QS World University Rankings 2026: Academic Reputation & International Appeal Place NZ's University System 5th Globally
London, June 19th: Four of New Zealand's eight higher education institutions have improved their ranking in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
All of New Zealand's universities feature in the top 30% of the 1,500+ institutions from the 106 countries and territories included in this latest ranking.
New Zealand's performance in 2026 QS World University Rankings
Rank in New Zealand 2026 Rank 2025 Rank Institution
1 65 65 The University of Auckland
2 =197 214 University of Otago
3 =230 =239 Massey University
4 =240 244 Victoria University of Wellington
5 261 =261 University of Canterbury
6 =281 235 University of Waikato
7 407 =371 Lincoln University
8 =410 412 Auckland University of Technology
Professor Dawn Freshwater, Vice Chancellor University of Auckland, said: 'Retaining our 65th place QS World Universities Ranking is a tribute to the efforts of the Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland community and its pursuit of excellence in all it does. This ranking comes in a year of upheaval in higher education in some parts of the world, alongside rapidly improved performances from peers in other regions. The University of Auckland is particularly proud of its metrics in academic reputation, faculty citations, employment outcomes and sustainability. We are proud to be New Zealand's highest-ranked university and a popular destination for academics and students from around the world.'
Stand-out achievements
A reputation for academic excellence: Every institution improved its rank in the Academic Reputation indicator, while The University of Auckland, University of Otago, Massey University and University of Canterbury all improved their Citations Per Faculty ranking. While no NZ university features in the top 100 for Citations, The University of Auckland places 63rd worldwide for Academic Reputation.
Home of diverse learning experiences: Reflecting a post-pandemic recovery in international student demand, all but one institution improved its International Students Ratio, with three in the top 100 globally and improving on their performance last year. Namely, Auckland University of Technology rose three places to 39th; Lincoln University improved 35 places to be ranked 53rd; and Massey University moved up 25 spots to 71st. That international attraction extends to academics, with all eight universities in the top 120 globally for the International Faculty metric, and six maintaining their place in the top 100. Among places with five or more universities in the ranking, only the UAE performs better in the International Faculty indicator with an average score of 100 (New Zealand's average score is 99.9).
International Faculty
Overall Rank Institution Score Rank Change
=197 University of Otago 100 53 -3
407 Lincoln University 100 55 +6
261 University of Canterbury 100 73 +4
=410 Auckland University of Technology 100 76 -12
65 The University of Auckland 100 83 -7
=240 Victoria University of Wellington 100 96 -14
Sustained sustainability: New Zealand remains highly regarded for its research and programmes related to sustainability, with three institutions maintaining their top 100 position globally for this indicator that measures environmental, social and governance factors. Of the 17 universities across Oceania that featured in the top 100, the University of Canterbury was one of only two to improve its rank, climbing a further eight places to be 78th worldwide. This is an indicator that has seen some significant improvements by a number of countries and overall, only Sweden has a higher average score (84.5) in this indicator. New Zealand's average score of 82.5 reinforces this as a true strength of the sector.
Ben Sowter, Vice President of QS, said: 'New Zealand is one of the few places on earth where all universities feature among the global top 500 in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. The breadth of excellence shown across the country's eight universities is testament to the work of students, outstanding staff and brilliant research carried out across New Zealand. With the University of Otago returning to the top 200 for the first time since 2022, the country once again has two institutions ranked among the very top tier of universities worldwide.'
Challenges
However, with a number of areas where global peers are improving at a rapid rate, there are some challenges evident for NZ's institutions.
Employment challenge: While three universities (AUT, Lincoln and Massey) improved their reputation among global employers, five institutions fell again in the Employer Reputation indicator (contributing 15% to the overall ranking), while six fell in the Employment Outcomes indicator. Given the significance of employment outcomes in students' decision-making, this is an area that requires attention, however it should be noted this is a relative improvement on last year's results nationally, when all eight universities dropped on both metrics.
Faculty student ratio challenge: While relatively small in overall size compared to some international peers, NZ universities perform poorly in terms of the number of faculty to students, with only Massey University (319th) ranked in the top 500 on this indicator.
