New Zealand in top 20 for Higher Education System Strength

Wed, 18th May 2016

FYI, this story is more than a year old

By Sara Barker, Copywriter and Senior News Editor

A new survey out today has shown that New Zealand ranks 16th for the Higher Education System Strength, showcasing its prowess and reputation for being a higher education provider.

The study, run by Quacquarelli Symonds, analysed 50 countries across six continents. The study used four main criteria to analyse a country's higher education quality and its frameworks.

The ranking criteria

system strength – how providers perform

access – how university entrance criteria affect placement

flagship – a country's performance potential

economy – how a country's economic system affects education health and performance

New Zealand placed 10th worldwide in the ‘access' criteria, showing that it is easy for high-performing students to attend the institution of their choice.

Other findings

China, South Korea and Japan are in the top 10, showing that Asian institutions are excelling in their higher education efforts

European countries account for 22 out of the top 50 rankings

Argentina is the only Latin American country in the top 50

John O'Leary, member of QS's Executive Board, says “assessing whole systems is not just about the top universities - if it were, Singapore would be much higher than it is and some European countries would be lower. The advantage of this ranking is that it looks at the quality and accessibility of higher education as a whole." The top 10 countries by ranking

United States
United Kingdom
Germany
Australia
Canada
France
Netherlands
China
South Korea
Japan