PHOTO
The University of Otago has retained its place within the top 200 universities in the world in the latest QS rankings.
The QS World University rankings 2027, issued yesterday, put Otago in the 198th position and the second-best performing university in the country after Auckland (67th). Both held roughly the same rankings as last year.
Otago University vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said the placing proved the university continued to provide a first-rate education.
‘‘International rankings are an important part of attracting students and staff, so retaining our position among the best universities in the world is significant.
‘‘Our result reflects the dedication and quality of the fantastic kaimahi [staff] we have here at Otago.’’
The rankings were the most comprehensive of their kind.
‘‘The QS Rankings are a very competitive process with an additional 94 institutions ranked this year, and we continue to work hard to maintain and grow our position.
‘‘While our overall ranking remained steady, our underlying raw score improved to 56.3 this year from 55.8 last year.’’
Asked whether there was room to improve their rankings significantly, a university spokeswoman said ‘‘there is some scope to improve our rankings through continuing to increase our international presence and profile, and we have work under way and ongoing to achieve that’’.
Each of the QS rankings are compiled using a core methodology that employs a range of vital factors including student experience, university partnerships, research activity and faculty qualifications.
There were eight New Zealand universities ranked in the top 500, but only Massey University significantly improved its ranking from last year (230 in 2026 to 215 in 2027).
Canterbury University also moved up four places, from 261 in 2026 to 257 in 2027.
The New Zealand universities that suffered the biggest drop were Auckland University of Technology, which dropped 21 places (410 in 2026 to 431 in 2027), and the University of Waikato, which dropped 12 places (281 in 2026 to 293 in 2027).
Waikato’s medical school comes into effect in 2028.
A QS spokeswoman said the rankings pointed to mounting pressure from competitive international peers.
‘‘Still, New Zealand records the world’s highest average sustainability score and the one of the strongest employment outcomes performances, reinforcing its reputation for delivering impact beyond the classroom.’’
Earlier this year, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 placed Otago’s sports-related subjects 22nd, anatomy and physiology 36th, dentistry 50th, and hospitality and leisure management 50th.
These subjects were also ranked first in New Zealand, although there was a slight dip on the world stage for sports-related subjects, which was ranked 11th in the world last year.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the best-performing university in the world, followed by London’s Imperial College.