View entire study abroad journey

Minimum IELTS score to study in New Zealand universities in 2024

Topics covered

Published: 2 May 2024

With postcard-worthy landscapes, picturesque towns, and a wide range of world-class education institutions, New Zealand has become a top choice of study destination for students from all over the world.

If you’re planning to further your studies in this beautiful country, it is important to note that New Zealand universities require you to prove your proficiency in the English language.

Hence, you’ll have to sit for an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test and be assessed on how fluent you are across different categories such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Once you attain the minimum band IELTS score required, you can then enrol in the university and course of your choice in New Zealand.

Minimum scores for New Zealand universities

With 6 prestigious universities in the country that fall within the top 500 institutions in the world, there’s no doubt New Zealand is a great choice for your study destination.

As an international student looking to study in New Zealand, you’ll have to score an overall band score of at least 5.5 to successfully make it to a university there.

For more specific details, read on to learn more about the minimum IELTS requirements according to the top-ranked universities in New Zealand.

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings in 2024

One of the world’s most established metrics, the Times Higher Education world rankings assess universities based on the following five key performance indicators: teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry income.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Auckland	150	6.0	6.5
2	University of Otago	301 – 350	6.0	6.5
3	Auckland University of Technology	401 – 500	6.0	6.5
4	Lincoln University	401 – 500	6.0	6.5
5	Victoria University of Wellington	401 – 500	6.5	6.5
6	University of Waikato	401 – 500	5.5	6.5
7	University of Canterbury	501 – 600	6.5	6.5
8	Massey University	501 – 600	6.5	6.5

QS World University Rankings in 2024

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world rankings is also another global premier ranking system that rates universities by institution and subject through academic, student, employer, and international indicators.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Auckland	68	6.0	6.5
2	University of Otago	206	6.0	6.5
3	Massey University	239	6.0	6.5
4	Victoria University of Wellington	241	6.5	6.5
5	University of Waikato	250	5.5	6.5
6	University of Canterbury	256	6.5	6.5
7	Lincoln University	362	6.0	6.5
8	Auckland University of Technology	407	6.0	6.5