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New research shows New Zealand is a top‑three study choice for international students
The latest Global Brand Health and Awareness Survey found that 22 percent of prospective international students now place New Zealand in their top three study destinations, achieving the target set out for 2034 in the Government’s International Education Going for Growth Plan, nearly a decade early.
ENZ’s key focus is to bring New Zealand’s education brand to life internationally, highlighting the factors that most influence student choice, high‑quality providers, great student experiences, and strong graduate outcomes.
ENZ Acting Chief Executive Dr Linda Sissons said the findings show New Zealand is increasingly being seriously considered, not just recognised.
“This research shows New Zealand is firmly positioned alongside established global study destinations,” Dr Sissons said.
“What matters most is preference – a strong signal of intent – and we are seeing that grow across a wider range of markets.”
The survey expands brand tracking beyond the traditional “Big Four” markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada to a broader group of 11 global study markets, offering a clearer picture of New Zealand’s competitive position.
Across these markets, preference for New Zealand is growing across its priority markets, supporting a more diversified and resilient approach to growth.
Awareness of New Zealand as a study destination is high at 79 percent across key source markets, on par with leading European and Asian destinations.
Dr Sissons said while awareness is an important foundation, preference is a stronger signal of genuine student intent.
“Awareness of New Zealand has been consistently strong. What’s particularly encouraging is seeing more students now move beyond awareness to actively considering and showing a preference for study in New Zealand,” she said.
The findings, which build on strong growth in New Zealand’s international student enrolments in 2025, excellent student experience results and strong public support for international education, will also inform ENZ’s 2026-27 market planning and investment decisions.
The full 2025 Global Brand Health and Awareness Survey will be published on ENZ’s IntelliLab, alongside market‑specific insights and a sector briefing.
For further information:
Sai Raje | Senior Communications Advisor, Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao
sai.raje@enz.govt.nz | +64 21 479 649
About Education New Zealand Manapou ki te AoEducation New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is the government agency dedicated to helping New Zealand realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education. Our role is to promote New Zealand as a high-quality education destination offering excellent education and student experiences.
With approximately 85 staff in 13 locations around the world, ENZ works closely with New Zealand’s diverse education sector which includes schools, English language providers, Private Training Establishments, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology Te Pūkenga), and universities.
Internationally, we work with a range of education stakeholders, including government agencies and education providers to identify and encourage sustainable growth opportunities for New Zealand’s education sector.
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Generation Study Abroad
Students can now apply for a US$2,000 travel award to help with flights to New Zealand and US$500 towards study at a university or participating institute of technology or polytechnic.
Currently fewer than 10 percent of all US college students study abroad at some point in their academic career. Generation Study Abroad is a new initiative by the Institute of International Education to double the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade.
“New Zealand is already in the top 20 destinations for US students studying abroad, so partnering with Generation Study Abroad should provide a boost to the number of American students coming here,” says Amy Rutherford, International Market Manager for North America at Education New Zealand. “Each of the eight New Zealand universities and a number of institutes of technology have provided funding for the Study Abroad Excellence Awards which were announced at the NAFSA annual conference and expo in San Diego, California this week.”
In 2012 there were 1,965 US students enrolled in New Zealand institutions, the majority at universities on one semester programmes. American students make up around two percent of the total number of international students studying in New Zealand. Almost 250 US colleges and universities of all types and sizes from 46 states have joined Generation Study Abroad today. New Zealand is one of ten countries to commit to a government partnership with the Institute of International Education.
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Internationalisation remains a key focus for Education New Zealand
Under the inaugural funding collaboration with FAPESP, ENZ has pledged NZ $105,000 to nine research projects. Each project is led in tandem with academics from New Zealand and Brazil.
And for the 15th year, ENZ has supported the joint work of New Zealand and Chinese researchers through the Tripartite Fund. This year’s funding round provided NZ $20,000 to five projects (rather than the traditional NZ $30,000 to three) due to the ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions.
As the Government is currently advising New Zealanders not to travel internationally, this funding was pledged on the proviso that the researchers either work together online or delay any international travel to a later date.
Internationalisation is a crucial part of the New Zealand International Education Strategy (NZIES) under all three pillars.
“Supporting and investing in international academic mobility is one unique way ENZ can contribute to this goal. We see short-term benefits, like person-to-person links and the strengthening of diplomatic relationships, as well as long-term benefits like increased trade flow,” says ENZ’s Chief Executive Grant McPherson.
Building international links between institutions can also directly impact their rankings. Times Higher Education recently released their Latin America University Rankings 2020, which featured seven Brazilian universities in the top 10. The Times Higher Education’s methodology includes five factors – learning environment, research, citations, international outlooks and industry income – all of which can be positively impacted by initiatives like the NZ-FAPESP funding and Tripartite Fund.
“Internationalisation is all about building and maintaining relationships. I am very proud that ENZ has not only managed to sustain this crucial link with China, but built new connections with Brazil.”
