University of Canterbury Admission 2027: Deadlines, Requirements, Fees for International Students

Admission at a glance

The University of Canterbury (UC) is based in Christchurch in the South Island and is one of New Zealand's research-intensive universities. International undergraduate tuition for 2026 varies by subject: about NZD 34,880 a year for the Bachelor of Arts, NZD 37,920 for the Bachelor of Commerce, and between NZD 47,450 and NZD 51,900 across the years of the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, with lab-based subjects generally costing more than lecture-based ones. All students also pay a Student Services Levy on top of tuition, and international students need medical and travel insurance for their time at UC. Admission needs secondary schooling equivalent to New Zealand's University Entrance standard, and English proficiency unless exempt: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each of reading, writing, listening and speaking, TOEFL iBT 80 with at least 19 in each section under the format used before 21 January 2026 (or the newer four-section format's equivalent), or PTE Academic 50 overall with no communicative skill below 42. UC follows a two-semester calendar: enrolment for a Semester One 2027 start closes 1 December 2026, and Semester Two 2027 closes 1 May 2027. The application itself runs through the university's myUC portal in a six-step process covering eligibility checks, the online application, prepayment of tuition fees, the student visa application, course selection and final enrolment, and UC recommends starting well ahead of these dates because visa processing needs the paid-fee evidence first.

Requirements

Bachelor

Secondary schooling equivalent to New Zealand's University Entrance standard is required. The general English requirement is IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, TOEFL iBT 80 (minimum 19 per section under the pre-2026 format), or PTE Academic 50 with no communicative skill below 42; some departments require higher results.

Full requirements and documents