The University of Waikato is a public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a second campus in Tauranga on the coast. It is best known for management, computer science, law, engineering, education and Mฤori and Indigenous studies, with a triple-accredited business school. Choose it for a top-250 degree in a smaller, lower-cost city 90 minutes from Auckland.
Hamilton, New Zealand
Official website: waikato.ac.nz
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Triple-accredited โ AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA
Ranked first in New Zealand for research quality in several subjects (PBRF)
65-hectare parkland campus in Hamilton, plus a city campus in Tauranga
NZ$32,000 โ NZ$45,000
International students, undergraduate and taught postgraduate
NZ$20,000 โ NZ$25,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on waikato.ac.nz before you apply.
Master of Information Technology
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Master of Cyber Security
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Master of Business Administration
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Master of Engineering Practice
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Master of Management Studies
Masters DegreeDuration
18 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 90
Bachelor of Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
36 Months
Intake
Feb, Jul
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 80
Waikato Management School โ one of the few triple-accredited business schools in New Zealand.
Computer science โ a strong department known for machine learning software such as Weka.
Tauranga campus โ a modern city campus in one of New Zealand's fastest-growing regions.
Mฤori and Indigenous studies โ a leading centre of Mฤori language and research.
Graduates join Fonterra, Gallagher, Datacom, Zespri and Hamilton's agritech and software firms.
Graduates can work in New Zealand for up to three years on a Post Study Work Visa.
Management graduates move into Auckland's banks, consultancies and corporates, 90 minutes away.
Engineering alumni work in New Zealand's energy, dairy processing and infrastructure sectors.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
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Undergrad
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Postgrad
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The Hamilton campus is a green 65-hectare site with lakes, on-campus halls, the management school and the new Pฤ student hub, a 15-minute bus ride from the city centre.
Hamilton is New Zealand's fourth-largest city, on the Waikato River, with lower rent than Auckland and Wellington. Auckland is 90 minutes away, and Raglan's surf beaches 45 minutes.
Offer of place from the University of Waikato
Proof of NZD 20,000 per year
Tuition fee receipt or evidence
Medical and chest X-ray certificates
Police certificate, if required
Passport valid three months beyond stay
Waikato accepts international applications on a rolling basis. For Trimester A (February 2027), apply by early December 2026, and for Trimester B (July 2027) by early May 2027, to leave time for the offer and the student visa. Some professional and research programmes have earlier fixed deadlines.
Most undergraduate and postgraduate programmes start in Trimester A (late February) and Trimester B (July). Information technology, cyber security, the MBA, engineering practice and management studies all admit for both. A smaller summer trimester runs from November for some papers.
You need a Fee Paying Student Visa from Immigration New Zealand. Apply online after receiving your offer of place, showing tuition payment and NZD 20,000 a year for living costs, plus medical certificates and a police certificate if required. Allow six to eight weeks for processing.
Information technology, cyber security, the MBA, engineering practice and management studies attract the most international applicants. Master's entry needs a bachelor's degree with a B average, TOEFL 90 or IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0. Undergraduate entry is assessed on national school-leaving results with IELTS 6.0.
Yes. Waikato offers International Excellence Scholarships that reduce tuition for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants with strong academic records, assessed automatically from the application, plus country-specific awards. Research master's and PhD students can apply for Waikato doctoral scholarships. Check the scholarships page for current values.
