Raffles Design Institute

What Raffles Design Institute does

Raffles Design Institute operates in Singapore as Raffles College of Higher Education, the flagship Singapore campus of Raffles Education Limited, a privately-held education group founded in 1990. The Singapore campus is located at 111 Somerset Road and delivers specialized design and business programmes including Animation, Digital Media, Fashion, Game, Graphic, Interior, Jewellery, and Product Design at diploma, advanced diploma, bachelor's and master's levels, alongside merchandising, management, and postgraduate offerings such as the Master of Science in International Business Management. Preparatory English Language, Foundation Studies, and IGCSE programmes serve as feeder pathways. Operationally, the campus runs four annual intakes (January, April, July, October) and is part of a broader Raffles Education Network of 16 colleges across 9 countries in Asia-Pacific and Europe, supported by 8 international admissions offices in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

The institution's revenue model is tuition-based and recurring, with annual billing across programme tiers and no publicly disclosed fee schedule; financing is facilitated through POSB Further Study Assist education loans and Top Student Awards applied to top-up degree fees. Technology infrastructure consists of Mac-equipped digital media labs, the Pluto Student Management System for academic administration, and a digital credential issuance service for graduates. Distribution is multi-channel: direct admissions in Singapore, overseas representative offices recruiting internationally, retail partnerships (Design Orchard, SocietyA, RISIS, Eli J Fine Jewelry) that commercialize student and alumni brands, and an inter-campus transfer scheme enabling students to study across the Raffles network. Curriculum is enriched by 153 industrial attachment partners and faculty ("Creative Practitioners") drawn from 12 countries, with industry collaborations including a 2025 student volunteer programme for the Chanel Cruise 2025/26 Repeat Show and a degree-articulation partnership with Coventry University.

Customer acquisition leans on event-driven GTM (open houses, info days, design workshops) and community-led showcasing through fashion shows and design competitions, with the institution accumulating 307+ student competition participations and recognition across SDC, Mittelmoda, D&AD, Harper's BAZAAR, Vogue Singapore, and Grand Prix of Akoya Pearl Jewellery between 2019 and 2025. Compliance posture includes PDPA (Singapore) and GDPR cookie-consent frameworks. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology platforms are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Raffles Design Institute

Legal name

Raffles Education Limited

Website

https://raffles-college.edu.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Raffles Design Institute is the Singapore flagship campus of Raffles Education Limited, a private education group operating 16 colleges across 9 countries. It delivers specialized design and business programmes (diploma through master's) to individual students seeking industry-oriented creative education with international transfer pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Design Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Design higher education
• Private education Singapore
• Fashion design programs
• Interior design school
• Creative arts college

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Revenue generated from tuition fees for design and business programs including diplomas, advanced diplomas, bachelor's degrees, and postgraduate programs in design disciplines
2. Top Student Awards: Academic excellence awards that are applied towards top-up degree course fees for graduates

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Raffles College of Higher Education (operating as Raffles Design Institute) is a private education provider in Singapore delivering specialised diploma, advanced diploma, bachelor's, and postgraduate programmes in design disciplines (Animation, Digital Media, Fashion, Game, Graphic, Interior, Jewellery, Product Design), merchandising (Fashion Marketing), management (Advertising & Digital Marketing, Business Studies, Global Business Management), and an MSc in International Business Management. It also offers preparatory English Language, Foundation Studies, and IGCSE courses, with four annual intakes and a flexible inter-campus transfer scheme across its 16-college network.

Product overview

Raffles College of Higher Education is a premier design and business education provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized educational programmes. The institution delivers programmes across Design (Animation, Digital Media, Fashion, Game, Graphic, Interior, Jewellery, and Product Design), Merchandising (Fashion Marketing), Management (Advertising & Digital Marketing, Business Studies, Global Business Management), and Postgraduate studies (Master of Science International Business Management). Preparatory courses include English Language Programmes, Foundation Studies, and IGCSE. The institution operates from 111 Somerset campus in Singapore and is part of the RafflesEducation network spanning 16 colleges across Asia-Pacific and Europe. Student support services include the Pluto Student Management System for academic administration and Raffles Digital Certificates for credential issuance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animation Design Programme An Animation Design programme covering animation principles, digital animation techniques, and visual storytelling, aimed at students pursuing careers in animation.
• Digital Media Design Programme A programme covering digital media creation, interactive design, and multimedia content development for various digital platforms.
• Fashion Design Programme A programme teaching fashion design skills including garment construction, fashion illustration, pattern making, and fashion industry knowledge.
• Game Design Programme A programme focusing on game development, game mechanics, interactive design, and game production pipeline.
• Graphic Design Programme A programme covering visual communication design, typography, branding, and digital design tools for print and digital media.
• Interior Design Programme A programme teaching interior space planning, residential and commercial interior design, materials, and sustainable design practices.
• Jewellery Design Programme A programme focusing on jewellery design, metalwork techniques, gemology, and jewellery manufacturing processes.
• Product Design Programme A programme covering industrial design, product development, prototyping, and user-centered design methodologies.
• Fashion Marketing Programme A merchandising programme focusing on fashion retail, marketing strategies, visual merchandising, and fashion business operations.
• Advertising & Digital Marketing Programme A management programme covering advertising concepts, digital marketing strategies, brand management, and marketing communications.
• Business Studies Programme A foundational business programme covering general business principles, management concepts, and business operations.
• Global Business Management Programme A programme focusing on international business, cross-cultural management, and global business strategy.
• Master of Science International Business Management A postgraduate degree programme in international business management for advanced business education.
• English Language Programmes English language courses for students needing language support, including English Placement Test preparation.
• Foundation Studies Programme Foundation programme preparing students for higher education with fundamental academic skills.
• IGCSE Programme International General Certificate of Secondary Education preparation programme as an entry requirement pathway.

