About The University of Auckland

As a top-ranked university in New Zealand, the University of Auckland is a large research-driven university with diversity and innovation as its strengths. Formally opened in 1883 as Auckland University College, the University now has more than 40,000 students across seven campuses including more than 8,000 international students from over 100 countries.

Regarded as New Zealand’s leading university (QS World University Rankings 2025), the University of Auckland offers study programmes over a wide range of disciplines while continuing to diversify its array of programmes at all levels.

With more than 180 partner universities worldwide, the University of Auckland collaborates on research that positively impacts the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. In 2024, the University was ranked 13th globally in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings for progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Degrees earned at the University of Auckland are globally respected and graduates are considered highly employable, both locally and internationally. The university is ranked 1^st in the New Zealand for graduate employment comes (QS World Rankings 2025), and eligible graduates may stay in New Zealand for up to three years after completing their studies.

Students at the university learn from outstanding teachers, many of whom are world leaders in their field.

Why Auckland?

Stunning natural beauty in all directions combined with the energy of a bustling cosmopolitan city makes Auckland a sought-after place to live, work and study. Auckland boasts a subtropical climate, with mild winters and warm humid summers, and is one of the sunniest main centres in New Zealand.

As New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland contains approximately one third of New Zealand’s population. Around 400,000 live in the city itself and 1.7 million live in the greater Auckland area. With over 40 per cent of Auckland’s residents born outside of New Zealand, the city is joining the ranks of the world’s superdiverse cities.

Picturesque islands and a harbour-side location enhance the scenic beauty of the city, which is also dubbed the ‘City of Sails’ owing to the large number of yachts sailing in the harbour and the nearby Hauraki Gulf. The Waitākere Ranges rainforest to the west is a natural gateway to the spectacular surf beaches of the west coast and numerous bush walks.

Auckland offers a wonderful range of entertainment, sport and recreation possibilities for students to explore. While the many theatres and art galleries cater to the artistically inclined, the vast scope for activities such as swimming, kayaking and hiking means those who prefer the outdoors will not be disappointed. Sports lovers can also catch live action from rugby, soccer and cricket matches at the international stadiums.

Auckland is developing an international reputation as a business hub and is home to the greatest concentration of New Zealand’s entrepreneurs and innovators. Many international graduates choose to make the city their home to take advantage of employment opportunities, both during and after their studies.

Study options

The University of Auckland offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for international students. At undergraduate level, many of the programmes give students the opportunity to expand their learning by choosing from courses outside of their main focus in areas such as the arts, sciences, medicine, engineering, education, law, and much more.

Students can choose a specialisation, a single or double major, a major and a minor, or a conjoint degree. This determines the subjects and courses to focus on for most of the degree as students pursue their chosen area to the most advanced undergraduate stage.

Master’s programmes are generally offered as either research or taught programmes. Taught masters aim to provide students with advanced specialist training in their chosen field, and are usually completed by coursework only, although they may in some cases involve a dissertation. Many of these qualifications can be completed in 18 months or less.

Doctoral programmes, leading to the award of a PhD, are generally undertaken over a minimum of three years full-time. They require students to prepare a substantial thesis of original research that contributes significantly to knowledge and understanding in that discipline, followed by an oral examination.

The PhD is available in 100 different subjects and offers a wealth of research opportunities, including the chance to work in cross-disciplinary projects.

New international PhD students pay the same annual tuition fee as New Zealand PhD students for most programmes. Financial aid, in the form of various scholarships, is available at all levels of study for international students.

Research

The University of Auckland is committed to cutting-edge research and identifies research-led teaching as a primary responsibility of its academic staff, in addition to publishing and disseminating research of the highest international quality.

The university has the most research activity in the New Zealand tertiary sector with 25 per cent of all research-active staff and 35 per cent of the top A-rated academic researchers in New Zealand coming from the University of Auckland.

Research centres include:

• Auckland Bioengineering Institute
• Liggins Institute
• James Henare Māori Research Centre
• Public Policy Institute
• Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures
• Four of New Zealand’s ten Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs)
• National Science Challenges

Research topics cover a diverse spectrum and include subjects under domains such as sustainability, health, education, business, engineering, and science. Postgraduate students contribute meaningfully to the university's research while studying for their degrees. There are also summer research scholarships available for students who have completed at least two years of their undergraduate degree.

What’s new

Accommodation

New Zealand’s largest student housing project, Carlaw Park Student Village, provides additional self-catered student accommodation to over 1,600 students, who enjoy apartment-style living at affordable prices.

Scholarships

A range of scholarships are available to new international students in 2024, including:

• India High Achievers Scholarship: offering up to NZD 20,000 to eligible international students from India
• ASEAN High Achievers Scholarship: offering up to NZD 10,000 to eligible international students from ASEAN countries
• International Student Excellence Scholarship: offering up to NZD 10,000 to eligible international students

Facilities

New additions to the university’s extensive provision of cutting-edge facilities and equipment include:

• Fully renovated nine storey building containing the Faculties of Education and Social Work, Arts, and Creative Arts and Industries, and housing lecture theatres, dance and drama studios, social work suites, and specialist creative areas
• The Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, the university’s first cross-faculty research centre
• Te Ahi Hangarau Technology Hub, the innovative learning space, the first of its kind in New Zealand
• BNZ Financial Trading Room gives students access to a state-of-the-art, simulated financial trading room
• New Recreation and Wellness Centre opening in late 2024
• Esports arena

Rankings

Recent rankings of note for the University of Auckland include:

• Top university in New Zealand (QS World University Rankings, 2025)
• In the top 70 universities globally (QS, 2024)
• A top 50 university in ten subject areas, marketing, linguistics, education, anatomy and physiology (QS, 2024)
• A top 100 university for graduate employability (QS Graduate Employability Outcomes, 2025)
• Fifth in the world for sustainability (QS Sustainability Rankings, 2024)
• 200 academics ranking in the top two percent globally (Stanford Elsevier Database, 2023)