Otago leads New Zealand in student academic success

Published 22 May 2025

The University of Otago has reaffirmed its position as New Zealand’s leading university for student academic performance, following the release of the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC) Educational Performance Indicators (EPI).

The annual TEC report measures course and qualification completion, student retention, and progression to higher study across the country’s tertiary institutions. Otago ranked top among New Zealand’s eight universities in several core categories, highlighting the strength of its academic environment and student support.

Otago achieved the highest ranking for:

• Qualification completion

• First-year retention

• Progression to higher levels of study

It also secured second place for overall course completion. These results build on a consistent record of excellence, with Otago topping all four TEC performance measures in 2019 and 2022, and three out of four in both 2020 and 2021.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Stuart Brock, praised the university’s continued leadership:

“Otago is committed to providing an outstanding learning environment. These results reflect the dedication of our staff and the determination of our students to succeed.”

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