International Research: Despite attracting relatively large numbers of international academics to work on their campuses, NZ universities all declined in terms of their international network performance, with the exception of The University of Auckland which entered the top 200 at 194th.
New Zealand's Universities improving in Employer Reputation
2026 Rank Institution Score Rank Change
=410 Auckland University of Technology 22.5 587 +93
407 Lincoln University 10.7 1020 +34
=230 Massey University 24.1 558 +27
New Zealand's top five performance
For a country with a relatively small population and higher education sector, New Zealand continues to outperform global peers in many areas. Among countries and territories with at least eight institutions featured in this year's rankings, New Zealand's overall average score of 51 puts the country fifth in the world for the overall quality of its higher education.
Top 10 locations by average score per indicator and overall*
Country/Territory No HEi ranked Academic Reputation Employer Reputation Faculty Student Ratio Citations Per Faculty Int'l Faculty Ratio Int'l Students Ratio Int'l Research Network Employment Outcomes Sustainability Overall Score
Hong Kong SAR, China 9 57.8 40.3 62.6 71.6 98.8 94.7 50.1 50.8 65.7 61.8
Netherlands 13 55.8 49.8 39.7 73.1 89.7 77.5 87.9 53.9 72.0 61.7
Sweden 8 51.7 42.2 61.8 60.1 91.8 71.3 88.8 66.2 84.5 60
Switzerland 10 45.8 37.7 63.8 65.3 97.4 74.5 78.1 52.9 71.9 57.3
New Zealand 8 46.4 29.3 22.5 57.9 99.9 77.3 62.9 64.8 82.5 51
Australia 36 39.5 34.7 16.7 70.7 85.6 77.5 76.0 34.7 76.1 49.8
Belgium 10 38.1 26.5 33.1 51.6 78.5 58.2 82.5 50.6 74.6 45.6
Ireland 8 40.1 40.5 27.2 36.8 87.2 63.7 71.1 49.0 74.8 44.8
Canada 29 35.6 34.5 20.9 51.8 71.8 63.8 74.4 50.4 77.3 44.4
United Kingdom 90 34.0 34.8 26.7 39.2 82.0 83.5 72.9 31.8 67.7 42.1
*Note: only locations with at least eight universities feature in this chart
Benchmarking against all countries and territories included in the rankings, New Zealand is placed for its Academic Reputation with an average score of 46.4, behind Hong Kong SAR (57.8), Singapore (56.9), Netherlands (55.8), Sweden (51.7) and Denmark (50.8).
Only Singapore, Qatar, Brunei Darussalam, United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg and Macao SAR perform better in the International Faculty indicator, while New Zealand's average score of 82.5 is second only to Sweden's (84.5) in the Sustainability indicator.
Among key English-speaking study destinations, New Zealand ranks lowest among global employers for its reputation but is highest in terms of Employment Outcomes. This suggests a need for New Zealand universities to build closer relationships with employers worldwide to ensure a match between the skills and knowledge their graduates are entering the workforce with and those that are sought, and that the providers of those graduates are recognised. With employment emerging this year as the key driver of student choice when choosing a destination and university, it is important that the strong outcomes are visible and New Zealand university qualifications recognised.
English-speaking study destinations in 2026
Location No HEi ranked Employer Reputation Score Employment Outcomes Score
New Zealand 8 29.3 64.8
Singapore 4 57.1 57.8
Canada 29 34.5 50.4
Ireland 8 40.5 49.0
United States 192 31.3 39.6
Australia 36 34.7 34.7
United Kingdom 90 34.8 31.8
Global context: a competitive landscape
The QS World University Rankings 2026 evaluate 1,500+ institutions across 106 countries and territories.
Global competition is intensifying, particularly across Europe, North America, and Asia:
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology retains the top position for the fourteenth consecutive year, followed by Imperial College London in second place and Stanford University in third.
The United States remains the most represented system, with 192 universities, and sees more institutions rise than fall in this edition.
Germany sees more universities improve than decline, a reversal from recent years.
Italy enters the global top 100 for the first time, with Politecnico di Milano ranked 98th.
