Graduate Employment Survey

751 graduates from NAFA were surveyed from 1 November 2023 to 31 January 2024, and the overall response rate was 72.8% (547 respondents).

NAFA: 2023 GES Employment Rates and Median Gross Monthly Salary of Diploma and Degree graduates

NAFA	Overall Employment Rate¹	Full-Time Permanent (FTP) Employment Rate²	Proportion of graduates in the labour force who are freelancing	Median Gross Monthly Salary³
Degree	78.3%	40.2%	15.2%	S$3,150
Visual and Applied Arts	72.3%	44.6%	7.7%	S$3,000*
Performing Arts	92.6%*	29.6%*	33.3%*	S$3,400^
Diploma	78.5%	27.9%	15.9%	S$2,500
Visual and Applied Arts	79.0%	29.3%	14.6%	S$2,500
Performing Arts	75.0%*	17.9%*	25.0%*	S$2,695^

Source: Graduate Employment Survey jointly conducted by NAFA and LASALLE
* based on survey response from fewer than 30 economically active/ FTP employed graduates
^ based on survey response from fewer than 10 FTP employed graduates

GES 2021 – 2023 Topline Employment Results

NAFA	Degree			Diploma
NAFA	2021	2022^	2023	2021	2022	2023
Proportion of graduates in the labour force who are employed	78.7%	-	78.3%	80.3%	76.0%	78.5%
Full-Time Permanent Employment	43.9%	-	40.2%	44.0%	45.0%	27.9%

Source: Graduate Employment Survey 2021 – 2023

^The employment outcomes of the degree graduates for GES 2022 were not shown as they were not representative, given that there were only graduates from two programmes, one of which had been discontinued. The majority of the degree offerings were new programmes with the University of the Arts London (UAL), whose first batch graduated in 2023.

Notes:

Overall Employment Rate refers to the number of graduates employed as a proportion of graduates in the labour force (i.e., those who were working or not working but actively looking and available for work) as of 1st Nov 2023 (i.e., approximately six months after completing their final examinations). It includes all types of full-time, part-time, temporary and freelance employment.

Full-Time Permanent Employment refers to employment of at least 35 hours a week and where the employment is not temporary. It includes those on contracts of one year or more.

Gross Monthly Salary pertains only to graduates in full-time permanent employment. It comprises the basic salary, overtime payments, commissions, fixed allowances and other regular cash payments, before deductions of the employee's central provident fund (CPF) contributions and personal income tax. Employer's CPF contributions, bonuses, stock options, lump sum payments, and payments-in-kind are excluded.

Click here to view the list of NAFA diploma and degree programmes surveyed.

GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT SURVEY 2023