Auckland

Auckland

QS Staff Writer

Updated July 15, 2025 Updated July 15

QS Best Student Cities ranking

New Zealand’s largest city with a particularly strong score for student mix, thanks to its large and diverse student community, combined with an inclusive and tolerant culture.

Other high scores for Auckland come in the desirability and employer activity indicators, showing that it’s both an in-demand and comfortable place to live, and a favored recruiting ground for graduate employers. Its weak spot is affordability, due to comparatively high tuition fees and living costs.

Auckland is particularly well-known for its multicultural diversity, and (like most of New Zealand), for the wide range of adrenaline-fueled activities on offer in and around the local area – climbing, jet-skiing, diving, snowboarding, sailing, canyoning, surfing – pretty much anything you can think of. This is definitely a good choice for students who like to unwind by getting active! There’s also plenty of culture on offer, from classical music to the huge annual Pasifika Festival.

Auckland also ranks solidly for the student view indicator, with respondents to our student survey calling it “Friendly and inclusive” and “diverse and multicultural” with “breath-taking scenery”.

Would Auckland get your vote? Have your say.

Internationally ranked universities in Auckland

University of AucklandAuckland University of Technology

 

 To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.

This article was originally published in November 2014 . It was last updated in July 2025

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