GES: Starting salary of three oldest Singapore universities hit new high in 2016

Fresh graduates from three oldest Singapore universities reached a new high of $3,360 a month, according to the latest Graduate Employment Survey (GES) released on Wednesday (22 Feb).
The joint survey carried out last November by the three universities involved 10,904 graduates from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Singapore Management University (SMU).
A little more of the graduates (89.7 percent compared to 89.5 percent in 2015) found a job within six months of finishing their final examinations, but only a lower proportion (80.2 percent) secured full-time jobs, down from 83.1 percent in 2015.
The graduates’ median pay, that is the midpoint salary in a range, was $3,360 a month, up from $3,300 in 2015.
The rest of the graduates did part-time, temporary or freelance work stating various reasons, such as pursuing or preparing for further studies, starting business ventures or trying out a new field.
93.8 percent of the SMU graduates were employed within six months after their final exams, while the rate was about 90 percent for NUS and NTU.
The SMU graduates also got the most salary, earning a median gross monthly salary of $3,500. Their fellows at NUS earned $3,400, and those at NTU, $3,300.