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Minimum IELTS score to study in New Zealand universities in 2023

With postcard-worthy landscapes, picturesque towns and a big range of world-class education institutions, New Zealand has become a top choice of study destination for students from all over the world.

If you’re planning to further your studies in this beautiful country, it is important to note that New Zealand universities require you to prove your proficiency in the English language.

Hence, you’ll have to sit for an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test and be assessed on how fluent you are across different categories such as speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Once you attain the minimum band IELTS score required, you can then enrol in the university and course of your choice in New Zealand.

Minimum scores for New Zealand universities

With 6 prestigious universities in the country that fall within the top 500 institutions in the world, there’s no doubt New Zealand is a great choice for your study destination.

As an international student looking to study in New Zealand, you’ll have to score an overall band score of at least 5.5 to successfully make it to a university there.

For more specific details, read on to learn more about the minimum IELTS requirements according to the top-ranked universities in New Zealand.

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings in 2023

One of the world’s most established metrics, the Times Higher Education world rankings assess universities based on the following five key performance indicators: teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Auckland	139	6.0	6.5
2	Auckland University of Technology	251 – 300	6.0	6.5
3	University of Otago	301 – 350	6.0	6.5
4	Lincoln University	401 – 500	6.0	6.5
5	Victoria University of Wellington	401 – 500	6.5	6.5
6	University of Waikato	401 – 500	5.5	6.5
7	University of Canterbury	601 – 800	6.5	6.5
8	Massey University	601 – 800	6.5	6.5

QS World University Rankings in 2023

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) world rankings is also another global premier ranking system which rates universities by institution and subject through academic, student, employer and international indicators.

Rank	University	Global rank	IELTS minimum requirement (undergraduate programmes)	IELTS minimum requirement (postgraduate programmes)
1	University of Auckland	87	6.0	6.5
2	University of Otago	217	6.0	6.5
3	Victoria University of Wellington	275	6.5	6.5
4	University of Canterbury	284	6.5	6.5
5	Massey University	292	6.0	6.5
6	University of Waikato	331	5.5	6.5
7	Lincoln University	368	6.0	6.5
8	Auckland University of Technology	486	6.0	6.5

Your New Zealand study adventure awaits

Got your eye on beautiful New Zealand for the next chapter of your studies?

We’ll help you successfully make it there!

At IDP, we do our best to ensure you have a seamless IELTS test process – from offering support and resources for test preparation to having 7 convenient test locations for you to choose from, here’s why you should take your IELTS test with us!

Get started by booking your IELTS test today!

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