Study in New Zealand - Studying at an ITP versus university

New Zealand, an island country, is not just famous as a tourist destination but has occupied a prominent place in providing quality education to the students’ world over. New Zealand’s educational institutions have ranked among top 500 education providers in the world. Mainly, there are three types of educational institutions in New Zealand, these include: universities, ITPs and private tertiary providers. Here, we will compare first two categories and look upon the facilities and benefits they provide to the students.

Firstly, let us talk about the scenario of Universities – Universities hold a prominent position and grab a lot of attention worldwide as these universities have featured in QS World Top 500 University Rankings and have earned a place in World’s Top 50 ranks in 18 subjects encompassing Finance and Accounting, Law, Engineering, Psychology, etc.

Universities offer various bachelors, diploma, postgraduate and doctoral level programs with specialization in a number of courses. These are the tertiary education providers with specific requirements for different courses. Some undergraduate courses require entrance exams while there is no such specific exam requirement for master’s level.

To study in New Zealand at a university, the average annual cost will come in the range of NZ$25,000 – 29,000 for a Bachelor’s program while the cost will be higher up to NZ$38,000 – 45,000. In PhD programs, the course fee remains same for international students as for local students while in some courses, PhD education is provided free of cost and even stipend is provided on that. Universities also provide research opportunities under the guidance of experts and professionals.

These public institutions of NZ are partly funded by government. The renowned universities of New Zealand provide scholarships to scholarly students. They allow internships with or without stipend to enhance the learning experience of students. The campuses are well-equipped with laboratories, workshops, kitchens, health clinics, field practice and much more.

The famous universities are AUT University, Lincoln University, Massey University, The University of Auckland, The University of Otago, Victoria University, etc.

The students opting to study in New Zealand in research based programs, universities form a better preference.

Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITP)

To students opting for study abroad, ITPs in New Zealand is a reputed option, since these institutions emphasize over practicum understanding of the concept and help students attain a wider perspective in performance. These institutions work upon creating such personnel which can be readily employed after attaining degree from the polytechnic institution.

There are a total of 18 ITPs in New Zealand namely, Aoraki polytechnic, Bay of Plenty polytechnic, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, Northtec, Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and so on. ITPs are highly considerate of providing quality education to their students. They have made inordinate efforts to enhance the learning experience of students. The unique infrastructural facilities, hybrid teaching modes, low classroom strength and timely conduct of workshops that imitate industry set-up, and professional mannerism; all are factors are given plenty of importance.

Considering the cost factor, The ITPs cost comparatively less as they charge about NX$ 17,000 for a Bachelor’s degree and NZ$ 21,500 for a Master’s degree. They provide specialization in a number of courses. If one looks for a specialization into a particular field, ITPs are a great choice.

ITPs and Universities both have their own benefits, there are some courses which are offered by both kind of institutions and it completely depends on personal discretion to choose among the two. For gaining specialization into a particular field for attaining job, ITPs are preferred while for research opportunities, universities have the edge.

The students looking for study abroad options can contact West Highlander Career Counselors. West Highlander is a signatory of pastoral care for international students; hence welfare of student is very important to us. We offer transparent and unbiased guidance to students. Ms. Parwinder Kaur, a key person at West Highlander, is a licensed immigration adviser by IAA since 2010. Please feel free to contact us for free and grab up to date information regarding study in New Zealand.