Top Universities in New Zealand for 2025 Intake

There are various scholarships also available for international students who wish to study in New Zealand, which can further cut their studying costs in New Zealand. Also, there are various part-time work options available in New Zealand for university students which can be availed. Overall, we can say that it is a good experience for international students who would graduate from New Zealand universities. In this rticle, we have discussed the top universities in New Zealand to help you make your choice.
Read: QS Rankings: Top Colleges/Universities in New Zealand
Top Ranking Universities in New Zealand 2025
Check out the following table for New Zealand universities and their recent rankings as per QS World University Ranking and THE World University Ranking for the year 2025:
New Zealand University |
QS World University Ranking 2025 |
THE World University Ranking 2025 |
---|---|---|
#65 |
#152 |
|
#214 |
351-400 |
|
#244 |
401-500 |
|
#261 |
501-600 |
|
#239 |
501-600 |
|
#412 |
401-500 |
|
#235 |
401-500 |
|
#407 |
401-500 |
Read: 6 Reasons to Study in New Zealand
Top Universities in New Zealand
The following section focuses more on the reasons why one should choose these top New Zealand Universities to study abroad:
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide and is #65 as per QS Global World Ranking 2025. It is public and research-driven. It is located in the harbour city of Auckland, New Zealand’s economic and cultural hub with easy access to stunning beaches and rainforests. The University of Auckland is ranked as one of the world's top three cities for quality of living, according to the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.
The University of Auckland is a recipient of five stars plus QS Stars University Rating for excellence in the categories: Research, Employability, Teaching, Facilities, Internationalisation, Innovation, and Inclusiveness. The university’s student population of 7,000 international students comes from over 120 countries. This institute has the Faculty of Engineering, Business School, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences. The university also offers scholarships.
University of Otago
The University of Otago is highly ranked educational institution in NZ. It was awarded 5 Stars Plus for the highest possible quality of international ranking and ranks #1 in New Zealand for educational performance. The diploma/ degree and postgraduate offerings of the university almost cover all the streams and include Arts and Music, Commerce, Dentistry, Education, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Science, Surveying, Tertiary Teaching, and Theology.
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University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury is ranked # 261 as per QS World University Rankings 2025, which makes it the 4th highest-ranked university in New Zealand. The university is public and one of the leading research universities in New Zealand. This university has good infrastructural facilities like lecture theatres, research centres, libraries, laboratories, studios, computer workrooms, halls of residence, and a host of other student services that are all located on campus. It is structured around five colleges: Arts, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering and Science, and a School of Law. The institute also offers scholarships.
Related Read: A Student’s Guide to New Zealand
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington is a public and research-driven university. The university is highly accredited and is ranked #244 in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. It received five stars from QS Stars University Rating in each of the eight categories: arts and culture, discipline ranking and accreditations, employability, facilities, inclusiveness, internationalisation, research, and teaching.
The institute has faculties from diverse fields such as the Faculty of Architecture and Design, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Health, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science, and Victoria Business School. It also has a study abroad exchange program. The school also offers scholarships.
Our team of expert counsellors can help you with the application process and visa counselling absolutely free of cost. Also, you can mention your queries in the comment box below.
In order to study MS from New Zealand universities, the applicants are required to meet the below-given requirements:
- GRE / GMAT score
- Academic transcripts or school reports
- IELTS / TOEFL score
- Interview (as applicable)
Some of the popular specializations for MS in New Zealand are listed below:
- Computer Science Engineering
- Environmental Sciences
- Food & Nutrition
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Statistics
Pick your stage and get free guidance from counsellors who've helped thousands get into top universities.








Some of the New Zealand universities might require GRE for admission to MS. However, apart from this standardized exams, a majority of the universities require English language proficiency test scores. To fulfill this, the applicants can submit the test scores of IELTS / TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo.
Particulars
No. of Universities Accepting English Test Scores
IELTS
12
TOEFL
12
PTE
11