Mainland China continues its ascent. Peking University holds on to 14th place, Tsinghua University rises to 17th, and Fudan University climbs nine spots to 30th, signaling a strong research-led push and increased academic reputation.
Hong Kong SAR is the world's second most improved higher education system in this edition, among those with five or more ranked universities. Only Ireland improves by more.
These shifts underscore the growing importance of international visibility, talent attraction, and cross-border collaboration, all areas where New Zealand universities have traditionally been strong and must now focus on to remain competitive.
QS World University Rankings 2026: Top 10
2026 Rank 2025 Rank Institution Location
1 1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) United States
2 2 Imperial College London United Kingdom
3 6 Stanford University United States
4 3 University of Oxford United Kingdom
5 4 Harvard University United States
6 5 University of Cambridge United Kingdom
7 7 ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) Switzerland
8 8 National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore
9 9 UCL (University College London) United Kingdom
10 10 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) United States
The QS World University Rankings 2026 is based on a weighted index of indicators listed below.
For further details, visit the QS methodology page.
Lens Weighting Indicator Weighting
Research and Discovery 50% Academic Reputation 30%
Citations per Faculty 20%
Employability and Outcomes 20% Employer Reputation 15%
Employment Outcomes 5%
Global Engagement 15% International Faculty Ratio 5%
International Research Network 5%
International Student Diversity 0%
International Student Ratio 5%
Learning Experience 10% Faculty Student Ratio 10%
Sustainability 5% Sustainability 5%
The full QS World University Rankings 2026 is available at www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings.
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London, June 19th: Four of New Zealand's eight higher education institutions have improved their ranking in the QS World University Rankings 2026. All of New Zealand's universities feature in the top 30% of the 1,500+ institutions from the 106 countries and territories included in this latest ranking. New Zealand's performance in 2026 QS World University Rankings Rank in New Zealand 2026 Rank 2025 Rank Institution 1 65 65 The University of Auckland 2 =197 214 University of Otago 3 =230 =239 Massey University 4 =240 244 Victoria University of Wellington 5 261 =261 University of Canterbury 6 =281 235 University of Waikato 7 407 =371 Lincoln University 8 =410 412 Auckland University of Technology Professor Dawn Freshwater, Vice Chancellor University of Auckland, said: 'Retaining our 65th place QS World Universities Ranking is a tribute to the efforts of the Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland community and its pursuit of excellence in all it does. This ranking comes in a year of upheaval in higher education in some parts of the world, alongside rapidly improved performances from peers in other regions. The University of Auckland is particularly proud of its metrics in academic reputation, faculty citations, employment outcomes and sustainability. We are proud to be New Zealand's highest-ranked university and a popular destination for academics and students from around the world.' Stand-out achievements A reputation for academic excellence: Every institution improved its rank in the Academic Reputation indicator, while The University of Auckland, University of Otago, Massey University and University of Canterbury all improved their Citations Per Faculty ranking. While no NZ university features in the top 100 for Citations, The University of Auckland places 63rd worldwide for Academic Reputation. Home of diverse learning experiences: Reflecting a post-pandemic recovery in international student demand, all but one institution improved its International Students Ratio, with three in the top 100 globally and improving on their performance last year. Namely, Auckland University of Technology rose three places to 39th; Lincoln University improved 35 places to be ranked 53rd; and Massey University moved up 25 spots to 71st. That international attraction extends to academics, with all eight universities in the top 120 globally for the International Faculty metric, and six maintaining their place in the top 100. Among places with five or more universities in the ranking, only the UAE performs better in the International Faculty indicator with an average score of 100 (New Zealand's average score is 99.9). International Faculty Overall Rank Institution Score Rank Change =197 University of Otago 100 53 -3 407 Lincoln University 100 55 +6 261 University of Canterbury 100 73 +4 =410 