Study in New Zealand in 2026: universities, fees, work rights and the Post-Study Work Visa
Last reviewed 2026-10-26. Rules, fees and processing times in this area change often. Check the official source before you act, and tell us if something looks out of date.
New Zealand combines English-language teaching with a clear post-study work route, which makes it a popular alternative to Australia and Canada. Official New Zealand immigration pages could not be read for this guide, so visa fees and funds below come from third-party sources and are flagged.
Universities
QS World University Rankings 2026 (per a New Zealand news summary, with Auckland and Otago confirmed on the QS site): University of Auckland 65, University of Otago equal 197, Massey equal 230, Victoria University of Wellington equal 240, Canterbury 261, Waikato equal 281, Lincoln 407 and AUT equal 410.
Costs
- Tuition (IDP, international, NZD a year): undergraduate roughly 20,500 to 25,000, with health and medicine higher; postgraduate roughly 19,000 to 29,000; MBA 30,000 to 50,000; PhD about 6,500 to 9,000. IDP notes its own figures are internally inconsistent, so check each university.
- Living costs: about NZD 1,250 a month as an indicative figure, with weekly accommodation of NZD 200 to 700 in halls, 100 to 370 for homestay and 120 to 200 for a shared flat.
Student visa
- Fee: sources disagree. Some say NZD 750 plus a levy, another says NZD 375. We could not verify it, so check Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
- Funds: a third-party source says NZD 20,000 a year for tertiary study (NZD 1,667 a month for courses under a year), plus tuition and return travel.
- Processing: about 35 days in one source and 8 to 10 weeks in another. Apply two to three months before the start.
- Documents: offer of place, proof of tuition and funds, medical insurance, English score and a police certificate.
Working while you study
From 3 November 2025 the limit rose from 20 to 25 hours a week in term, with full-time work in scheduled holidays, according to INZ Amendment Circular 2025-39. It applies to full-time programmes of at least two academic years or at NZQF level 4 and above. Research master's and PhD students have no hour limit in third-party sources. Some sites still say 20 hours, and they are out of date. Students also cannot switch to a lower-level course or a different provider without a new student visa unless the change is beyond their control.
Post-Study Work Visa
From the INZ Work Visa Guide (August 2025), for student visas applied for after 11 May 2022:
- Level 9 or 10 (master's or doctorate, at least 30 weeks): three years, open work.
- Level 7 bachelor's or level 8: equal to study time, open work.
- Non-degree level 7 or below: equal to the study time, and the job must relate to your qualification.
- Apply within three months of the student visa ending (six months for doctoral students) and show NZD 5,000 in funds.
- A third-party source says eligibility extends to Graduate Diploma holders from 16 November 2026. We could not read the INZ notice, so check.
Scholarships
The Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship page at Massey says it is for Pacific and ASEAN countries, so India does not appear eligible. Other scholarships for Indians could not be verified. See our scholarships guide.
Intakes and language
Intakes are commonly February and July, which we could not confirm on an official page. English scores of around IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 are quoted, depending on the course. Indian applicants should expect careful funds checks. A careers site cites a rejection rate near 40% for Indian applications, but the period is unclear and we treat it with caution.
How it compares
New Zealand offers a longer open work visa for master's graduates than many countries. See post-study work visas compared, and for residence afterwards read our explainer on the NZ skilled migrant reform.
Sources
- INZ: Work Visa Guide (INZ 1016)
- INZ: Amendment Circular 2025-39
- Massey University: Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships
- IDP: cost of study in New Zealand
- NZ Immigration Info: student visa
- Yocket: New Zealand student visa
- Careers360: New Zealand student visa
- The Koala: QS rankings 2026 NZ universities
Figures were gathered in October 2026 from government, university, law-firm and education-site pages. Several official pages could not be read directly, many figures come from a single secondary source, and where sources disagreed we say so. Fees, thresholds and processing times change often, so confirm everything on the official site before you apply. Visa Ray is a rule-based reference tool, not a law firm. You can run a free assessment on Visa Ray for your own profile.
