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Cheapest Universities in New Zealand for International Students 2025
New Zealand is home to some of the cheapest universities including the University of Waikato, Massey university, Victoria university of Wellington, Lincoln university, and the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Other than these popular universities, some universities offer even lower tuition fees to international students. These are the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), Eastern University of Technology, and Ara Institute of Canterbury. Studying in New Zealand is a dream of many study abroad aspirants that can be achieved easily with some of the affordable universities in New Zealand. It is one of the leading student destinations for higher education. High-quality education, international cultures, English-speaking citizens, and some of the cheapest universities in New Zealand 2025 are the reasons why many students are interested in studying in this country. That is why students who want their education to be affordable seek the cheapest universities in New Zealand. Many students fear IELTS and look for some cheap university in New Zealand for international students without IELTS.
This Story also Contains
- Factors to Consider for Choosing an Affordable New Zealand University
- Cheapest Universities in New Zealand for Indian Students 2025
- List of Cheap Universities in New Zealand for International Students 2025
- University of Otago
- Massey University
- Victoria University of Wellington
- University of Canterbury
- University of Waikato
- Lincoln University
- Cost of Living in New Zealand
- Cheapest Cities in New Zealand
- Scholarships to Study in New Zealand
- Tips to Save Costs in New Zealand
These cheapest colleges in New Zealand for international students not only affordable but also provide quality education with globally recognized degrees. Studying in New Zealand not only helps the candidate during their education period but also makes it easier to work in the country after higher education. Some of the cheapest universities in New Zealand for international students 2025 include Massey University, University of Waikato, Lincoln University, and more. Read the article to know more details about the cheapest universities New Zealand for international students 2025, cost of living, tuition fees, etc.
Factors to Consider for Choosing an Affordable New Zealand University
Cheapest Universities in New Zealand for Indian Students 2025
New Zealand is known for its high-quality education and welcoming environment for international students. For Indian students, several cheapest university in New Zealand offer affordable tuition fees while maintaining excellent academic standards.
Here are some of the cheapest universities in New Zealand for international students 2025:
1. University of Waikato
2. Massey University
3. Victoria University of Wellington
4. Lincoln University
5. University of Otago
6. Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
7. Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT)
8. Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)
Top 8 Cheapest Universities in New Zealand 2025
| Cheap Universities | QS WUR 2025 | Average Tuition fees per year | Average Tuition fees per year in Rs. |
| The University of Auckland | 65 | NZ35,000toNZ50,000 | 17 - 24 Lakhs |
| University of Otago | 214 | NZ$ 34, 251 to 50,000 | 16 - 24 lakhs |
| Massey University | =239 | NZ35,000toNZ50,000 | 17 - 24 Lakhs |
| Victoria University of Wellington | 244 | NZ30,000toNZ40,000 | 14 - 19 Lkahs |
| University of Waikato | 235 | NZ29,025toNZ42,310 | 14-20 lakhs |
| University of Canterbury | =261 | NZ$35,000 | 17 lakhs |
| Lincoln University | =371 | NZ31,500toNZ54,000 | 15 - 26 lakhs |
| Auckland University of Technology | 412 | NZ35,000toNZ50,000 | 17 - 24 Lakhs |
We have given a comprehensive guide on all the cheapest universities in New Zealand for international students 2025 below. Prospects can explore these to shortlist the universities for higher studies in New Zealand.
List of Cheap Universities in New Zealand for International Students 2025
New Zealand is home to many top colleges in the world. The public universities in New Zealand offer the best education at cheaper rates. These are the cheapest universities in New Zealand for international students in 2025 and rank in QS world rankings. The best universities detailed below are the low cost university in New Zealand for international students.
These are considered the best colleges because most of them are ranked as the top universities in the world according to the QS World Rankings 2025. The candidates can also apply for scholarships in New Zealand for international students, which can further reduce the financial budget. Upon securing admission into these cheapest university in New Zealand for international students 2025, the candidates can apply for scholarships. There are even cheap universities in New Zealand without IELTS where students can get easy admission.
