University Education

New Zealand universities are well-recognised internationally. More than half are ranked among the top 500 universities in the world and one is in the top 50. All have strong international connections and collaborate with universities in other countries on a range of research and teaching programmes.

New Zealand’s university quality assurance system ensures that the standards of both teaching and research are high and consistent across all eight universities.

All New Zealand’s universities offer a broad range of subjects for undergraduate, masters and Doctoral (PhD) degrees in commerce, science and the humanities. A number of universities have more than one campus, often located in different cities, and some have overseas programmes, usually in partnership with an offshore provider, as a base for delivery of courses. 

A range of programmes are also delivered via e-learning. A performance based funding system encourages and rewards research that is of the highest quality and relevant to contemporary needs. Universities also work closely with the business community, in New Zealand and overseas, to involve students in leading edge research and development.

New Zealand has a number of government funded Centres of Research Excellence (CoRES), which are primarily, but not exclusively inter-institutional research networks, with researchers working on a commonly agreed work programme. Each CoRE is hosted by a university and comprises a number of partner organisations including other universities, Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and wänanga.

Most university staff combine research and teaching. They come from all over the world and keep their international connections using sabbatical and other provisions for ensuring regular engagement with the global academic community.

Faculties of Education within universities are closely involved with the wider education system in New Zealand and internationally, and carry out the majority of research underpinning policies and practice in New Zealand schools and early childhood centres. New Zealand universities offer a number of scholarships and incentives for study for international students, especially at PhD level.

Features of New Zealand’s universities:

• Each is a public institution and part-funded (around 50 percent of total income) by government in New Zealand there are no privately owned universities
• Each is autonomous (independently managed and governed) by its own council drawn from the community, business, the staff and the student body, together with local and central government representatives
• All offer general degrees with a large choice of subjects but each also has strengths in specialised professional degrees
• All have high mobility (credit pathways) between each other in their general degrees
• They combine large-group, lecture-style teaching with small- group tutorials, discussions, laboratory and field practice
• Teaching is by respected teaching and research staff, even at first year level
• All mix continual and final-year assessment.

Entry to university

Students who want to study at a New Zealand university need to meet a University Entrance (UE) standard. They need to achieve minimum standards at Levels 1, 2 and 3 of NCEA or the NQF.

They need to gain 42 or more credits at Level 3 or higher of the NQF from a specified range of subjects. Students must also gain specific literacy and numeracy standards.

Domestic students over 20 years of age may apply for entry without formal qualifications.

Equivalent international qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate and the Cambridge examinations are also accepted for UE. International students must fulfill minimum English language requirements for enrolment at tertiary institutions.

For more information on entry requirements go to the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee website.