Study in New Zealand: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

New Zealand's tertiary system has two main kinds of provider: eight state-funded universities, offering bachelor's through doctoral study, and a wider network of institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) that teach certificates, diplomas and applied bachelor's degrees with a stronger practical focus. On 1 January 2026 the government disestablished the former Te Pukenga umbrella body that had merged the ITPs into one organisation, and re-established ten of them as independent regional polytechnics again, including Ara Institute of Canterbury, Otago Polytechnic, Wintec and the merged Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec; four smaller ITPs are still being assessed for the same change. All qualifications, from secondary school NCEA through to doctoral degrees, sit on the ten-level New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, which lets employers and other countries compare what a graduate has studied.

International tuition is set by each institution rather than by the government and varies enormously by subject and level: this research found confirmed bachelor's degree figures from about NZD 19,000 a year at an institute of technology up to the NZD 30,000 to 50,000 range typical of most university subjects, rising further for laboratory-based, health and specialist programmes such as veterinary science and aviation. Universities generally run a February and a July intake each year, though the exact term names differ: most call them Semester One and Semester Two, Victoria University of Wellington uses Trimester 1 and Trimester 2, and the University of Waikato uses Trimester A and Trimester B. Many universities publish a fixed application closing date months ahead of each intake, while some institutions, including the University of Waikato, Auckland University of Technology and Southern Institute of Technology, process international applications on a rolling basis throughout the year instead.

Applicants whose first language is not English almost always need a language test. IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5 is the figure most universities set for general bachelor's entry, though it runs as low as 5.0 at some institutes of technology and as high as 6.5 to 7.0 for nursing, teaching and some other professional degrees. Living costs vary by city: the government's own guidance puts weekly shared-house accommodation from about NZD 140 up to NZD 484 for a catered hall of residence, with a further NZD 80 to 120 a week for food. International students on a fee-paying student visa can work up to 25 hours a week during term and full time during scheduled breaks, a limit the government raised from 20 hours on 3 November 2025. Graduates of a New Zealand bachelor's degree can generally apply for a post-study work visa matching the length of their study, while graduates of a master's or doctoral qualification who studied at least 30 weeks in New Zealand can get a flat three years.