Why New Zealand?

• In the 2020 Global Peace Index survey, New Zealand is ranked the second most peaceful country in the world, in terms of societal safety and security.
• The Global Gender Gap Report 2020 hails us as the sixth best in the world for gender pay parity between men and women.

• New Zealand is a very democratic country. We are ranked fourth best in the world in the EIU Democracy Index 2019, which looks at considerations such as free and fair elections and influence of foreign powers.
• We also get a score of 97 out of 100 for political rights and civil liberties in the Freedom in the World Index 2020.
• Transparency International says we are top of the class (joint first with Denmark) in terms of being corruption free.
• The Index of Economic Freedom 2020 - which covers everything from property rights to financial freedom - has New Zealand at third best.
• Our justice system is highly regarded worldwide. In 2020, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index ranked us seventh best in the world.

Innovation - it's in our DNA

Maybe it’s because we live on an island, or maybe it's our culture of free thought, but innovation is undoubtedly ingrained in the New Zealand way of life.

• According to the World Bank, in 2020 New Zealand was the best place in the world for ease of doing business.
• Our internet (affordability and access) is ranked second best in the world, just behind Sweden (Inclusive Internet Index 2020).

We're a happy bunch

• The Legatum Prosperity Index 2020 ranks New Zealand seventh out of 167 countries for overall prosperity and wellbeing. The index looks at a range of variables such as natural environment, governance, social capital, personal freedom, education, health, business environment, economic quality, and living conditions.
• The World Happiness Report 2020 ranks us as the eighth most cheerful place on the planet.
• The Human Development Index 2020 ranks New Zealand at 14th place in terms of life expectancy, education and income.

Climate

The cities of Hamilton and Tauranga boast a mild climate with warm summers (December to February); average temperatures range from 21 – 26°C.

Our  winters (June to August) are sometimes described as chilly, but rarely freezing, with temperatures from 5 – 14°C.

Explore New Zealand

New Zealand is a small yet mighty country located in the South Pacific.

With a population of just 4.7 million people, we are an uncrowded country, allowing you plenty of space to explore our beautiful landscapes and immerse yourself in our unique culture.

Hamilton and Tauranga

The University of Waikato has campuses in Hamilton and Tauranga. Hamilton is New Zealand's fourth largest and fastest growing cities, vibrant and multi-cultural it is where our main campus is located. We also have locations in the sunny Bay of Plenty region,  with a brand new Tauranga CBD campus opening in 2019!