Prime Highlights
- New Zealand’s international education sector is recovering at a slower but potentially more sustainable pace.
- Rising applications are not translating into visas at the same rate, highlighting a conversion challenge.
Key Facts
- International students remain an important source of funding for New Zealand universities.
- Education providers are seeking better graduate data to track employment and student outcomes.
Background
New Zealand’s international education sector is recovering steadily, with industry leaders expecting slower but more sustainable growth than neighbouring Australia. The sector has regained momentum as institutions rebuild international enrolments and focus more on student outcomes.
Marie Clark, director of insights and performance at Education New Zealand, said public support remains strong. She noted that 77% of New Zealanders saw benefits from international students last year, while the same share supported maintaining or increasing student numbers.
International enrolments recovered in 2025, with universities and schools accounting for about 65% of the total. New Zealand’s slower recovery followed its later border reopening, which helped the country avoid some of the pressures created by Australia’s faster post-pandemic growth.
Amy Rutherford, director international at Victoria University of Wellington, said the university had only recently returned to its earlier international student numbers. She said the slower recovery had helped protect public support for international education.
However, universities face financial pressure as the government has ruled out additional funding. This has made international education an important source of revenue.
Application volumes at Victoria University have increased about five times in two years, but fewer students are moving from offers to visa applications. The conversion rate has fallen from around 50% to 15%-20%.
Students are also demanding clearer information about internships, industry links, graduate employment and salaries. Dani Mao of Otago Polytechnic said institutions need better data to answer these questions.
Education New Zealand and institutions are now looking to improve graduate tracking through government and institutional data. Better information could help students make informed choices and allow universities to measure employment outcomes more accurately.
