Educational performance indicators in context

The Tertiary Education Commission has published a set of indicators to measure the educational performance of universities and other Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs). The indicators are intended to provide the public with a basis for comparison between tertiary institutions in terms of the performance of their domestic students.

The University of Auckland placed first for two of the indicators and second for the remaining two. The University is very pleased with these results, but it is also our view that the indicators provide only a limited picture of educational performance.

Prospective students and their families should also take into account the wide range of information available on university websites and in their publications.

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading University. Further information about study at the University can be found at:

Undergraduate students
Postgraduate students
International students
Secondary students and schools

To help prospective students and other stakeholders to assess what the Tertiary Education Commission indicators mean and how much reliance should be placed on them, we offer the following comments:
 

Educational performance indicators

Four indicators are reported by the TEC. They should be interpreted with caution because they are not adjusted for underlying parameters (e.g. student ethnicity, part-time vs full-time status) that are likely to influence them.

Successful completion of courses

This indicator refers to the proportion of courses or individual components of a qualification passed relative to enrolments.

The University of Auckland puts considerable effort into supporting its students to achieve high course completion rates. The University has robust quality assurance processes to ensure that academic standards are maintained and these processes have been commended in a recent Academic Audit.

For information about quality assurance, planning, reporting and review of teaching and learning at The University of Auckland visit our page on Teaching and learning quality assurance.

Completion of qualifications

This indicator refers to the number of students who have successfully completed all components required for a qualification compared to the total number enrolled. The completion of individual courses contributes toward completion of a qualification.

The University of Auckland’s high course completion rates and retention beyond the first year of study contribute to its high qualification completion rate.

Comparisons between tertiary education institutions for this indicator are not appropriate. This is because many factors unrelated to the quality of teaching and learning are likely to influence the result, such as changes in the number of new students enrolling in a particular year or differences between institutions in business processes.

Student progression to higher level study

This indicator refers to the proportion of students who have completed pre-degree study and progress to a higher level of study. For The University of Auckland, this measures progression from foundation programmes to degree level study.

The University of Auckland offers a small number of places in its foundation programmes as part of its equity objectives. The programmes are designed to provide a pathway into degree-level study, and students are selected for their potential to succeed at university. High rates of progression to higher-level study are therefore expected.

For information on pathways to tertiary study at The University of Auckland visit our page on Preparation programmes.

Students retained in study

This indicator refers to the proportion of students in a given year who completed a qualification or re-enrolled at the same tertiary education institution in the following year.

The high quality of teaching and learning at The University of Auckland, the calibre of its students and the support it provides to its students, all contribute to its high student retention rates. Research in New Zealand and overseas shows that student retention beyond the first year of study is a key determinant in successful outcomes and the University therefore includes first-year retention as one of its own key performance indicators.

For information about the student support at The University of Auckland visit our page on Student support and services.
 

Contextual information

In addition to its educational performance indicators the Tertiary Education Commission provides some demographic information about the study body, the level at which students are studying and in what subject areas.

Student ethnicity

The University of Auckland has the most ethnically diverse student body in New Zealand. It is New Zealand’s largest provider of university education to Māori and Pacific students.

The University is committed to promoting the participation and achievement of Māori and Pacific people in teaching, learning and research. It works with Māori and Pacific people to encourage enrolment in tertiary education and to provide appropriate student support services.

For information about Māori and Pacific people at The University of Auckland visit our pages for:
Māori at the University
Pacific students

Level of study

The Tertiary Education Commission has chosen to group together qualifications at Level 7 and Level 8, which combines degree level and some postgraduate level study. Other postgraduate students are enrolled at Levels 9 and 10.

The University of Auckland is committed to providing quality undergraduate and postgraduate programmes benchmarked to high international standards. A substantial proportion of students at the University are involved in postgraduate study and it is our aim to increase the number of students continuing to postgraduate level. Indeed, The University of Auckland has the largest graduate school in the country.

For information about postgraduate study at The University of Auckland see visit our page for Future postgraduates.

Student age

The majority of students in degree-level programmes at The University of Auckland are 17-25 years of age. The University also has a high proportion of students in postgraduate study, which is reflected in its age profile.

For information about support services at The University of Auckland for students at different stages of life visit our page on Student support and services.

Subject area

The Tertiary Education Commission has chosen to provide information only about the four subject areas which have the highest numbers of students enrolled.

The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s largest and most comprehensive university. It offers a wide range of subjects in addition to those highlighted by the Commission, most notably Engineering and Medical Sciences which are strong vibrant disciplines attracting a high quality student intake.

For information about the wide variety of courses available at The University of Auckland visit the page on our Range of programmes and courses.