New Zealand's world-ranked university

Waipapa Taumata Rau is New Zealand’s leading university and is consistently ranked among the best universities in the world. 

For more than 140 years, we have been educating students, carrying out research and working with communities, businesses and organisations to tackle major challenges, shape public policy and support economic growth. 

Our international rankings reflect our strengths, which underpin our wider impact seen in what our graduates achieve, how our research is used and the contribution we make to Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.  

• Top 100 globally 
• More than 45,000 students from around 100 countries 
• New Zealand's largest research organisation 
• Subjects ranked among the world’s best include Education, Psychology and Archaeology 
• Graduates equipped with skills and knowledge sought by employers in New Zealand and around the world 
• Strong sustainability performance 
• Research addressing the major challenges locally and globally

Our international reputation is built on the quality of our education and research and the impact we make through innovation, partnerships and engagement. 

• Excellent education - preparing graduates with the knowledge, skills and experience to thrive in a changing world. 
• Research with impact – developing new knowledge and using it to address local and global challenges. 
• Innovation and entrepreneurship – turning research and ideas into practical solutions, new businesses and jobs. 
• Sustainability and social responsibility – working to create positive impacts for people, communities and the environment. 
• Partnerships - working with communities, industry, government and international partners to achieve more together. 
• Serving Aotearoa New Zealand - contributing to the country’s social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being. 

Discover how our research, teaching, partnerships and peopleare making a difference in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

Read the latest stories from across the University on our News pages.

You can also explore our broader performance and impact through our Annual
Report, and Annual SDG Report. 

Others for related links:

Global engagement at the University

Sustainability and environment at the University

There is no single way to rank universities. Different ranking systems look at different aspects of university performance, from the quality and influence of research to teaching, graduate outcomes, sustainability and international connections.

Rankings provide an independent view to compare universities and understand their strengths.

We take part in major global rankings systems, including the QS World University Rankings (QS), Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE) and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, also known as the Shanghai Ranking).

See our latest results and how the University performs across ranking systems.

The University of Auckland ranked within the top 50 for a range of subjects in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2026.*

• Archaeology
  
• Psychology
• Education
• Sports-related subjects
• Civil & Structural Engineering
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Linguistics
• English Language & Literature

*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

In the 2025 Shanghai Ranking,* the University of Auckland ranked within the top 100 for the following subjects:

• Food Science & Technology
• Education 
• Aerospace Engineering 
  
• Library & Information Science 
  
• Robotic Science & Engineering 
  
• Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences 
  
• Public Health 
• Instruments Science & Technology 
  
• Geography

*Shanghai Ranking-Universities

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