Study in New Zealand - Know Top universities, Courses, Eligibility, Visa, Scholarship

Study in New Zealand - If you are looking at New Zealand as a study abroad destination, there are many reasons in favor of the choice. The country offers high-quality education and a good quality of life. The education system in New Zealand is innovative and attuned to the needs of students. It is a combination of traditional teaching methods and technology-enabled learning which is among the many reasons to study in New Zealand. Students here are encouraged to think independently and discover solutions on their own which will help them develop unique ideas. Read the article to know more about the admissions, eligibility criteria, top colleges, cost of living and visa requirements to study in New Zealand.

This Story also Contains

1. New Zealand Intake
2. Choosing college to study in New Zealand
3. Admission process to study in New Zealand
4. Eligibility Criteria and Tests to Study in New Zealand
5. Cost of Education and Living Costs to Study in New Zealand
6. Scholarships to Study in New Zealand
7. Best Universities in New Zealand
8. Top Courses to Study in New Zealand
9. Jobs and internships in New Zealand
10. Working while studying
11. Why Study in New Zealand?
12. Top Consultants for Study in New Zealand

TOP EXAMS: IELTS | TOEFL | GRE | GMAT
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The country has eight reputed universities which offer a wide range of courses at different levels. The universities here offer various programs at all levels from bachelor’s to PhD programs. In New Zealand, International students can also opt for graduate diploma programs and honors courses offered by universities here.

New Zealand Intake

The universities considering the New Zealand intake 2023 will be held 2 times in the year, January and July. However, a few universities have September and November as intakes in New Zealand depend on their academic calendar. It is best to start the application process six months before the deadline of New Zealand intakes 2023, if the candidate is planning to study in New Zealand. Most universities here offer three application deadlines to international students and it is up to the students to choose the appropriate deadline. Ideally, you should have completed your language and aptitude tests three months before the deadline. The New Zealand study visa application process should be completed in three months before the intake that you have chosen. The New Zealand study visa application process can take anywhere between eight to twelve weeks, so plan to apply for the intakes in New Zealand considering the visa time length.

The timelines of New Zealand intakes for admission to the March sessions in a universities are provided below. The details help in pre-preparation required for the New Zealand intake months. Kindly check these before applying to universities in New Zealand.

Study in New Zealand: Timeline of Admission Cycle (Guidelines)

Choosing college to study in New Zealand

In order to choose your New Zealand universities for international students, here are some factors you should consider:

Academic standards: The teaching standards in the university can be gauged when you review how challenging and rigorous are the courses in New Zealand. The universities here specialize in particular courses, so choose the university that best meets your needs.

Type of college: New Zealand has both private and public universities. There are community colleges which offer a two-year degree course and also universities that offer a four-year bachelor’s program. Apart from this, some universities focus on research-based learning while others focus on teaching the theoretical part of subjects. So it's up to you to choose the university based on your preferences.

College infrastructure and faculty: Another important factor is the college infrastructure in terms of being well-equipped with classrooms, labs, students clubs, computer labs etc. Another factor is the quality of the faculty and their teaching experience.

Location of the university: The location of the university is another factor to be considered. Universities situated in cities such as Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch provide students with advantages of living in a big city such as a cosmopolitan population, access to facilities and opportunities for socializing. Universities located in sparsely populated areas or remote places do not offer these advantages.

College fee and living expenses: Another deciding factor is the fees you will have to pay for your course at various universities. You will also have to factor in the living expenses when choosing your university.

Reputation of the university: The reputation of the university where you wish to study is an important deciding factor.

Admission process to study in New Zealand

The following process can be followed in order to meet the study in New Zealand requirements during the admission timeline.

1. Select the course you want to study.

2. Make a list of the universities where your course is offered.

3. Check on the eligibility and the admission requirements.

4. Take the tests required for admission.

5. Write SOPs and arrange for LORs.

6. Apply to your shortlisted universities when the New Zealand intakes start.

7. Attend interviews for admission.

8. Get your acceptance letter.

9. Apply for a student visa.

Eligibility Criteria and Tests to Study in New Zealand

English proficiency test - There are various eligibility criteria if you wish to study in New Zealand for Indian students or for other international students. An important criteria is your proficiency in the English language. For this you will have to take an English language proficiency test. The IELTS is the standard English proficiency test required from international student applicants from non-English speaking countries who wish to study in New Zealand. For the New Zealand student visa IELTS requirements are 5.5 band scores for every individual sections and overall score of 6.0 score is minimum. However, it is possible to study in New Zealand without IELTS by demostrating that prospects received their primary education in Engilsh medium. There are other possibilities like attempting other English proficiency tests like PTE, TOEFL, etc. The New Zealand PTE requirements 2023 are also detailed below but for the students who feel difficult in attempting these proficiency tests, there are universitie in New Zealand which has their own university English profifciency tests which are a bit easier than these TOEFL and PTE. Candidates can carefully select theses universities in New Zealand without IELTS.

