Top 10 Cheapest Universities in New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country located in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. The main languages spoken in the country are Maori, English and sign language, and ranks high when it comes to the quality of education. Little wonder, they have a significant number of international students seeking high quality education but at less cost compared to some other English-speaking nations.

If low cost of tuition and living while studying in an English-speaking country is important to you, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this read on the cheapest universities to study in New Zealand. Check through the schools and costs, to decide on what’s best for you, and plan adequately. When you do find it, go on to the university website and kickstart your journey in a new destination.

If after reading through this, you decide New Zealand isn’t the place for you for one reason or the other, then endeavor to check out the cheapest universities in other destinations till you find a perfect fit. All we want is to see you fulfill your dream of getting a high quality degree that will skyrocket your career goals.

Cheapest New Zealand Universities

University of Waikato: This public University was founded in 1964, and has its main campus in Hamilton. A satellite campus can also be found in Tauranga. It’s home to over 2000 international students, and is in the top 270 universities worldwide according to QS. It might also interest you to know that it’s the alma mater of the current prime minister of New Zealand.

They offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in a number of courses. Tuition fee for international students interested in bachelor’s programs starts at about USD 17,360 after conversion, and about USD 21,180 for master’s degree programs.

Victoria University of Wellington: this was founded in 1897 as a college which initially formed a part of University of New Zealand, but has since gone on to become a University of its own. It is named after Queen Victoria, and currently ranks in the top 220 universities worldwide according to QS. Out of their over 20,000 students, they currently play host to almost 4000 international students who represent over 100 countries.

They have 3 campuses in the city of Wellington, with about 10 faculties. Students in the faculties of Educations, Commerce, Health etc, payblower tuition than those in Music, Engineering etc. Annual tuition for international students starts at about USD 17,100.

University of Otago: this public University is New Zealand’s first University, and was founded in 1869. Campuses are located in several cities such as Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland and Invercargill. They are currently in the top 180 universities worldwide according to QS.

This University which is divided into four academic units comprising several faculties, colleges, departments and schools, is home to about 3000 international students whose annual tuition fee starts from about USD 18,900.

University of Canterbury: this is the second oldest University in New Zealand, and was founded in 1873. It has its main campus in Christchurch, with three other campuses in Tauranga, Nelson and Timaru. They offer over 110 academic programs via five colleges in several disciplines including long term and short term ones, and are currently ranked in the top 230 universities worldwide according to QS.

Depending on what program you’re running, your tuition fee will vary. Those in Forestry, Engineering, and Communication Disorders program pay much more than others. Generally, annual tuition fee starts anywhere from USD 18,100.

Massey University: this was first started as an agricultural college in 1927, before it became a public University in 1963. They have campuses located in Wellington, Auckland and Palmerston North. This public University is currently the largest institution in New Zealand with over 30,000 students, including 5000+ international students from 130+ countries. It’s also in the top 300 universities worldwide according to QS.

They have four colleges and a business school through which they offer various academic programs. They also have an internationally accredited aviation program. Annual tuition fee starts at about USD 17,000.

Lincoln University: this is a small public university founded in 1878. It is located in Lincoln with just over 3,000 students. Even more fascinating is that almost half of this figure are international students. It’s currently in the top 360 universities worldwide according to QS.

This University has 3 faculties through which they offer 17 bachelor’s programs, and about 26 master’s programs, both taught and research. Annual fee for international students is about USD 18,000.

Auckland University of Technology: this was first founded in 1895, but became a university with its current name since 2000. They have five faculties housing 16 schools, with the programs in Health Science, and Engineering costing more than all the others. They are currently ranked in the top 300 universities worldwide according to Times.

The three campuses are located in downtown Auckland, Northcote and Manukau. They have quite a high student population, at almost 30,000 students. There’s also quite an international scene with over 4,500 international students representing over 105 countries. Annual tuition fee for international students here is about USD 18,800.

University of Auckland: this public university was founded in 1883, and is located in Auckland. They have six campuses, of which one is located in Whangarei, with the other fjve located in Auckland. They also have seven faculties,and one business school.

According to QS rankings, University of Auckland is currently the 83rd best university in the world, making it the highest ranked University in the whole of New Zealand. They are also the most populous University in the country, with over 42,000 enrollments, out of which 8000+ are international students. Asides Optometry and Medicine programs, the other programs run by the school charge cost around USD 20,700 annually for the international students.

University Cost of Learning: this is a government sponsored New Zealand college which offers a wide array of courses, including short term and long term ones. They are a susidiary of the largest tertiary education provider in New Zealand, Te Pūkenga.

The main campus is located in Palmerston North, with other campuses in Whanganui, Levin, Wairarapa and Mastertonall in New Zealand. There are four campuses across both the lower and central North Island, with specialities in Humanities and Business, Applied Engineering and Trades, and Health and Sciences. The annual tuition fee for international students here is about USD 12,000.

Laidlaw College: this was founded in 1922 as a public college offering a number of programs in various courses, including long term and short term ones. They are famed for their pastoral, biblical and various historical programs. They are located in Auckland, with minimum annual tuition fee costing about USD 14,600.

Note that at the time of this write-up, 1 NZD = 0.67 USD, and the university fees are subject to change at the discretion of the school. Hence, always budget miscellaneous fees while planning for study abroad. Overall, we do hope you’ve found this post helpful in deciding if New Zealand is where to go or not.