Over the history of the Tripartite Fund, we’ve seen positive outcomes across a variety of research areas including environmental protection and climate change, health and medicine, animal science, educational development, media literacy, renewable energy and the conservation and heritage of national parks. The partnership with FAPESP also started with relevant areas for New Zealand, like education, engineering, biological sciences and health.
It’s a mark of the high-quality and reputation of New Zealand’s universities’ that they all are able to enter in the Tripartite Fund and arrangements like the one with FAPESP.
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PIF Recipient: Virtual Medical Coaching
In the United States alone, approximately 800 women die each year during pregnancy and within 42 days after delivery. More than 60% of those deaths are believed to be preventable. In developing countries, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths is up to 300 times higher.
An important part of the solution is education. Globally, midwives are in high demand, with the UK’s NHS increasing their places for student midwives by 3000, starting this year. Australia is also planning to increase numbers, while in New Zealand, a funding boost will increase the number of Māori and Pacific students training in midwifery.
While the demand for midwifery training is growing, education offerings haven’t kept up. Childbirth is deeply personal, and feedback from mothers – validated by hospital staff – is that they do not wish to have extra staff or students in the room for training. With no effective opportunities for face-to-face learning, there is a global need for a realistic and scalable childbirth simulation.
That’s where Virtual Medical Coaching’s vision comes in, supported as a recipient of the International Education Product Innovation Fund. Virtual reality (VR) software will provide a safe and controlled environment for students to see and assist in childbirth simulations, both with and without complications and in a range of different scenarios. As the student improves, the simulations they encounter increase in difficulty. A machine-learning algorithm enables fast and accurate feedback to both the learner and any tutors.
The simulation will be interactive and responsive, meaning that any action taken by a student creates a life-like consequence and reaction. The outcome is that learners are taught to effectively make decisions and problem solve.
Existing options for midwifery training include a physical mannequin simulator, but this can be prohibitively expensive, out of reach of many training providers, and doesn’t offer students maximum learning hours. In addition, existing options don’t include the ability to witness mechanisms like rotations/restitutions or the ability to have back and forth conversations. By contrast, the VR simulation will be available to students wherever they are, and whenever they need to practice. The nature of the VR experience means that modern learning styles, such as asynchronous and remote learning, are well catered for.
With support from the International Education Product Innovation Fund, Virtual Medical Coaching’s childbirth simulation is on track to become fully released by the end of 2024. A beta-version is already used by some educators globally. The Product Innovation Fund is a New Zealand Government-funded initiative to reimagine what a New Zealand education can look like and mean for global learners.
Managed by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ), New Zealand’s government agency for international education, the fund is supporting a range of pilot projects from existing and emerging New Zealand education providers. Together, the projects rethink how an education experience from New Zealand can be delivered, and create impact, for global learners.
For Virtual Medical Coaching, it’s about finding a better solution to a serious issue. Like many other innovative Kiwi education technology companies, Virtual Medical Coaching is designing technology that will create positive impact around the world. It’s already successfully developed an x-ray simulation for healthcare professionals which has won multiple national and international awards. Now, with the support of ENZ through the International Education Product Innovation Fund, Virtual Medical Coaching is set to respond to a clear need for better midwifery training options and develop another cutting-edge learning product for both New Zealand and offshore markets.
More information:
- Indonesia roadshow image
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Japanese Game On English Rugby clinic a big success
The rugby clinic was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in partnership with ENZ as an offshore programme of GOE Rugby.
GOE Rugby was launched by Prime Ministers Shinzō Abe and John Key in July 2014 in response to the Japanese government’s goal to improve the English language skills, and boost the sporting capacity of Japan’s young people, in preparation for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics. See here for more details on GOE Rugby.
Two coaches were selected from GOE’s partner rugby unions to lead the clinic: John Haggart, International High Performance Manager, Canterbury Rugby Football Union; and Clayton McMillan, Head Coach, Bay of Plenty Rugby Football Union.
The two coaches jointly led the Tokyo programme. This included a rugby clinic at Aoyama Elementary School, a press conference, and a reception hosted by New Zealand Ambassador Mark Sinclair and held at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo. Among the 150 guests were Panasonic head coach Robbie Deans, Japanese rugby legend Demi Sakata, sports-related government officials including former Vice Minister Shinichi Yamanaka, and business leaders including Adidas Japan president Paul Hardisty.
John Haggart and Clayton McMillan then travelled to Sapporo and Fukuoka respectively to lead the rugby clinic, supported by the host city and rugby club. More than 100 pupils attended the clinic in Fukuoka and 234 pupils in Sapporo.
“The feedback was very positive and it was a great occasion for ENZ to showcase the GOE programme on the ground for students to consider New Zealand as a study destination,” said Misa Pitt, ENZ’s Senior Market Development Manager in Japan.
ENZ has plans for other GOE initiatives for later in the year.
“We are picking up great momentum for GOE activities here in Japan,” said Misa. “We will have more updates to share in the coming months.”
