Singapore: COMPASS Lists of Educational Qualifications and Awarding Institutions Updated for 2026

The situation 

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released a new list of awarding institutions which may earn 10 or 20 points under the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) criterion C2 for qualifications. The updated 20-points institutions list and 10-points qualifications list will apply to initial and renewal Employment Pass (EP) applications from January 1, 2026. 

Background 

COMPASS is the points-based evaluation system introduced by MOM in September 2023 for initial EP applications and in September 2024 for EP renewal applications. It assesses candidates on multiple criteria, including salary, qualifications and diversity contributions. 

A closer look 

• Points under the qualification criterion. The qualifications criterion (Category C2) of the COMPASS system awards points to candidates based on their qualifications, which must meet specific criteria in MOM’s updated educational qualification and institution lists as follows: 

• • Points based on qualifications from reputable institutions. EP candidates can earn 20 points if they have a bachelor’s degree or above qualification from an eligible institution. The updated list of institutions from January 1, 2026, can be found here. 

• • Degree-equivalent qualifications. EP candidates can earn 10 points if their qualification is deemed comparable to a bachelor’s degree in the UK system or if they have a professional qualification from institutions listed on MOM’s updated professional qualifications list. The updated list of professional qualifications recognized as “degree-equivalent” from January 1, 2026, can be found here.  

• Notable changes. The updates to the 2026 list of top-tier institutions broadens its scope across technical and marine engineering disciplines, with new entries highlighting emerging fields such as maritime, biomedical and design. Business school listings have been streamlined through selective removals and clearer faculty delineation. Recognition of Singapore’s creative and technical institutions has also expanded, reflecting their rising regional influence. The updated qualifications list adds about 15 new entries and also contains a few removals and mergers, as well as movement across groups A and B. As to the list of professional qualifications deemed as degree equivalent, the list adds about 20 new entries expanded tiers in engineering, hospitality and technical disciplines, incorporating more applied science and industry-specific fields. It also strengthens global alignment through recognition of frameworks such as European Qualifications Framework/German Qualifications Framework Level 6. 

Impact 

Candidates without a degree or degree-equivalent qualifications per the MOM’s lists will not be awarded points under the C2 criterion. While they could still pass COMPASS, they would have to earn a minimum of at least 40 points from other criteria to qualify for an initial or renewal EP. 

Looking ahead 

The MOM typically releases new qualifications and institution lists annually. 

It is also expected that MOM will continue to refine the COMPASS framework to align with Singapore’s strategic workforce goals. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.