University of Otago
#QS #206
QS Rank
18%
Intl. students
$20,000
Tuition/yr
18,703
Enrollment
19.9:1
Student:Faculty
About University of Otago
New Zealand's oldest university, founded 1869 in Dunedin, ranked #197 globally (QS 2026) with strengths in health sciences, law, and pharmacy.
The University of Otago, founded in 1869, is New Zealand's first and oldest university. Its main campus is in Dunedin, with additional health science campuses in Wellington and Christchurch. It is organised into four academic divisions: Health Sciences, Sciences, Humanities, and the Otago Business School.
Otago is best known for its Faculty of Medicine, the oldest and largest medical school in New Zealand, established in 1875. It also hosts the country's only standalone dental school, a nationally prominent law faculty, and the only standalone botany programme in New Zealand. Twenty-five subject areas are ranked in the QS top 200 globally, with particular strength in Psychology and Medical and Health Sciences.
The Dunedin campus is one of the more compact and walkable university campuses in New Zealand, and the city is described as the country's primary student city with over 21,000 students. The university enrolls approximately 18,700 students in total, of whom around 18 per cent are international students from more than 100 countries.
World University Rankings
For Nepali students
- Otago's health sciences, pharmacy, and biomedical programmes are among the strongest in New Zealand and highly regarded for graduate employability, making them a credible pathway for Nepali students targeting healthcare careers abroad or on return.
- New Zealand's Post Study Work Visa allows bachelor's degree graduates to work for up to three years after completing their degree, giving Nepali graduates a meaningful window to gain international work experience and recoup tuition costs.
- The university offers the Global Scholarship (NZD 15,000 one-year award) and the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship (valued at approximately NZD 35,000 across three years) for high-achieving new international undergraduate students, both open to Nepali applicants.
- Dunedin has a lower cost of living than Auckland or Wellington, and annual international undergraduate tuition at Otago typically ranges from NZD 26,000 to NZD 46,000 depending on subject area, making it comparatively affordable among New Zealand's research universities for students who choose arts, science, or business programmes.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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