However, many universities also accept PTE. While New Zealand PTE requirements 2023 for undergraduate courses are 50, New Zealand PTE score requirements 2023 for graduate courses is 64. The English language proficiency test score will be considered when you apply for a New Zealand study visa.

Proof of having enough funds: You must have proof that you have enough funds with you to support your studies and living expenses in New Zealand. The proof of funds you will need to submit include the following:

• Previous four months’ bank statements.

• Proof of having paid your tuition and housing expenses if you have paid it in advance.

• Loan letter if you have acquired a loan from a bank.

• Proof in the form of documents if you have scholarship or funding.

Educational qualifications: If you are applying for a bachelor’s degree then you must have completed 12 years of formal education. If you are applying for a master’s degree you must have a minimum score of 50 to 60% in your undergraduate degree. You must also submit your GRE and GMAT scores based on the course you are applying for.

Admission requirements: The admission requirements to study in New Zealand for Indian students include:

• Statement of purpose: You must submit a statement of purpose or SOP for each college or university you are applying to, explaining how the college/university is a perfect fit for you and give reasons as to why you should be accepted into the program you are applying for.

• Essays: You should also write one or two essays, which can be on topics such as your career goals, reasons to choose a particular college etc. They are an important part of the admission process.

• Letters of recommendation: You must submit letters of recommendation or LORS which are reference letters from your professors or managers recommending you for admission to a college or university based on your skills and qualifications.

Visa Requirements for Study in New Zealand for International Students

If you are applying for a course in New Zealand whose duration is more than three months, then you will have to apply for a New Zealand study visa. With this visa you can stay in the country for a maximum period of four years and can work for up to 20 hours per week and full time during vacations. In order to apply for the New Zealand study visa you must have admission from an approved college and enough funds to pay for your course. The other visa options available to students are short-term visas with which you can do courses for three to six months. A long-term visa is the pathway visa with which you can do three consecutive courses for a period of five years. These visas too allow you to work up to 20 hours per week when you are studying and full time during breaks.

Visa for New Zealand Study Abroad - Documents required

• Valid passport whose validity is at least three months beyond the duration of your course.

• Offer of place from the college or university in New Zealand where you have been selected to prove you have gained admission to a course.

• A completed New Zealand study visa application form.

• Proof of payment of visa application fee.

• Letter from a sponsor for financial support for your living and accommodation expenses.

• Passport size photos.

• Transcripts of the degrees, diplomas from institutions you have studied in the past.

• Proof of English proficiency through your test scores in IELTS, TOEFL or PTE as required by the university you have applied to.

• Your GRE, or GMAT test scores as required by the course you have applied for.

• Proof of funds to show how you will pay for your education and other expenses in New Zealand.

• Receipt to prove you have paid for health insurance.

• Health certificate.

• Proof of employment history if you have worked earlier.

• Two passport size photos.

Also read:

Cost of Education and Living Costs to Study in New Zealand

Study cost

The colleges in New Zealand are permitted to charge tuition fees as per their rules. What this means is that the tuition fee for your course will depend on the college you have chosen. The study in New Zealand cost for the tuition fees are mentioned below.

Average Tuition Fee-Course Wise in New Zealand

Living cost

The living costs depend on where your university is located because like in all other countries, the bigger cities will have a higher cost of living compared to smaller cities and towns. The costs acccommodation in New Zealand depends on the location of the university. An important requirement to study in New Zealand is to show proof of funds for your living expenses. The amount depends on the duration of your course. If your course duration is more than one year you will have to show proof of funds of NZ$ 20,000 for each year of study and if it is less than a year you will have to show that you have funds equalling to NZ$ 1,250 per month of study. This proof of funds is an important requirement for your New Zealand study visa application as well.

