New Zealand

At a glance

Who it suitsStudents who want an English-taught degree without Australian or British fees, and who would rather explore for a year before choosing a major.

Tuition

NZ$32,400 for arts at Waikato up to NZ$58,009 for engineering at Auckland (2026) [1]

English requirement

IELTS 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5 at Auckland [8]

Main deadline

8 December 2026 for a February 2027 start [7]

Student visa fee

From NZ$850 [5]

Work during term

25 hours a week, raised from 20 on 3 November 2025 [9]

Stay and work after

Post-study work visa, up to 3 years for a degree at level 7 or above [6]

Which qualification leads where

• A-LevelGood route

  Scored on your best three academic subjects; General Studies does not count. [10]

• IB DiplomaGood route

  Auckland publishes a guaranteed-entry IB score for each degree — 26 for arts, 27 for commerce. [10]

• AP and a US high-school diplomaPossible

  Auckland's guaranteed-entry table has no AP column, so ask the university directly rather than assuming a score. [10]

• GaokaoGood route

  New Zealand was the first country where every university recognised the Gaokao. Auckland converts it to a percentage of your province's maximum: 67% for arts, 69% for commerce. [11]

• Chinese high-school diploma onlyHard

  A foundation programme usually comes first.

English you need

IELTS

6.0 [8] Prepare for IELTS →

TOEFL iBT

4.0 [8] Prepare for TOEFL →

Auckland asks for 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5 — the lowest bar of any destination in this section. On the old TOEFL scale that is 80 with 21 in writing.

Universities to look at

• University of Auckland Auckland

  Accepts Publishes a guaranteed-entry score per degree for A-Level, IB and Gaokao.

  Tuition a year NZ$40,225 for arts, NZ$58,009 for engineering, plus a student services fee of about NZ$1,133 (2026)

  Admissions page → [2]

• University of Waikato Hamilton

  Accepts The cheapest of the universities listed here.

  Tuition a year NZ$32,400 to NZ$42,230 for arts, NZ$48,345 for engineering (2026)

  Admissions page → [1]

• University of Canterbury Christchurch

  Accepts Publishes the itemised living-cost estimate this guide uses.

  Tuition a year NZ$34,880 for arts, NZ$43,080 for science, NZ$51,900 for engineering (2026)

  Admissions page → [3]

• Massey University Palmerston North

  Tuition a year NZ$34,220 to NZ$42,300 for arts, NZ$38,080 for business (2026)

  Admissions page → [12]

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Choose and apply

• Shortlist degrees and find your qualification in the university's guaranteed-entry table. [10]
• Applying with the Gaokao? Work out your score as a percentage of your province's maximum — that is the number the university uses. [10]
• Apply by 8 December for a February start; the competitive health programmes close much earlier, on 1 July. [7]
• Meet the English requirement: 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5 at Auckland. [8]
• Check the International School Leaver Scholarship, worth up to NZ$20,000 against tuition. [13]

Visa

• Show NZ$20,000 of living money for each year of study, on top of tuition. [5]
• Apply for the fee-paying student visa; it costs from NZ$850 and lasts up to 4 years. [5]
• Arrange medical and travel insurance — it is a condition of enrolment at New Zealand universities.

Before you fly

• Apply for a hall of residence early; halls are where the published cost estimates apply. [3]
• Read the biosecurity rules before you pack: New Zealand is strict about food, plants and outdoor gear.

Dec 2026 Feb 2028

1. Dec 2026 14 months before

   Research degrees and check the guaranteed-entry score for each.

2. Jun 2027 8 months before

   Competitive health programmes close on 1 July — a year and a half before you would start. [7]

3. Oct 2027 4 months before

   Sit an English test if you need one.

4. Nov 2027 3 months before

   Apply by 8 December for a February start. [7]

5. Dec 2027 2 months before

   Accept the offer and arrange your funds evidence.

6. Dec 2027 2 months before

   Apply for the student visa and buy insurance. [5]

7. Feb 2028 At the start

   Arrive in February, enrol and choose your first-year papers.

A year

¥220,000 – ¥330,000

Whole degree

¥660,000 – ¥990,000 over 3 years

Converted to RMB at two significant figures — the rate moves and the ranges are wide. Rate: European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, 18 September 2026, checked 2026-09-19.

Tuition

NZ$32,400 to NZ$58,009 a year across the universities listed here (2026) [1]

Living costs

NZ$525 a week in a hall over a 48-week contract, plus about NZ$3,505 of annual and one-off costs [3]

Money to show for the visa

NZ$20,000 for each year — a visa test, not a budget [5]

Student visa

From NZ$850 [5]

Post-study work visa

From NZ$1,670 [6]

Scholarships and funding

• Auckland: International School Leaver Scholarship [13]

  Up to NZ$20,000 towards compulsory tuition fees.

• Auckland: Foundation Pathway High Achiever Award [13]

  Up to NZ$20,000 towards compulsory tuition fees, for students coming through a foundation programme.

• ⚠️ The one people get wrong [14]

  The University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship is widely described as an undergraduate award. Auckland's own page says it is worth 25 per cent of one year's tuition and is for a new international masters student.

Visa

• The fee-paying student visa lasts up to 4 years and costs from NZ$850. [5]
• You must show NZ$20,000 of living money for each year, on top of tuition. [5]
• Your university assesses your English for admission; the visa itself publishes no test score. [5]

Work during and after studies

• During term you may work up to 25 hours a week, and full-time in the holidays. [5]
• That limit rose from 20 hours on 3 November 2025; anyone still holding a 20-hour condition has to apply to vary it. [9]
• After graduating, the post-study work visa runs up to 3 years for a degree at level 7 or above, which includes a New Zealand bachelor's. [6]

When you arrive

• Choose your first-year papers at enrolment; in an arts or science degree you do not pick your majors until the end of that year. [4]
• Open a bank account and get a local SIM in the first week.
• February is late summer, so pack for a warm arrival and a cold winter in July.

Common mistakes

• The visa's NZ$20,000 is a test you must pass, not what a year costs — Canterbury's own estimate is about NZ$28,700. [5]
• Auckland's guaranteed-entry table has no AP column. If you are an AP student, ask before you assume you are covered. [10]
• Medicine, optometry and pharmacy close on 1 July, a full five months before everything else. [7]
• Auckland adds a student services fee of about NZ$1,133 a year on top of tuition, which the headline figure does not include. [2]

Sources

1. University of Waikato: international tuition costs checked 2026-09-19
2. University of Auckland: undergraduate international fees checked 2026-09-19
3. University of Canterbury: living costs in a hall of residence checked 2026-09-19
4. University of Auckland: Bachelor of Arts checked 2026-09-19
5. Immigration New Zealand: fee-paying student visa checked 2026-09-19
6. Immigration New Zealand: post-study work visa checked 2026-09-19
7. University of Auckland: undergraduate application closing dates checked 2026-09-19
8. University of Auckland: undergraduate English language requirements checked 2026-09-19
9. Immigration New Zealand: changes to student visa work rights checked 2026-09-19
10. University of Auckland: programme-specific entry requirements for overseas qualifications checked 2026-09-19
11. University of Auckland: Gaokao now accepted checked 2026-09-19
12. Massey University: tuition fees for international students checked 2026-09-19
13. University of Auckland: undergraduate scholarships for international students checked 2026-09-19
14. University of Auckland: International Student Excellence Scholarship checked 2026-09-19

Rules and fees change. Everything here was checked against the official pages on the date shown. Confirm on those pages before you apply or pay.