Above: At the Fukuoka clinic
Above: At the Sapporo clinic
- International photo round-up
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Around the world in five – April E-News 2022
International
ENZ online education pilot extended
Education NZ to roll over Recognised Agency scheme to end of year
International learners stay cool on studying Down Under
Universities in ‘no mood’ to rush back to HE globalisation
New Zealand
International postgraduate students treated 'like massive drain on society'
Te Pukenga shares International Education Strategy
Financial hangover for Wintec, Waikato University as international students trickle back in
MIL-Evening Report: Open letter to Minister Faafoi – an appeal to help 34 abandoned Papuan students
Host families needed in Tauranga
Dunedin firm’s education tool a winner
India
Japan
New Zealand Relaunches Innovative Rugby and English Study Programme
Latin America
It's time to talk about educational quality at Education New Zealand's first Kōrerorero
Visions and perspectives on quality education in Latin America and Oceania
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Thailand
Otago University New Zealand hybrid 2nd generation recruitment
Viet Nam
Opportunities for teachers to catch up with the wave of digital transformation in education
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Why country preference matters for international student experience
The 2025 International Student Experience Survey has recently closed. Many thanks to all providers who encouraged participation from their current or recent students.
As we grow our timeseries we aim to look below the topline findings for additional nuggets of information. For example, in our analysis of the 2024 International Student Experience Survey we looked at how a first-choice preference of study destination may impact eventual student experience.
Summary of findings
- 78% of international students currently or recently studying with a New Zealand provider reported that New Zealand was their number one choice of study destination.
- Of the 22% of respondents for whom New Zealand was not their first choice, Australia was most preferred (32%), followed by the USA (17%), Canada (15%), and the UK (14%).
- The most common reasons people gave for selecting a country other than New Zealand as their first choice of study destination was that their preferred country has ‘a good standard of living/is a developed country’ (26%), good institutions/education providers (24%), ‘a high quality of education’ (23%), and ‘good employment opportunities’ (23%).
- Country preference matters for student experience: Overall, experience scores were higher for those who reported that New Zealand was their first-choice destination for international education (median score 8 out of 10) compared to those for whom New Zealand was not their first choice (median score 7 out of 10). This effect persisted controlling for age, gender, subsector, and home country.
ENZ’s Director of Insights, Marie Clark, says that her team will be looking to focus on more of these sorts of insights for the coming year.
“With global policy changes impacting student decision making around country preference, it is important to understand how this might flow on to influence student experience and, even more importantly, actions providers can take to improve the experience of students for whom New Zealand may not have been the first choice for a study destination,” Marie says.
Recommendations for education providers to ensure a positive student experience
Irrespective of whether New Zealand is a prospective or current international student’s preferred study destination, education providers can take the following actions before and during the student application phase and after enrolment to ensure a positive overall student experience.
Prospective decision-making phase
1. Clearly articulate the benefits of studying in New Zealand, followed by benefits offered by specific locations and education providers to ensure that students have a broad idea of the New Zealand way of life.
2. Identify the key drivers of choice for your target students and if those drivers focus around country, course or provider choice.
3. Ensure that those supporting student decision-making are equipped with the same knowledge as well as how New Zealand compares to the alternative destinations that the prospective student may be considering.
Application and enrolment phase
4. Invest in pre-arrival communications, take the time to reinforce the choice of destination with both the international students and their influencers.
5. Ensure pre-arrival communications address common challenges or challenges regularly highlighted by international students of a similar demographic.
6. Consider how international students can begin to build their networks and local connections to ensure a smooth transition.
During study
7. Identify if there are a group of students at your institution, who may have been actively considering an alternative destination.
8. Look at which aspects of student experience have the most impact on overall experience and invest your resources there. For example, enhancements to living experience scores are likely to have the most impact on overall student experience.
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Flying Kiwis in Chile
The students have been living with host families and attending school in Santiago, giving them a great opportunity to immerse themselves in the Chilean culture as well as practice their language skills.
Last Friday the Flying Kiwis visited Escuela Nueva Zelandia, a school named after New Zealand and located in Independicia commune, an underprivileged area in Santiago. They talked to the students about New Zealand, and in return the Chileans taught the group the traditional Chilean dance cueca.
The Flying Kiwis have also visited La Moneda, the presidential palace in Santiago where they had a short meeting with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgardo Riveros, who was very pleased to meet them.
The Flying Kiwis programme was developed in response to the successful Chilean government-sponsored Penguins without Borders programme, which sees Chilean students coming to New Zealand to study.
The objectives of the scholarship scheme are to broaden New Zealand students’ cultural awareness, encourage New Zealand schools to build relationships with Chilean schools and to promote our school education to the Chilean market.
New Zealand is the first country to develop such an exchange with Chile, creating bonds between our two countries and lifelong connections for all the students taking part.
The Flying Kiwis farewelled Santiago on 24 June and are winging their way back to their families and friends in New Zealand.
