The University of Auckland (Waipapa Taumata Rau) is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest and leading university. The name Waipapa Taumata Rau, gifted to the University by local Māori iwi (tribe) Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, refers to the ‘place of many peaks’ – places to strive for, ascend to and succeed.
Nestled in the heart of New Zealand's most diverse city, the University of Auckland proudly stands as a beacon of educational excellence, catering to a diverse community of 46,000 students. Our recent ascension to 68th place in the 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings is a compelling testament to the exceptional quality of our teaching, learning, and research environments. Furthermore, it is with great pride that we can announce our exclusive status as the only New Zealand university to be featured in the top 100 of the prestigious QS World University Rankings.
Our award-winning teachers are committed to helping students get the most out of their studies and achieve their goals. With strengths in a wide range of disciplines, and a commitment to the research collaboration and impact that this breadth enables, the University offers the highest quality of education. In the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject, we ranked in the top 50 for 8 of our subjects, with a further 12 subjects ranked in the top 100.
Reflecting the University’s commitment to sustainability and making a positive social impact through our partnerships, research, teaching, operations, community engagement and knowledge transfer, the University of Auckland has maintained a top place (12th) in the Global Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2023 acknowledging progress made towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Much of the University’s special character is conferred by our place in the Pacific and by acknowledging the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi. Our international students come from more than 120 different countries and make up almost half of our doctoral candidates. The University has a wide network of global partnerships and formal agreements with more than 300 universities and in 34 countries, reflecting our commitment to international research and scholarship ranking 18th in the 2023 Times Higher Education’s most international universities.
The University hosts four of New Zealand’s 10 National Centres for Research Excellence: the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Ngā Pae o te Maramatanga related to research on New Zealand’s Indigenous Māori, Te Pūnaha Matatini, and Healthy Hearts for Aotearoa New Zealand. Large scale research institutes include the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and the Liggins Institute, the University also hosts the New Zealand Centre for Latin American Studies and the North Asia Centre for Asia Pacific Excellence (CAPE).