More than just a land filled with breathtaking sights and sounds, New Zealand possesses a higher education system that is both affordable and globally recognised.

The country is home to eight state-funded universities, with the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) ensuring quality control within the higher education framework. Apart from the universities, New Zealand also offers 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) and more than 400 Private Training Establishments (PTEs) - the latter having English language schools as well.

For those who are seeking to pursue your foundation, undergraduate or postgraduate pathways in New Zealand, university rankings can provide a sense of whether the institution is right for you.

Ranking providers like the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World (THE) University Rankings are globally recognised, often used by students as part of their research before applying to study abroad.

With that, we’ve compiled the top universities in New Zealand for 2024 below, with data from the latest QS World University Rankings and THE World University Rankings.

QS top universities in New Zealand 2024

Rank

University

Global rank

1.

University of Auckland

68

2.

University of Otago

206

3.

Massey University

239

4.

Victoria University of Wellington

241

5.

University of Waikato

250

6.

University of Canterbury

256

7.

Lincoln University

362

8.

Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

407

THE top universities in New Zealand 2024

Rank

University

Global rank

1.

University of Auckland

150

2.

University of Otago

301–350

3.

Auckland University of Technology

401–500

4.

Lincoln University

401–500

5.

Victoria University of Wellington

401–500

6.

University of Waikato

401–500

7.

University of Canterbury

501–600

8.

Massey University

501–600

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World University Rankings