Were you thinking of studying in New Zealand?

Finding the right university can be a complex and time-consuming process. This blog will tell you about the best universities in New Zealand for Indian students.

By the end of this blog, you will clearly understand which universities offer the best opportunities and can help you build your dream career.

Why study in New Zealand?

There are many reasons to choose New Zealand as your study abroad destination. Here are some of them:

You will receive a high-quality education, which will help you build your career, as all of its eight universities consistently rank in the top 3% globally.

New Zealand is much cheaper than other countries, as New Zealand creates a balance between your tuition fees and other expenses. Plus, scholarships are also available to help you ease your financial burden.

New Zealand is safer and more secure because of its welcoming environment and lower crime rate. So you can pursue your education with ease without worrying about your safety.

Whether you are pursuing your education or already have it, New Zealand is a perfect choice if you want to gain work experience. It offers various job options, which will help you financially and build an attractive resume to help you work anywhere in the world.

8 Best universities in New Zealand for Indian students

Eight top universities in New Zealand have a defined curriculum, provide high-quality education, and consistently rank in the top 3% of the world.

If you are admitted to any of these universities, you can increase your chances of getting a high-salary job, as these universities have strong connections with big companies globally.

Here is the list of the best universities in New Zealand, along with their QS World University Rankings 2024:

Best universities in New Zealand	QS World University Rankings 2024
The University of Auckland	#65
The University of Otago	#206
Massey University	#=239
Victoria University of Wellington	#244
University of Canterbury	#=261
University of Waikato	#235
Lincoln University	#=371
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)	#412

Now we will tell you about each university in detail:

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is one of the best universities in New Zealand, and it ranks #65 as per QS World University Rankings 2024.

This university was established in 1883. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in New Zealand.

Its main campus is in the city centre of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand.

It offers international and domestic students 40 undergraduate programs and 97 postgraduate programs.

Additionally, this university has other campuses, including the Tamaki Innovation Campus, which focuses on research and innovation; the Newmarket Campus, the Grafton Campus; the Tai Tokerau Campus, the South Auckland Campus, the Waitemata Health Campus; and the South Auckland Clinical Campus.

This university offers various courses, including:

Marketing
Sports
Education
Anatomy and Physiology
Archaeology
Engineering
Psychology
English language and literature
Linguistics
Anthropology

If you are considering the tuition fees to apply at this university, the average tuition fee is 37,895 NZD per year (INR 19 lakhs) for international students.

Here are the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The approximate tuition fees for undergraduate courses are between INR 19 lakhs and INR 27 lakhs.
The approximate tuition fees for undergraduate courses are between INR 20 lakhs and INR 42 lakhs.

Entry requirements

For undergraduate courses, you should have an IELTS band score of 6 or higher, a TOEFL score of 80 or higher, and an ATAR score of 69.6 or higher.
For postgraduate courses, you should have an IELTS band score of 6.5 or higher, 550 or higher in GMAT (for some courses), a 2.4 or higher GPA in your bachelor’s, and a score of 90 or higher in TOEFL.

There are some standard requirements:

You should have a 3.3 or higher GPA in your bachelor’s
A score of 550 or higher on the GMAT
ATAR score of 74 or higher.
PTE Academic score of 50 or higher
Cambridge CAE Advanced score of 169 or higher
A score of 80 or higher in TOEFL.

University of Otago

one of the best universities in New Zealand for Indian Students

The University of Otago is also one of the top universities in New Zealand. Established in 1869, it consistently ranks in the top 1% of universities globally and received over 5 QS stars.

This university offers 117 undergraduate programs and 167 postgraduate programs. It offers courses in law, medicine, and business.

If you want to enrol for a postgraduate course in this university, then it offers four divisions in the postgraduate program:

Postgraduate in Business
Postgraduate in Humanities
Postgraduate in Health Sciences
Postgraduate in Sciences

If you are considering the tuition fees to apply at this university, the average tuition fee is 32,620 NZD per year (INR 16.4 lakhs) for international students.