University of Otago
University of Otago is a public university located in Dunedin, New Zealand. The university is one of the best universities in New Zealand holding a rank of top 214 in the World according to the QS WUR 2025. The university offers more than 200 UG and PG programs in fields like medicine, social sciences, humanities, music, arts, agriculture, business, and many others, etc.
The University of Otago is one of the cheapest universities in New Zealand 2025 providing courses at a tuition fee ranging from around NZD 34, 251 to 50,000 per year. The cost of living in New Zealand for the students living around Dunedin is about NZD 22,000–NZD 26,000 for 40 weeks.
Cost of Studying | INR 3L to INR 4L (NZD 6.2K to NZD 8.5K) |
Cost of Living | INR 90K (NZD 1.8K) |
Popular Programs | Commerce, Law Honours |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.0 | TOEFL: 80 |
The University of Auckland
The University of Auckland located in Auckland, New Zealand is a public university founded in 1883. It is one of the top universities in New Zealand ranking 65th position according to the QS World University Rankings 2025.
The university offers courses in over 100 subjects across eight faculties, where subjects like education, Geography, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Civil Engineering, and Anthropology, are ranked in the top 50 positions according to the QS world university rankings by subjects 2025.
University of Auckland New Zealand is one cheapest universities in New Zealand 2025 providing affordable courses with tuition fees ranging from NZD 35,000 to NZD 50,000 per year.
Cost of Studying | INR 19L (NZD 36.8K) |
Cost of Living | INR 3L (NZD 5.3K) |
Popular Programs | Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Social Work |
Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 75% to 80% |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.0 | TOEFL: 80 |
Auckland University of Technology
The Auckland Univerity Technology is a public university located in Auckland, New Zealand founded in 2000. It is one of the New Zealand cheapest colleges for international students offering a wide range of courses in UG and PG programs like medicine. Nursing, arts, engineering, etc. The university is especially renowned for postgraduate courses and is considered to be among the top cheapest universities in New Zealand for masters.
As one of the cheapest universities in New Zealand, the university offers courses with tuition fees ranging from NZD 35,000 to NZD 50,000 per year. The university ranks 412th place in the top universities list according to the QS World University Rankings 2025.
Cost of Studying | INR 19L to INR 22L (NZD 36.6K to NZD 44.7K) |
Cost of Living | INR 2.6L (NZD 5.3K) |
Popular Programs | Bachelor of Business Master of Philosophy |
Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 40 - 70 % |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.0 - 7.0 | TOEFL: 80 - 98 |
Massey University
Massey University is a public university located in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It is one of the best universities in New Zealand ranking =239th position according to the QS World University Rankings 2025. The university offers a wide range of online and on-campus courses in UG PG and Ph.D.
Massey University is one of the cheapest universities in New Zealand 2025 with tuition fees ranging from NZD 35,000 to NZD 50,000 per year. As a degree student at Massey University, the cost of living is around NZDD 20,000 for a year as per the New Zealand student visa.
Cost of Studying | INR 15L to INR 21L (NZD 30.4K to NZD 41K) |
Cost of Living | INR 1.4L (NZD 2.9K) |
Popular Programs | Bachelor of Creative Media Production Master of Creative Enterprise |
Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 75 to 85% |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.0 to 6.5 | TOEFL: 80 to 90 |
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington is a public university located in Wellington, New Zealand. It is one of the best New Zealand colleges for international students established in 1897. The university holds the top 244th ranking among the universities in the world according to the QS WUR 2025 ranking.
The university provides both online and on-campus programs covering a wide range of courses like fashion technology, filmmaking, finance, french, social sciences, music, architecture, marketing, and many more etc. The Victoria University of Wellington is one of the cheapest universities in New Zealand 2025 for graduate international students with tuition fee ranging from NZD 30,000 to NZD 40,000.
