Ben Sowter, Head of Research at QS, stated that overall, the latest research indicates that an increasing number of employers consider graduates from New Zealand universities to be highly valuable. He said: "New Zealand's universities have successfully enhanced the skills of their graduates, preparing them well before they face a challenging job market."
QS reports show that New Zealand's top-ranked university, the University of Auckland, is placed 88th in the 2020 rankings, a decline of 3 places compared to the 2019 rankings.
New Zealand's second-ranked university, the University of Otago, is placed 176th in the QS rankings, a decline of 1 place compared to last year.
Victoria University of Wellington rose 6 places to reach 215th.
The University of Canterbury rose 4 places to reach 227th.
The University of Waikato rose 8 places to reach 266th.
Massey University showed the most significant progress, rising 45 places to reach 287th.
Lincoln University fell 39 places to reach 356th.
Auckland University of Technology rose 22 places to reach 442nd.
Massey University Vice-Chancellor Jan Thomas stated that the university's rise in rankings is due to "significant investment across various departments of the university over many years." The rise in rankings also reflects the school's outstanding performance in research quality and research productivity, as well as the diversity of its international students and staff.
Chris Whelan, Chief Executive of Universities New Zealand, stated that all eight of New Zealand's universities have maintained their positions in the world's top 500, and each university has improved its academic reputation and its reputation among global employers.