Scholarships to Study in New Zealand

Scholarships are available at all levels of study including those wanting to do PhD in New Zealand, master's, etc. The New Zealand scholarships for international students are given by the universities and not the government. The universities here award scholarships based on merit and need-based fee waivers are also given to students. The scholarships are given to students who have a strong academic background, have historically performed well in exams and have credible extracurricular achievements. Students should apply for these scholarships with all the required documents before the deadline given by the university. Here are some of the scholarships awarded by well-known universities in New Zealand.

To study in New Zealand for Indian students, they can also apply for a loan from banks and financial institutions in India to support their finances for educstion. Again the loan application should have all the required documents. Proof of having a scholarship or a loan is also an important part of your New Zealand study visa application.

List of scholarships to study abroad by country

• Scholarships to study in UK

• Scholarships to Study in Canada

• Scholarships to study in Australia

• Scholarships to study in Germany

Best Universities in New Zealand

New Zealand has eight well known universities among which the University of Auckland is the most popular. Here is a closer look at the QS ranking of New Zealand universities below.

Top Universities in New Zealand with QS World 2024 Rankings

Best countries to study abroad

Top Courses to Study in New Zealand

Here are the list of top courses to New Zeland. Most of the International students studying in this country choose to prefer these courses as ther are more number of career opportunities available after pursuing these courses.

• Art and design

• Engineering

• Medicine

• Business management

• Computer Science and IT

• Agriculture

• Nursing

• Health care

Jobs and internships in New Zealand

Working while studying

International students can work in New Zealand during their course. The New Zealand study visa allows you to work for a maximum of 20 hours during your course and you can work full-time during vacations.

There are certain pre-conditions that students must meet in order to work when they are studying:

• Course duration must be at least for two years.

• Your course leads to a New Zealand qualification that will give you points under the Skilled Migrant category.

• You are studying an English language course that meets the conditions of immigration New Zealand.

Post study work options

International students who have completed a degree in New Zealand can work after study in New Zealand by applying for two kinds of post-study work visas with which they can stay back in the country for work.

1. The open visa is available for all international students and is valid for 12 months after completion of their course to help them find a job.

2. The employer-assisted visa which allows students to work in a specific job for two additional years after the open visa expires.

3. If you wish to apply for permanent residency or PR in New Zealand, you can apply for the Skilled Migrant Visa after your studies.

Why Study in New Zealand?

New Zealand is the home to some of the world top universities. The excellent quality in education both in public colleges and private colleges drive the international students from various regions across the world to study in New Zealand. Here given are the top reasons to study in New Zealand which explain why international students prefer to study in this country.

Top seven reasons to Study in New Zealand

1. Reputed universities: Most of the best universities in New Zealand are listed in the QS world university rankings. This speaks a lot of the quality of education in these universities. The degrees from these universities are globally recognized, so doing a course here will mean better job opportunities.

2. Scope for innovation and research: The universities here focus on innovation and research. The focus is on research and development in various fields including engineering, physics, geology, computer science, astronomy etc.

3. Diverse student population: Universities here have a diverse student population which means students from different countries in the world come here to study. There is also a support network for international students in which the New Zealand government is actively involved.

4. Lower tuition fee: When compared to other countries like the US, the UK, or Australia the tuition fee for international students is comparatively low. The average annual tuition fee in New Zealand comes to 20,000 NZ$. Apart from this, international students can also get scholarships from universities where they study.

5. Exciting outdoor activities: New Zealand offers options for various outdoor activities for students. The long coastline, the mountain ranges and the rain forests offer plenty of opportunities to experience outdoor life.

6. Work options during your studies: Students who have come here on a New Zealand study visa have the option to work during their studies. This allows them to earn while they learn and partly fund their expenses.

7. Safe place: New Zealand offers a safe environment for students. The local people are friendly and the crime rates are very low.

Also explore benefits of studying in other popular study destinations here:

• Benefits of studying in Germany

• Benefits of studying in Europe

• Benefits of studying in Ireland

• Benefits of studying in UK

Top Consultants for Study in New Zealand

1. Edwise International

2. IDP Consultancy

3. AEC overseas

4. Global tree

5. Maven consulting services

6. Meridian consulting services

7. Karan Gupta

8. iSchoolConnect

9. Ednet consultants

10. IBT overseas

This article, we hope, has helped you understand the major aspects about studying in New Zealand. This will help you in your preparation and application to study in New Zealand.