Cost of Studying | INR 16L (NZD 31.7K) |
Cost of Living | INR 2.6L (NZD 5.3K) |
Popular Programs | Bachelors in Humanities and Social Sciences Bachelors in Commerce |
Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 75% |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.5 | TOEFL: 90 |
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury is a public university located in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is one of the best public universities in New Zealand ranking =261st place according to the QS World University Rankings of 2025.
The university offers over 120 qualifications in more than 150 subject areas. The University of Canterbury is one of the cheapest universities in New Zealand for masters for international students with tuition fees of around NZD 35,000.
Cost of Studying | INR 17L to INR 35L (NZD 32.8K to NZD 34.9K) |
Cost of Living | INR 1.6L (NZD 3.3K) |
Popular Programs | Bachelors in Arts, Education & Social Science MBA in Business & Accountancy |
Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 55% to 75% |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.5 to 7 | TOEFL: 90 to 100 |
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato located in Hamilton, New Zealand is a public university. Many subjects of the University of Waikato are ranked highly in the QS World University subject rankings. The university focuses on the foundational knowledge and experience required for the students to achieve their career and life goals. It is one of the best cheapest universities in New Zealand for masters 2025.
It is one of the chosen universities in New Zealand to study abroad which holds the top 235th position in the QS World University Ranking 2025. This is one of the New Zealand cheapest university with tuition fees ranging from NZD 29,025 to NZD 42,310.
| Cost of Studying | INR 15L to INR 18L (NZD 30.8K to NZD 34.7K) |
| Cost of Living | INR 1.7L (NZD 3.4K) |
| Popular Programs | Bachelor of Business BA in Education and Society |
| Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 75% to 80% |
| English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.0 | TOEFL:80 |
Lincoln University
Lincoln University New Zealand is a public university formed in 1990. It is one of the best universities to study in New Zealand for international students, which holds the top =371st in the QS World University Ranking 2025.
The university offers a wide range of 133 courses in bachelors, masters PG diploma, doctoral degrees, etc. This is one of the cheapest universities in New Zealand for masters degree with tuition fees of around NZD 31,500 to NZD 54,000.
Cost of Studying | INR 8L to INR 18L (NZD 16.6K to NZD 36K) |
Cost of Living | INR 81.3K (NZD 1.6K) |
Popular Programs | BA Hons Marketing and Advertising Master of Environmental Management |
Entry Requirements | Minimum Percentage: 65% |
English Language Proficiency Scores | IELTS: 6.0 to 7.0 | TOEFL: 79 to 100 |
Note: Several institutions are among the cheap universities in New Zealand without IELTS 2025. These universities either provide English pathway courses for students or offer an option to attempt other English tests such as TOEFL, PTE, CAE, DET, and more.
Cost of Living in New Zealand
Did you have any idea that the cost of living in New Zealand is 15.1% lower than in the US? The cost of living in New Zealand varies around INR 86.5K (NZD 1.7K) a month excluding rent.
Cost of living in New Zealand depends on lifestyle and where you live. Because of reduced housing and transportation costs, living in smaller towns is sometimes cheaper compared to living in large cities.
Following is an monthly estimate of living expenses:
Particulars | Average Monthly Expenditure (in NZD) | Monthly Living Expenses in New Zealand (INR) Approximately |
|---|---|---|
Housing Rent (1 Bedroom Rent) | 430 to 490 | 22,000 to 26,000 |
Food Expenses (Grocery) | 200 to 250 | 10,000 to 13,000 |
Public Transportation (Bus Pass and Metro Card) | 170 to 200 | 8,800 to 10,300 |
Phone and Internet Network | 100 | 5,200 |
Health Expenses | 50-100 | 2,600 to 5,200 |
Day-to-day Expenses | 50 | 2,600 |
Miscellaneous Expenses | 100 to 200 | 5,200 to 10,000 |
Cheapest Cities in New Zealand
Cost of living in New Zealand varies basis on the city you choose to live in. Knowing the cheapest cities in New Zealand will help you make the better decision and also will help you in budget calculation. Some of the popular cheapest cities in New Zealand are:
Cities | Single Person Estimated Monthly Costs (including rent) |
Auckland | INR 3L (NZD 5.3K) |
Palmerston North | INR 1L (NZD 2.9K) |
Wellington | INR 3L (NZD 5.3K) |
Lincoln | INR 81K (NZD 1.6K) |
Hamilton | INR 2L (NZD 3.4K) |
Dunedin | INR 1L (NZD 3.1K) |
Christchurch | INR 2L (NZD 3.3K) |
Scholarships to Study in New Zealand
International students planning to study abroad in New Zealand are eligible for a number of scholarships by the New Zealand government, universities, foreign governments, and private authorities. The scholarships seek to lower the burden of the students in New Zealand's high-cost educational system.
