Tertiary education
in New Zealand

Our education system is ranked as one of the best in the world. Anywhere you choose to study will be a high-quality experience because of government requirements, such as our national curriculum.

Helpful Tools

We can make study preparation and the transition to tertiary study easier by connecting you with the right tools, support and services to get you ready for day one of your study journey.

Here are links to some tools to help you get started:

Types of tertiary qualifications

TYPES OF QUALIFICATIONS

COURSE LENGTH

Certificate

6 months to 1 year

Diploma

1 to 2 years

Bachelor’s Degree

3 years

Bachelor’s Degree with Honours

4 years

Postgraduate qualifications

Varies

Master’s Degree

1 to 2 years

PhD

4 years or more

Other options for tertiary study

If you don’t think you will meet the requirements for a tertiary course, there are still options for you.

Tertiary providers often offer bridging or foundation courses to help you get prepared. A careers advisor at your secondary school can also provide advice on gaining the additional NCEA credits you may need or English language courses offered in the region.  Or, check with your agent or tertiary provider for their recommendations.

There are bridging or foundation courses available at each of the providers:

tertiary education New Zealand student support
tertiary education New Zealand Toi Ohomai
tertiary education New Zealand University of Waikato
tertiary education New Zealand Wintec

New Zealand qualification system

The New Zealand Education Qualification system starts at secondary school, where students achieve their NCEA certificates before moving into their chosen tertiary education pathway.

Tertiary Qualification Levels

Generally, a higher level of qualification will get you a more senior job with a higher salary. For example, ten years after graduating, people with Level 1 to 4 certificates usually earn 15 per cent more than the average income. However, people with a bachelor’s degree (Level 7 and above) typically make 67 per cent more than the average income.

QUALIFICATION LEVELS

QUALIFICATION TYPES

Level 1

Certificate

Level 2

Certificate

Level 3

Certificate

Level 4

Certificate

Level 5

Certificate

Diploma

Level 6

Certificate

Diploma

Level 7

Certificate

Diploma

Graduate Diploma

Bachelor’s Degree

Level 8

Post Graduate Diploma

Bachelor Honours Degree

Level 9

Master’s Degree

Level 10

Doctoral Degree

LEVEL

CERTIFICATE

DIPLOMA

DEGREE

1

Certificate

2

Certificate

3

Certificate

4

Certificate

5

Certificate

Diploma

6

Certificate

Diploma

7

Certificate

Graduate Diploma or Diploma

Bachelor’s Degree

8

Post Graduate Diploma

Bachelor Honours Degree

9

Master’s Degree

10

Doctoral Degree

Need help choosing a degree?

It can be hard to decide which subjects to study at tertiary level to help you get closer to a career you want. Use this planner to help you out.