On this page:

• Learner enrolments
• Learner completion rates
• Learner post-study outcomes
• Reporting approaches and data sources

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Learner enrolments

In 2024 there were 443,500 learners enrolled in tertiary education, down 1% from 2023. There were a variety of learners enrolled in tertiary education, some studying on campus, online or part-time, and others undertaking work-based training as part of their job.

There were 50,300 international learners in 2024, a large increase of 26% compared to 2023. International learner numbers have been increasing since 2023. This was the second increase in a row, and they are approaching pre-COVID levels of 58,000.

In 2024, three out of four domestic learners were studying at a provider, while one in four were undertaking work-based training.

Ethnicity

Learners of European ethnicity were the largest group, 58% of enrolments in 2024. This was followed by Māori (21%), Asian (20%), Pasifika (10%) and Other (7%).

There were more learners of Asian ethnicity in 2024, up 1.2 percentage points compared to 2023.

Age

The age profile of learners was similar to 2023. A significant share of learners were 40 years and older (21%). A third (33%) were between 25 and 39 years old. But as expected, almost half (46%) were under 25 years old.

Tertiary education organisation (TEO) type

Most tertiary learners were enrolled at the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) and universities, 43% and 35% respectively.

Enrolments decreased 2.1 percentage points at NZIST compared to 2023, while enrolments rose 1.5 percentage points at private training establishments (PTEs).

Learners by TEO type

TEO type	Percentage of learners	Percentage point (p.p.) change from previous year
NZIST	43%	-2.1 p.p.
Universities	35%	+0.5 p.p.
PTEs	18%	+1.5 p.p.
Wānanga	8%	+0.2%

Learner enrolments by level

Enrolments can be categorised into three broad levels of education and training:

• Foundation education – builds language, literacy, numeracy, digital capability and a range of other skills that enable progression to higher level study and employment. This covers most education at New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) Levels 1 and 2, and education provided through the Youth Guarantee fund.
• Vocational education and training (VET) – gives learners a pathway into meaningful employment or develops their skills on-the-job. Learners develop skills that they can use in specific jobs, and that are needed by employers and industries. This covers most education delivered at NZQCF Levels 3–7 non-degree, and work-based training.
• Degree and postgraduate education – learners study towards qualifications that are academic and research-based. These levels of education are mainly delivered by universities and wananga, and support learners to contribute to the knowledge economy.

While 2024 enrolments are similar to 2023, the mix of learners has changed. Enrolments in work-based learning decreased (down 12%). This was partly offset by increases in provider-based VET (up 4%), foundation education (up 12%), and postgraduate education (up 2%). The number of learners enrolling in degree education was unchanged from 2024.

Vocational education and training had the highest number of learners enrolled. However, many of these learners were part-time. When using equivalent full-time students (EFTS) and standard training measures (STMs), more learning time and Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funding goes toward degree and postgraduate degree education. For more information see Tertiary investment snapshot 2024.

Learners by level

Level	Funded domestic learners	Percentage change from previous year
Foundation	34,000	+12%
VET provider-based	140,800	+4%
VET work-based	112,900	-12%
Degree	129,000	0%
Postgraduate	55,300	+2%

Learner completion rates

Over half of learners that enrolled went on to complete a qualification or programme. Postgraduate qualifications had the highest completion rate (71%), while provider-based education at Levels 4–7 non-degree had the lowest completion rate (56%). In 2024, foundation and degree completion rates rose, while completion rates for Levels 4–7 non-degree decreased.

Completion rates for funded domestic learners

NZQCF levels	Completion rate	Percentage point (p.p.) change from previous year
Levels 1–3	60%	+2.0 p.p.
Levels 4–7 non-degree – provider-based qualifications	56%	-2.7 p.p.
Levels 4–7 non-degree – work-based programmes	57%	-2.5 p.p.
Level 7 degree	60%	+1.4 p.p.
Levels 8–10 postgraduate	71%	0.0 p.p.

Learner post-study outcomes

Using Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure, we looked at tertiary learners’ post-study outcomes. The table below shows the percentage of learners by outcome, three years after completing their studies.

Learners that completed higher levels of tertiary education have higher rates of employment; more go overseas; and they have lower rates of being on jobseeker benefit, and lower rates of further study.

Post-study outcomes for tertiary learners

NZQCF level	Further study	Employed	Overseas	Jobseeker benefit
Levels 1–3	34%	58%	7%	9%
Levels 4–7 non-degree	33%	66%	7%	5%
Degree	20%	78%	9%	1%
Postgraduate	21%	75%	12%	1%

Reporting approaches and data sources

Reporting approaches

Percentages reported using the total response method

Learners can be recorded in multiple categories known as the total response methodology. For example, learners can have two ethnicities and be enrolled at both a university and polytechnic. For this reason, percentages may add to more than 100% because we use the distinct number of learners as the total.

New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF)

The NZQCF is the official framework used to recognise the level of senior secondary school and tertiary qualifications. There are 10 levels of the NZQCF. For more information see: About the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) – New Zealand Qualifications Authority

Education levels

We group enrolments into foundation education, vocational education and training (VET), degree education, and postgraduate education. These groupings are useful in describing the type of education offered by tertiary education providers alongside the NZQCF level of education.

For example, foundation education is lower tertiary education focused on employability skills and supports progression to higher levels of tertiary education, whereas VET is focused on job-specific skills and on-the-job training.

While these categories have some alignment to the NZQCF, they are not the same. For example, Youth Guarantee (YG)-funded education is considered foundation education even though it includes level 3. NZQCF Level 3 is normally considered VET, but not in this instance.

Cohort groups

There are four cohorts: Levels 1–3, Levels 4–7 non-degree, Level 7 degree and postgraduate (Levels 8–10). We refer to these as cohort groups. Completion rates and post-study outcome measures were designed to be reported using cohort groups. These groupings are similar to but not the same as the “education levels” discussed above. For example, Levels 1–3 and Levels 4–7 non-degree cohorts differ from definitions for foundation education and VET, respectively.

Data sources

TEC administrative data sources

Enrolments and completions data are from TEC administrative sources. TEC collects this information through its Single Data Return and work-based data collections. For more information about these data sources see:

• About the Single Data Return
• About work-based data collection

Educational Performance Indicators

TEC administrative data sources are used to calculate Educational Performance Indicators (EPIs), which include qualification and programme completion rates. For more information, see Educational performance indicator reports – current methodology.

Post-study outcomes

Post-study outcomes measures were developed using the Stats NZ Integrated Data Infrastructure. For more information, see Post-study outcomes data – technical information.