Some of the popular scholarships are:
S.no. | Name of scholarship | Description |
1 | New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships (NZIDRS) |
|
2 | New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships |
|
3 | New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA) |
|
4 | SEG Scholarship |
|
5 | Palmerston North City Mayor's Goodwill Ambassador Scholarship |
|
Tips to Save Costs in New Zealand
These are some easy tips to cut down on expenses in New Zealand for international students:
- Cook your own meals rather than eating out at fancy restaurants or cafes.
- Choosing on-campus accommodations as compared to off-campus accommodations.
- Travelling in the shoulder season
- Booking flights in the midweek
- Choosing public transportation over taxis
- Use supermarket loyalty cards and hotel vouchers to get discount and offers
Know more about studying in New Zealand:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the low ranking university in New Zealand?
A:
The Auckland Univerity Technology has the lowest rank among the list of top universities in New Zealand. The university holds 407th place as per the QS World University Ranking 2024. It is the second largest university in New Zealand. The tuition fee at the university is around NZ35,000toNZ50,000 (i.e., INR 17 to 24 lakhs) per year.
Q: Is New Zealand cheap for International students?
A:
There is no special reduction in fees for international students in New Zealand. However, the cost of education including living expenses can be around INR 25 Lakhs to 30 Lakhs per year even in the cheapest universities in New Zealand.
Q: How many days does it take to get a student New Zealand visa?
A:
For international students, the New Zealand student visa processing can take around 5 weeks, excluding public holidays. This timeline can be varied depending on the education provider of the applicant. For students applying for visas to study in universities, the average processing time is around 22 week days and can be dragged up to 47 weeks days.
Q: What is the cheapest university to study in New Zealand?
A:
Victoria University of Wellington is the cheapest university in New Zealand with tuition fees of around INR 14 to 20 lakhs per year. It is one of the top public universities holding the 241st position in the World University ranking according to the QS Rank 2024. The university is well known for its causes in Arts and humanities, geosciences and Psychology.
Q: What are the cheapest cities in New Zealand for international students?
A:
Cities like Christ Church, Hamilton, Dunedin, and Palmerston North are the most affordable cities for international students in New Zealand. The top universities like Victoria University, Waikato, Otago, etc and a few more are located in these places. New Zealand are located in these places.
Q: Are there fully-funded scholarships in New Zealand available for International students?
A:
There are fully funded scholarships in New Zealand for international students like Commonwealth scholarships, New Zealand development scholarships, etc., which cover the entire tuition fee of the colleges.
Q: Is Australia cheaper or New Zealand cheaper to study?
A:
The cost of living in New Zealand is cheaper when compared to Australia. However, the tuition fees can be varied from university to university. So on the whole New Zealand is cheaper when compared to Australia.
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New Zealand is a great place for studying abroad as it offers a quality education as well as good quality of life. The education system of New Zealand is also designed to be at the advantage of students.
For complete information regarding studying in New Zealand, refer to
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To begin with, New Zealand has more than a half dozen universally-ranked universities offering courses that aren’t only up-to-date and practical but unique in many ways. Also, the small class size, typical of most universities in New Zealand, is built for hands-on educati on. Many students come to New
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Studying abroad is a big decision to make and for many, finding the right study abroad destination involves meeting several criteria. As You asked for the Safest Countries for Higher studies and Women Safety, Here are the countries,
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