Here are the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The approximate tuition fee for undergraduate courses is INR 20 lakh
The approximate tuition fees for undergraduate courses are between INR 12 lakhs and INR 38 lakhs.

Entry requirements

For undergraduate courses, you should have an IELTS band score of 6 or higher, a TOEFL score of 80 or higher, an ATAR score of 74 or higher, and a minimum CIE (Cambridge International Examination) of 6.
For postgraduate courses, you should have an IELTS band score of 6.5 or higher, 550 or higher in GMAT (for some courses), a three or higher GPA in your bachelor’s, and 95 or higher in TOEFL.

Massey University

Massey University, also known in Maori as Te Kunenga Ki Purehuroa, was established in 1927 and is one of the prominent universities in New Zealand.

This university offers 43 undergraduate and 57 postgraduate programs to international students and has over 5 QS stars.

This university has three campuses in New Zealand: Auckland, Wellington, and Borderless. It also offers on-campus accommodation.

You can apply on 1 August 2024 for the entire academic year and the first semester of the upcoming year. Applications begin on 1 April for the second semester of the current year.

Massey University offers various disciplines to help you build your career in different fields. Such as:

In the science discipline, this university offers programs in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, and Environmental Sciences.
In the technology discipline, this university offers courses in Information Sciences, Engineering and Food Technology.
It also provides comprehensive courses in the Social Sciences, including Psychology, Sociology, and Education.
This university offers Finance, Economics, Management, and Marketing courses in business.

After learning about these courses, you might wonder about the tuition fees for each, whether undergraduate, postgraduate, postgraduate diploma or Master’s degree.

Here is your answer:

The approx. Tuition fees for undergraduate courses are INR 16 lakhs to INR 52 lakhs per year.
The approx. Tuition fees for postgraduate courses are INR 9 lakhs to INR 12 lakhs per year.
The approximate tuition fees for postgraduate diploma courses range from INR 18 lakhs to INR 23 lakhs for the entire course.
The approximate tuition fees for a Master’s degree are INR 27 lakhs to INR 34 lakhs for the entire course.

Entry requirements

For undergraduate courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or more, a TOEFL score of 90 or higher, and an ATAR score of 74 or higher.
You must complete your 12th-grade education with an overall average of 75% and a minimum of 60% in English.

Victoria University of Wellington

Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 and consistently ranks among the top universities globally, at #244 in the QS World University Rankings. It is one of the best universities in New Zealand for Indian students, with 5+ QS stars.

It offers 15 undergraduate programs and 76 postgraduate programs. It is the number one university for research.

This university offers courses in various disciplines that can get you a high-paying job:

English language and literature
Performing Arts
Theology/Divinity and Religious Studies
Development Studies
Hospitality and Leisure Management
Law
Library and Information Management
Politics and International Studies
Geography

Here are the tuition fees for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The average tuition fee for undergraduate courses is from INR 16 lakhs to INR 21 lakhs.
The average tuition fee for postgraduate courses is from INR 17 lakhs to INR 23 lakhs.

Entry requirements

For undergraduate courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or more, a TOEFL score of 80 or higher, and an ATAR score of 75 or higher.
For Master’s courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or higher, a TOEFL score of 90 or higher, and an overall GPA of 3 or higher in your bachelor’s.

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury, also known as Te Whare Wananga O Waitaha in Maori, is a public research university in Christchurch, New Zealand. Established in 1873, it has over 14000 international students from 80 countries.

It ranks #=261 in the QS World University Rankings 2024 and offers over 26 undergraduate and 70 postgraduate programs.

It offers courses in various disciplines such as Sciences, Arts, Commerce, Engineering, education, and Civil and Structural Engineering.

Here are the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The average tuition fee for undergraduate courses is from INR 16 lakhs to INR 24 lakhs.
The average tuition fee for postgraduate courses is from INR 18 lakhs to INR 24 lakhs.

