Auckland and Otago Universities have broken into the world’s top one hundred universities, with the Times Higher Education Supplement’s most recent annual survey ranking.
The global rankings were topped by Harvard University, and followed by the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford.
Auckland University was New Zealand’s highest ranked university, making it to 46th, the first time a New Zealand university has broken into the top fifty in any global ranking. Otago was ranked 79th equal with the University of Wisconsin.
The ranking is based on the consideration of five factors. These include a survey of leading academics; data from graduate employers; the ratio of faculty to student members; the university’s ability to attract foreign students; and the university’s ability to attract internationally renowned academics.
Tertiary Education Minister Dr. Michael Cullen was not available for comment, but told ASPA earlier this year that such a result “says that we have an excellent university system.”