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Where Did All The
SingStat M850741
Official MOE Data via SingStat
Polytechnic vs JC - Which is Better?Polytechnic vs JC - Which is Better?
Official polytechnic enrollment data from SingStat. 62,285 students in polytechnic (2024) vs 25,130 in JC. Real data from Table M850741.
poly vs JC
polytechnic or JC
which better poly JC
JC vs poly
O level pathways Singapore
Polytechnic
2024 Enrollment
+0.8%
62,285students
20152024
Junior College
2024 Enrollment
~0%
25,130students
20152024
Student Choice
Choose Polytechnic
71.3%
of students
MAJORITY
Student Choice
Choose Junior College
28.7%
of students
SELECTIVE
Polytechnic vs JC Enrollment (2015-2024)
Total enrollment comparison by year
Nov 2025
SingStat M850741 (Poly) + M850251 (JC)
| Year | Polytechnic | Junior College | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
2024Latest | 62,285↑0.8% | 25,130↑0% | 2.5x |
2023 | 61,794↓0.2% | 25,123↓0.4% | 2.5x |
2022 | 61,891↓3% | 25,231↓0.5% | 2.5x |
2021 | 63,796↓4.7% | 25,349↓2.5% | 2.5x |
2020 | 66,933↓4% | 26,005↓1.3% | 2.6x |
2019 | 69,733↓1.8% | 26,351↓1.9% | 2.6x |
2018 | 70,985↓0.6% | 26,862↓1.5% | 2.6x |
2017 | 71,436↓2.3% | 27,274↓1.1% | 2.6x |
2016 | 73,149↓4.8% | 27,570↓1% | 2.7x |
2015 | 76,865 | 27,835 | 2.8x |
Polytechnic
10-Year Change
DECLINE
-19%drop
2015
76,865
2024
62,285
↓Lost14,580students
Junior College
10-Year Change
DECLINE
-10%drop
2015
27,835
2024
25,130
↓Lost2,705students
Poly vs JC
2024 Enrollment Ratio
STABLE
2.5xmore
71.3%
28.7%
PolyJC
→For every JC student, there are2.5Poly students
DEMOGRAPHIC MYSTERY
Where Did All The
Students Go?
Poly dropped19%
JC dropped10%
PopulationGROWING
Where did 14,580 students disappear to?
Select an option above to continue
Polytechnic Students by Gender (2024)
Total enrollment: 62,285 students
Male Students
51.9% of total
32,350
Female Students
48.1% of total
29,935
Gender Distribution
51.9%
48.1%
MaleFemale
Data Sources
Polytechnic Enrollment
- • Source: Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat)
- • Table ID: M850741 (Poly) ↗ + M850251 (JC) ↗
- • Provider: Ministry of Education (MOE)
- • 2024: 62,285 students (32,350 male, 29,935 female)
10-Year Trend
- • Poly enrollment declined 19% (2015-2024)
- • From 76,865 to 62,285 students
- • JC enrollment relatively stable at ~25,000
- • Poly still ~2.5x larger than JC
Key Comparisons
Polytechnic
Junior College
Enrollment (2024)
62,285
25,130
Duration
3 years
2 years
Learning Style
Hands-onPractical skills
AcademicTheoretical
Qualification
Diploma
A-Levels
University Rate
~30%
~70%
Decision Guide
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Polytechnic If...
- You prefer hands-on learning over textbooks
- You already know your career interest
- You want to work after diploma
- You dislike exam-focused study
Best for: Industry-ready skills
Choose JC If...
- You're academically strong
- You want faster route to uni
- You prefer theoretical learning
- You're unsure of career direction
Best for: University pathway