Quantifiable outcome

• 307+ design competition participations by students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ACTIVATION GROUPflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ACTIVATION GROUP is Chanel's appointed partner for the Cruise 2025/26 Repeat Show in Singapore. Raffles students worked under ACTIVATION GROUP's direction supporting the luxury fashion show at Raffles Hotel Singapore, participating in fittings, rehearsals, backstage preparations, and post-show garment care.
• Design OrchardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Orchard is a retail boutique that showcases and retails Raffles Designers' labels. Student and alumni brands like Reckless Ericka (founded by Raffles Designer Afton CHEN) are featured alongside established designers.
• SocietyAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocietyA is a boutique retail partner showcasing Raffles Designers including SeanSheila (by Raffles Fashion Designers Sean LOH and Sheila AGATHA), a brand that has won multiple awards including the Singapore Good Design Award (SG Mark) 2023.
• RISIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISIS is a jewellery boutique partner where Raffles Jewellery Designers' collections are retailed. Notable collaboration includes Mifuyu FUKAI's Midori collection inspired by Japanese bamboo forests, crafted with prasiolite and currently available in white gold and rose gold.
• Eli J Fine JewelrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEli J Fine Jewelry partners with Raffles for jewellery design competitions. Co-Founder and Designer Joanne SIM has been crafting timeless pieces since 2005. Winning designs from Raffles students are produced and featured at their boutique in 111 Somerset.
• ION OrchardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for fashion shows and exhibitions including the Raffles x RISIS x ION Orchard Spring Garden Fashion Show 2023 and hoarding design projects for ION Orchard B2 & B3.
• MUJIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMUJI partnered with Raffles for the Re-inspire Exhibition during MUJI's reopening at Plaza Singapura, showcasing student design work.
• AesopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAesop Store Design Project Manager Mr Gabriel NG conducted a talk on sustainable retail design for Raffles students, sharing insights on the brand's commitment to environmental consciousness and innovative retail experiences.
• Wanbo Institute of Science & TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn institute of RafflesEducation. Delegates visited the Singapore campus for education and teaching development seminars, sharing pedagogical approaches and investigating areas to improve student learning experiences.
• Tianjin University of Commerce Boustead CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn institute of RafflesEducation. Delegates visited the Singapore campus for education and teaching development seminars, viewing Raffles Designers' collections at RISIS boutique.
• Coventry UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaffles offers degree programs in partnership with Coventry University including BA (Honours) in Fashion and International Fashion Business, and Raffles-Coventry MA Design Management. Students participate in international field trips and degree shows.
• Industrial Attachment PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 153 industrial attachment partners providing students with work experience opportunities as part of their curriculum.
• FerticlayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco-friendly clay solutions company. Raffles Interior Designers conducted workshops exploring sustainable building materials, creating prototypes for sustainable tiles using recycled materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Shillington Education: Global private design school with campuses in Australia, UK and US offering intensive graphic and UX design bootcamps. Emerging competitor targeting price-sensitive design students who might otherwise enroll in longer diploma programmes at Raffles.

Direct peers

• Domus Academy: Milan-based postgraduate design and fashion school. Comparable to Raffles' postgraduate and master's offerings in design management and fashion, serving a similar international cohort.
• LASALLE College of the Arts: Singapore-based private arts college offering diplomas and degrees in design, fashion, fine arts, and creative industries. Direct domestic competitor to Raffles' Singapore campus, serving similar international student segments with comparable tuition-funded design programmes.
• Istituto Marangoni: Global private fashion and design school with campuses in Milan, Paris, London, Shanghai, Mumbai and other cities. Directly comparable to Raffles in its multi-country boutique design school model and international student recruitment.
• Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA): Singapore private arts institution providing diplomas and degrees in design, fashion, interior, and visual arts. Closest peer to Raffles Design Institute within Singapore, competing for the same pool of local and international design students.

Broad incumbents

• Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London): Premier UK-based art and design college with strong fashion and jewellery credentials. Competes with Raffles for top-tier international design students and sets the benchmark for global creative school brands.
• Parsons School of Design (The New School): Established US-based design school with global brand recognition in fashion, interior and graphic design. A broader incumbent whose degree programmes compete with Raffles for international students seeking globally portable design credentials.
• RMIT University: Australian public university with strong design, fashion and media programmes and Asia-Pacific recruitment footprint. Competes with Raffles for international students seeking design degrees from English-language institutions in the region.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): US-based private university with comprehensive design, fashion, and jewellery programmes. Comparable to Raffles in multi-discipline design portfolio and international student recruitment model.

Regional players

• Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI): Hong Kong-based public design school offering diplomas and degrees across design and business disciplines. Regional peer competing for the same cross-border Greater China student pool as Raffles' China network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rche.sg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raffles-education-corporation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raffles Design Institute