Waikato student cohort continues to grow

The University of Waikato is celebrating continued EFTS growth in 2026, with strong performance across the student cohort and its two New Zealand campuses.  

The University’s overall onshore EFTS are 4% higher compared to the same time last year. It has welcomed another record-breaking school-leaver cohort, 6.4% larger than 2025’s (which had set the previous record).  

Attendees at the new student pōwhiri gather outside The Pā.

Domestic enrolments remain strong overall, with the total domestic cohort having grown 6% compared to the same time last year.  

It comprises 25% Māori and 9.5% Pacific students, with the University’s Pacific cohort numbering more than 1,000 students for the first time, and Māori students numbering more than 3,000*.   

Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley says of particular note is the increase in the University’s retention of students – domestic returners are up 8.4% on the same time last year.  

“Retention and learner success are key strategic priorities here at the University of Waikato. Just as much as we want to bring new students through the door, we’re keenly focused on ensuring that all students have every opportunity to succeed at Waikato.”  

The University’s 2025 year-end onshore international student enrolments represented an increase of 52% on the volume achieved in 2024, and an increase of 32% over the pre-Covid-19 peak of international enrolments (2019). Waikato’s international student cohort numbers for 2026 are similar to the same time in 2025, reflecting continued strong achievement.  

Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley

“Maintaining the size of our onshore international student cohort has required a sustained, whole of University effort in domestic and international student recruitment, and our efforts to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.   

“This year’s figures tell us that our growth in this area was not a temporary surge, and that we’re continuing to cement our place as a globally attractive University of choice. Ours is a rich multicultural environment.”  

The University’s Tauranga campus has seen the benefit of these efforts, with its international student cohort doubling between 2025 and 2026.  

“It’s encouraging to see more international students choosing Tauranga as a place to study and live. We look forward to welcoming them and showing them what the city has to offer.”  

The total Tauranga student cohort has grown 9% compared to last year.  

The University has invested heavily in the development of innovative new health programmes in recent years, with graduate-entry midwifery and pharmacy programmes joining the suite in 2025 alongside the graduate-entry Master of Nursing Practice and popular Bachelor of Nursing programme. 

These programmes are seeing increased demand, with the pharmacy programme’s domestic student places fully subscribed.  

The University’s enrolment achievement is underpinned by its performance in the 2025 Student Barometer Survey, the world’s largest measure of student experience. The results from this survey speak to students’ enjoyment of the Waikato offering with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 23. The score, a measure of how likely students are to recommend the University, is nearly five times the global benchmark.   

“We’re incredibly proud of our Student Barometer Survey result. The opportunity to seek student insights on things like the enrolment process, teaching and learning, living arrangements, and support services; what they have enjoyed and where they think we need to improve, has been invaluable.” 

Of all students surveyed, 94% said they were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their experience at Waikato, 3% above the global average and 4% higher than in 2023.  

Students also reported strong levels of academic engagement, with many indicating that their studies encouraged them to analyse ideas, do their best work, and engage in problem-solving.