New Zealand vs UK
For Indian students — costs, work rights, visas and what we actually list, side by side.
| New Zealand | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgrad tuition / year | NZD 30,000–55,000/yr (varies by subject; higher for MBA/clinical) | £12,000–£38,000/yr (higher for MBA/medicine) |
| Undergrad tuition / year | NZD 30,000–55,000/yr (higher for engineering/science) | £11,000–£33,000/yr |
| Living cost / month | NZD 1,500–2,500/month (Immigration NZ requires proof of ~NZD 20,000/yr) | £1,171/month outside London, £1,529/month in London (UKVI maintenance rates) |
| Work while studying | Up to 25 hrs/week during term, full-time during scheduled holidays | Up to 20 hrs/week in term time (degree level), full-time during official holidays |
| Post-study work | Post-Study Work Visa up to 3 years for degree-level (Level 7+) graduates, open work rights | Graduate Route: 2 years for bachelor's/master's (if applying on/before 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027), 3 years for PhD; no job offer needed |
| Main intakes | February (Semester 1) and July (Semester 2); some courses have November intake | September/October (main); January/February (secondary) |
| English (typical) | IELTS 6.0–6.5 overall for undergraduate, 6.5 overall for most postgraduate (no band below 5.5–6.0) | IELTS 6.0–7.0 overall (course-dependent) |
| Student visa | Fee Paying Student Visa (Immigration New Zealand). This is the standard route for Indian students who pay international tuition fees themselves, via family, a loan, or a partial scholarship.... | Student visa (the UK's points-based Student route, set out in Immigration Rules Appendix Student; it replaced the old Tier 4 (General) student visa) |
| Visa fee | Published as "From NZD $850" on the Immigration New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa page. Separately, most student visa applicants must also pay the International Visitor Conservation and To... | £558 application fee, as published at gov.uk/student-visa — the same £558 applies whether you apply from outside the UK or extend/switch inside the UK, and £558 is also charged for each depe... |
| Visa processing | Published by Immigration New Zealand as "80% within 8.5 weeks" for the Fee Paying Student Visa. INZ separately recommends: "We recommend applying for a student visa 3 months in advance of yo... | As published at gov.uk: "You'll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks" when applying from outside the UK (i.e. from India). If you are already in the UK and extending or switchi... |
| Funds to show | For tertiary, English language or other non-compulsory study, as published: "NZD $20,000 for each year, if you are studying for 1 year or more, or NZD $1,667 for each month" if your study is... | Two parts, as published at gov.uk/student-visa/money. (1) Course fees: enough to cover your course for 1 academic year (up to 9 months) — the exact amount is the figure stated on your CAS, m... |
| Universities we list | 8 | 67 |
| Programmes we list | 21 | 81 |
| Scholarships we list | 47 | 57 |
Costs and visa figures are the published ranges from official sources — your exact fee depends on the university and programme, and we confirm it free. Universities, programmes and scholarships are live counts of what we currently list, not the size of the country's whole sector.
Where New Zealand comes out ahead
- Post-study work: Post-Study Work Visa up to 3 years for degree-level (Level 7+) graduates, open work rights
Where UK comes out ahead
- More programmes with a fee we have checked against the university (45 vs 6).
- More universities live on Vibedu (67 vs 8).
- More scholarships we can point you at (57 vs 47).
- Post-study work: Graduate Route: 2 years for bachelor's/master's (if applying on/before 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027)...
New Zealand vs UK — FAQs
5 questions
Compare the tuition and living rows above: New Zealand postgrad tuition is NZD 30,000–55,000/yr (varies by subject; higher for MBA/clinical). UK is £12,000–£38,000/yr (higher for MBA/medicine). Living costs and the funds you must show for the visa matter as much as tuition — we work out the all-in number for your city and course, free.
New Zealand: Post-Study Work Visa up to 3 years for degree-level (Level 7+) graduates, open work rights UK: Graduate Route: 2 years for bachelor's/master's (if applying on/before 31 Dec 2026; 18 months from 1 Jan 2027), 3 years for PhD; no job offer needed
New Zealand: Up to 25 hrs/week during term, full-time during scheduled holidays UK: Up to 20 hrs/week in term time (degree level), full-time during official holidays
Neither is automatic. What actually decides it is documentation: funds held for the required period, a genuine study plan and a clean application. See our New Zealand and UK visa guides for each official process, fee and document list.
No. Shortlisting, applications, SOP/LOR/Resume and visa guidance are free — we are paid by partner universities, not by you.
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