New Zealand, also known as Aotearoa, in its native language of Maori, is situated in the Pacific Ocean with Queenstown considered as the adventure capital of the world. With its breathtaking beauty and balanced city life it makes a wonderful destination for tourists and students alike. Being a part of the British colony, sports play a major role in the diversity of New Zealand with Rugby being the national sport. Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Auckland are the most populated cities in New Zealand with the latter being the most popular among them. (Read: Why study abroad in New Zealand?)

Capital: Wellington
Largest City: Auckland
Official Languages: English and Maori. In 2006, it gave New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) an official language status as well.
Currency: NZD (New Zealand Dollar)
Calling Code: +64

Students who've studied abroad in New Zealand often fall short of words to describe the beauty of this country. It is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty that extends to all its universities' campuses too. Studying in New Zealand is nothing short of an extended vacation. Especially if this is how your field trips would look like:

Higher education in New Zealand is ranked as one of the worlds' best by QS World University Rankings with technology and polytechnic courses being the highlight of the universities here among others. Being culturally and economically sound, New Zealand offers a lot to explore not just in education but in other walks of life as well

here are 8 universities of New Zealand that feature in the latest QS World University Rankings. The top 5 universities of New Zealand are listed below.

1. University of Auckland
2. University of Otago
3. University of Canterbury
4. Victoria University of Wellington
5. Massey University

Although all the universities in New Zealand are independently governed by their own council but they are still public institutions and partly funded by government. Even the polytechnics and institutes of technology are state owned and offer courses which are equal to the ones offered by universities. However, these courses offer more practical approach to teaching and are career oriented. Apart from these, there are colleges of education and private training providers which also welcome international students. Higher Education in New Zealand is based on British system and the degrees of the institutes accredited through NZQA can not only be transferred within New Zealand but also with institutes in UK and Australia. The degrees range from certificate to doctorate level, each offering specialized professional strengths.

The cost of studying in New Zealand is much less compared to countries offering same programs. The tuition fee + cost of living for New Zealand is cheaper than popular study abroad destinations like the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong, Switzerland (2015 research by FAIRFX currency exchange.) An MBA program in New Zealand is much less compared to those offered by many institutions in the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, international PhD students pay the same fees as domestic students of NZ.

All the programs offered by the state-funded universities in New Zealand go through stringent quality checks. All non-university education programs need to be approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), a New Zealand government organization responsible for quality control. In fact, you won't get a student visa if the course you're planning to pursue in New Zealand is not approved by a quality assurance body like NZQA.

New Zealand has 8 state-funded universities, 18 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPS) [that offer vocational degree level courses] and 550+ Private Training Establishments (PTEs)/ English language schools that again provide vocational courses but at certificate and diploma level. The quality of education at each of these institutions is maintained on a regular basis.

Apart from the internal quality checks by each university, a central system of quality assurance audits is conducted by the New Zealand Vice Chancellors’ Committee (NZVCC) at both institution and program level.

As a result of these strict checks, qualifications from New Zealand's institutes and universities are accepted by employers, worldwide.

The tuition fees to study in New Zealand range from NZ$ 20000 to NZ$ 75000.

The cost of living in New Zealand is on higher side ranging from NZ$ 15000 to NZ$ 25000

The visa fees for students planning to study in New Zealand is NZ$ 300. 

You need not have an offer letter while applying for a variation of conditions but you must fulfill the following criteria:

1. The course is at least two years long and you are studying at a private training establishment.
2. or tertiary institution.
3. The course is at least one academic year long and you are taking part in an approved tertiary.
4. Exchange scheme.
5. Migrant Category of Immigration New Zealand’s Residence Policy.
6. The course leads to a New Zealand qualification that qualifies for points under the Skilled.
7. You are studying in year 12 or year 13 and you have written permission from your school and your parents.
8. The course is at a private training establishment or tertiary institution, and the main purpose of the course is to develop English language skills. You must also have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of 5.0 or above in the general academic module. 

1. Newspapers
2. College Notice Boards
3. Employment News
4. Online job portals
5. Networking

Last but not the least New Zealand offers the best of both the worlds- city and country life. You can access all the modern amenities and facilities of city life while enjoying the beauty of countryside. New Zealanders are most friendly and welcome people of all countries irrespective of religion, colour, caste, creed and gender.