Auckland University of Technology 100 76 -12 65 The University of Auckland 100 83 -7 =240 Victoria University of Wellington 100 96 -14 Sustained sustainability: New Zealand remains highly regarded for its research and programmes related to sustainability, with three institutions maintaining their top 100 position globally for this indicator that measures environmental, social and governance factors. Of the 17 universities across Oceania that featured in the top 100, the University of Canterbury was one of only two to improve its rank, climbing a further eight places to be 78th worldwide. This is an indicator that has seen some significant improvements by a number of countries and overall, only Sweden has a higher average score (84.5) in this indicator. 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Employment challenge: While three universities (AUT, Lincoln and Massey) improved their reputation among global employers, five institutions fell again in the Employer Reputation indicator (contributing 15% to the overall ranking), while six fell in the Employment Outcomes indicator. Given the significance of employment outcomes in students' decision-making, this is an area that requires attention, however it should be noted this is a relative improvement on last year's results nationally, when all eight universities dropped on both metrics. Faculty student ratio challenge: While relatively small in overall size compared to some international peers, NZ universities perform poorly in terms of the number of faculty to students, with only Massey University (319th) ranked in the top 500 on this indicator. International Research: Despite attracting relatively large numbers of international academics to work on their campuses, NZ universities all declined in terms of their international network performance, with the exception of The University of Auckland which entered the top 200 at 194th. New Zealand's Universities improving in Employer Reputation 2026 Rank Institution Score Rank Change =410 Auckland University of Technology 22.5 587 +93 407 Lincoln University 10.7 1020 +34 =230 Massey University 24.1 558 +27 New Zealand's top five performance For a country with a relatively small population and higher education sector, New Zealand continues to outperform global peers in many areas. Among countries and territories with at least eight institutions featured in this year's rankings, New Zealand's overall average score of 51 puts the country fifth in the world for the overall quality of its higher education. Top 10 locations by average score per indicator and overall* Country/Territory No HEi ranked Academic Reputation Employer Reputation Faculty Student Ratio Citations Per Faculty Int'l Faculty Ratio Int'l Students Ratio Int'l Research Network Employment Outcomes Sustainability Overall Score Hong Kong SAR, China 9 57.8 40.3 62.6 71.6 98.8 94.7 50.1 50.8 65.7 61.8 Netherlands 13 55.8 49.8 39.7 73.1 89.7 77.5 87.9 53.9 72.0 61.7 Sweden 8 51.7 42.2 61.8 60.1 91.8 71.3 88.8 66.2 84.5 60 Switzerland 10 45.8 37.7 63.8 65.3 97.4 74.5 78.1 52.9 71.9 57.3 New Zealand 8 46.4 29.3 22.5 57.9 99.9 77.3 62.9 64.8 82.5 51 Australia 36 39.5 34.7 16.7 70.7 85.6 77.5 76.0 34.7 76.1 49.8 Belgium 10 38.1 26.5 33.1 51.6 78.5 58.2 82.5 50.6 74.6 45.6 Ireland 8 40.1 40.5 27.2 36.8 87.2 63.7 71.1 49.0 74.8 44.8 Canada 29 35.6 34.5 20.9 51.8 71.8 63.8 74.4 50.4 77.3 44.4 United Kingdom 90 34.0 34.8 26.7 39.2 82.0 83.5 72.9 31.8 67.7 42.1 *Note: only locations with at least eight universities feature in this chart Benchmarking against all countries and territories included in the rankings, New Zealand is placed for its Academic Reputation with an average score of 46.4, behind Hong Kong SAR (57.8), Singapore (56.9), Netherlands (55.8), Sweden (51.7) and Denmark (50.8). 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English-speaking study destinations in 2026 Location No HEi ranked Employer Reputation Score Employment Outcomes Score New Zealand 8 29.3 64.8 Singapore 4 57.1 57.8 Canada 29 34.5 50.4 Ireland 8 40.5 49.0 United States 192 31.3 39.6 Australia 36 34.7 34.7 United Kingdom 90 34.8 31.8 Global context: a competitive landscape The QS World University Rankings 2026 evaluate 1,500+ institutions across 106 countries and territories. Global competition is intensifying, particularly across Europe, North America, and Asia: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology retains the top position for the fourteenth consecutive year, followed by Imperial College London in second place and Stanford University in third. The United States remains the most represented system, with 192 universities, and sees more institutions rise than fall in this edition. Germany sees more universities improve than decline, a reversal from recent years. 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