Chris Whelan: Universities NZ CEO on the new data revealing where NZ universities rank in the world

One expert has offered a positive view on Kiwi university ratings.

Four of our institutions have improved their standing in the prestigious QS World University Rankings.

Auckland University is highest at 65th place, and Otago is in the top 200 for the first time since 2022.

Universities NZ chief executive Chris Whelan says they're good results.

"Given the funding that we have per student is less than half of, say, the equivalent in the US and well below countries like Australia or the UK - we do incredibly well."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The University of rankings are out and congratulations to Auckland
because it's in the top one hundred. This is the
QS World Ranking World University Rankings. There are fifteen hundred
in there. Auckland is sixty five. Otago was one hundred
and ninety seven, aut bottom of the pack four ten.
It's still not bad, though, is it. Chris Wheeland is
the CEO of University's New Zealand. I Chris, Hi, how's
it going very well? Thank you?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Do you reckon?

Speaker 1 (00:22):
People make decisions based on these rankings?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Look? They do? They are surprisingly important. They basically came
into existence probably fifteen twenty years ago as a great
way of newspapers selling copy by coming up with rankings regimes,
and they've taken on a whole life of their own.
So now they're one of the few signals to students
and even academic staff about where to look to study

(00:49):
or to work.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
I mean, how much do you reckon? It plays a
role though, because when I was packing whether to go
to university or I just went to Auckland because I
lived in Auckland and it was by far and away
the simplest thing to do. Do you think people do
actually do people decide based on where they are, where
their location is if they want to go down to
Otago and get absolutely ratted every weekend? How much of
the ranking factors in?

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Then? For international students, we know that about eighty two
eighty three percent consider rankings and for seventeen percent it's
one of their top factors.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Well, okay, what about locally.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Locally less of a factor, far more likely to go
to your local university, or go with your friends going,
or go to study that thing that's only available over there.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, or your speciality like medicine. Obviously, Hey, I feel
like sixty five is pretty good for our population? Or
am I being a little too rosy here?

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Look, it's good. Given the funding that we have per
student is less than half of, say, the equivalent in
the US, and well below countries like Australia or the UK,
we do incredibly well.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Okay, I'm very pleased to hear that, Chris. Thanks so much,
Chris Whelan, University's New Zealand CEO.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
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