Otago ranks top in tertiary performance

The University of Otago has topped teaching and learning performance rankings for the university sector, with Otago Polytechnic achieving an excellent report for its degree students, amid mixed results for other southern polytechnics.

The performance indicators, released by the Tertiary Education Commission yesterday, are the first national snapshot of how well taxpayer-subsidised New Zealand students measured up in four areas last year - successful completion of papers or short courses, completion of qualifications, progression from subdegree programmes to higher level study and the number retained in study.

• Universities' placings fall 

The survey will be repeated annually.

From 2012, 5% of tertiary institutions' government funding will be linked to them meeting or exceeding student performance targets.

The University of Otago achieved the best results of New Zealand's eight universities for the number of students gaining qualifications and student retention, sharing first place with the University of Auckland for the number of students successfully completing papers.

Otago did not feature in the other category measured - the number of students progressing from subdegree programmes to higher study - as it does not have any New Zealand students studying at subdegree level.

Otago Polytechnic was the best-performing education organisation in the country for students completing degrees.

Of last year's degree-level students, 91% completed their qualifications, far exceeding the sector median of 70%, and topping the best university sector result of 78%, as well.

Otago, Aoraki and Telford Polytechnics all exceeded the sector median for the number of students completing papers or courses and completing qualifications at all levels.

However, the Invercargill-based Southern Institute of Technology was below the sector median in three of the four categories.

In a statement, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said the performance indicators were "another tool to assist taxpayers in assessing the value for money we are obtaining from our country's very large investment in tertiary education".

"They are a good snapshot of the respective strengths of the tertiary institutions, both at a sub-sector and individual institutional level."