Entry requirements

For undergraduate courses, you need an overall GPA of 6.5 or higher, an IELTS band score of 6 or higher, an ATAR score of 74 or higher, a PTE Academic score of 50 or higher, and a TOEFL score of 80 or higher.
For Master’s courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6.5 or higher, a TOEFL score of 90 or higher, an overall GPA of 6.5 or higher in your bachelor’s and an ATAR score of 74 or higher.

University of Waikato

The University of Waikato was established in 1964. It is a well-reputed and one of the best public research universities in New Zealand, with 5+ QS stars.

This university, which ranks #235 in the QS World University Rankings, offers over 95 undergraduate and 140 postgraduate programs.

Its main campus is in Hamilton, New Zealand, and the other is in Tauranga’s central business district.

It offers courses in various disciplines, such as Arts, Sciences, Business, Law and Engineering.

Here are the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The average tuition fee for bachelor courses is from INR 15 lakhs to INR 20 lakhs.
The average tuition fee for masters courses is from INR 24 lakhs to INR 42 lakhs.

Entry requirements

For undergraduate courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or more, with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
For postgraduate courses, you need a DET score of 95.

Lincoln University

The University of Lincoln, established in 1861, is a well-regarded public research university in Lincoln, England. In the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2024, it ranks amongst the top 150 universities globally.

This university, which ranks #=371 in the QS World University Rankings, offers over 46 undergraduate and 21 postgraduate programs with 5+ QS stars.

At this university, you will find courses that mainly focus on the sustainability of the natural environment and economy.

You will find various programs, such as Horticulture, Environmental Science, Viticulture, Landscape Architecture, and Tourism. This university is mainly recognised for its agriculture and forestry programs.

Here are the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The average tuition fee for bachelor courses is from INR 16 lakhs to INR 18 lakhs for the entire course.
The average tuition fee for postgraduate courses is from INR 8 lakhs to INR 18 lakhs per 120 points.

Entry requirements

For bachelor courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or more, a TOEFL score of 60 or higher, and an ATAR score of 69 or higher.
For Master’s courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or higher, a TOEFL score of 80 or higher, and an overall GPA of 5 or higher in your bachelor’s., and a GMAT Score of 540 or higher.

Auckland University of Technology (AUT)

Auckland University of Technology is the second-largest university in Auckland, New Zealand. It is also one of the best universities in New Zealand, with 5 QS stars.

It ranks # 412 in the QS World University Rankings 2024 and offers 357 undergraduate and 162 postgraduate programs.

It provides a range of courses such as Arts, Business, Law, and Sports Sciences. This university has a strong foundation in health sciences and engineering.

Here are the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses:

The average tuition fee for bachelor courses is from INR 20 lakhs to INR 22 lakhs.
The average tuition fee for postgraduate courses is from INR 22 lakhs to INR 24 lakhs.

Entry requirements

For bachelor courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or more, a TOEFL score of 80 or higher, an ATAR score of 69 or higher, and a GPA of 4 or higher.
For Master’s courses, you need an overall IELTS band score of 6 or higher, a TOEFL score of 90 or higher, and an ATAR Score of 69 or higher.

Intakes in New Zealand

There are two main intakes to study in New Zealand for Indian students:

Semester 1: February to June
Semester 2: July to November

Some universities may also offer three or more intakes a year, but this is typically for fewer programs or courses.

You can apply for either intake, but the July intake is generally the most popular. This is because students who start in July have more time to complete their studies before the end of the year.

Conclusion

To wrap up, New Zealand is one of the best study abroad destinations with a mixture of factors like affordability, top-tier education, and a welcoming environment for you.

Top universities in New Zealand, like University of Auckland, the University of Otago, and AUT, provide diverse programs and excellent job opportunities.

New Zealand also has flexible intakes in February and July so that you can start your dream career in New Zealand.