The University of Otago has returned to the top 200 in the QS World University Ranking for the first time since 2022.
Otago rose to 197th in the rankings, following last year's placing of 214th, finishing with an overall score of 55.8.
The University of Canterbury came in at number 261 with an overall score of 49.4.
Otago, however, was one of four New Zealand universities to improve its ranking.
More than 1500 institutions in 106 countries are ranked, based on measures including a survey of academic reputation, staff to student ratios and citations of lecturers' research.
The University of Auckland was New Zealand's highest-ranked institution in 65th place, with the other seven universities ranked between 197 and 410.
Massey, Victoria and AUT also improved their rankings.
Considered as a university system, New Zealand's universities performed well, the ranking said.
"Among countries and territories with at least eight institutions featured in this year's rankings, New Zealand's overall average score of 51 puts the country fifth in the world for the overall quality of its higher education," it said.
Only Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland had better-performing university systems.
The ranking placed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) first for the 14th consecutive year followed by Imperial College London and Stanford University.
Other ranking systems last year placed New Zealand universities lower in their league tables.
In the THE ranking they ranged from 152nd to a band of 501-600th place, while in the Academic Ranking of World Universities they ranged from a top placing in the 201-300 band to a bottom placing of 801-900.
- APL/RNZ
