every area," said Ms Selena Ling, OCBC chief economist and head of group research. "Supplementing (our labour pool) with foreign talent where necessary will be key."
Mr Song from SDAX noted that fine-tuning tertiary education planning in such a context is inherently difficult. As new industries emerge, the education system takes time to build up local capability.
In the meantime, businesses may have to rely on foreign professionals to plug gaps, bringing into sharper focus the challenge of balancing competitiveness in growth sectors with maintaining a sufficiently broad local talent base, he said.
Several universities told CNA TODAY that amid these challenges, their admissions planning remains structured and deliberate.
At NUS, intake sizes are reviewed annually with MOE, taking into account demographic trends, manpower needs, sectoral demand and institutional capacity, alongside student interest.
Similarly, Prof Thong from SIT said that intake planning is guided by manpower needs, industry demand and graduate employability.
"Capacity adjustments are therefore deliberate, designed to prepare graduates for jobs and sectors with sustained demand rather than responding to short-term fluctuations in interest," he said.
The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) said it monitors evolving sectoral needs and consults programme advisory committees and agencies such as SkillsFuture Singapore and MOE to ensure programmes address genuine skills gaps rather than short-term enrolment trends.
"Faculty capacity and long-term sustainability are also considered in any expansion or resizing decisions," added a spokesperson for SUSS, which focuses on working adults and lifelong learning.
While fluctuations in enrolment are not unusual, sustained declines in certain disciplines could carry longer-term consequences.
According to Assoc Prof Seah from NUS, these persistent drops could reshape universities over the longer term, with affected departments being compelled to merge with related fields or scale back course offerings.
Over time, this may create a feedback loop: Fewer courses diminish the appeal of the programmes, which in turn leads to further declines in enrolment – potentially threatening the viability of the courses.
The decline in enrolment in accountancy courses has even raised some concern at the policy level.
In 2023, the Accountancy Workforce Review Committee was formed, jointly led by the Ministry of Finance and the profession's regulator, to tackle emerging shortages in the pipeline of young accountants.
The formation of the committee signalled official concern that declining enrolment could weaken a profession seen as central to Singapore's economic system.
At the ACRA Merger Commemorative Event in June 2023, then-Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said "the work of accountants and auditors remains of utmost importance in maintaining a high level of public trust and confidence".
He noted that on top of declining intakes, fewer accounting graduates are entering the profession, describing the trend as "worrying".
A month later, at the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants' 60th anniversary dinner, he added that a respected and capable accountancy sector is important in giving investors assurance over financial reporting and corporate governance, and supports the vibrancy of the economy.
Similar concerns have surfaced in engineering. Industry leaders have warned that a shrinking pool of homegrown engineers could undermine Singapore's ability to maintain and renew critical infrastructure.
"The consequences of not having enough engineers will be catastrophic for the future generation," Mr Chew Tai Chong, Asia-Pacific managing director at Arup, told CNA in 2025. "Who is going to look after your ageing asset … if you don't have an engineer to do that?"
Meanwhile, if enrolment in fields such as the humanities continues to decline, the implications may extend beyond economics.
Associate Professor Andrew Hui, from the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at NUS, said the conversation ultimately touches on the role of human intelligence in an age increasingly shaped by AI.
In that context, he said, people in the humanities and social sciences are at the forefront of this field, generating and preserving human intelligence and knowledge of the past.
"What is at risk is a sense of culture – a sense of what makes us human."
Among students in disciplines facing declining numbers, however, many remain optimistic.
Ms Lee, the second-year NUS undergraduate majoring in geography and psychology, believes the humanities cultivate skills that cannot be automated.
"As a humanities major, we are trained to observe people and understand how people and our environment affect us. That's something AI can't really do – it doesn't have emotional intelligence," she said.
She values the emphasis on critical thinking in her course, noting that many assignments require students to apply classroom concepts to real-world situations.
While Ms Lee acknowledged the wage gap between tech and other fields, she thinks it may narrow over time. If more students enter tech and the market becomes oversaturated, salaries could stabilise, she said.
Humanities graduates can also move into roles that combine social understanding with technical skills, which may help reduce the gap in the long run.
"At the end of the day, I don't think AI can ever replace humans – especially our ability to feel, be emotionally attached and understand people from an emotional perspective,†Ms Lee said.
Even as enrolment patterns change, some economists cautioned against drawing firm conclusions about which disciplines are "safe", and which are not.
In a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, it may be "somewhat presumptuous" to predict what skillsets can future-proof one's employability, said Ms Ling of OCBC.
Singapore’s economic resilience may depend less on concentrating heavily in one set of disciplines and more on maintaining diversity, by ensuring that the country does not put all its "eggs in one basket".
Ms Ling noted that neither STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) nor the humanities guarantees future-proof employability. Coding was once in vogue but AI has since reduced the need for as many programmers – a dynamic that could extend to any industry disrupted by AI, she added.
"The ability to be agile, connect the dots and pivot may be more important than what one studies per se," said Ms Ling.
