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New Zealand has become a more affordable international education destination, but a perceived lack of work experience opportunities remains a drawback, according to the latest survey of foreign students¡¯ satisfaction.

Seventy-six per cent of respondents rated the country as ¡°good¡±, ¡°very good¡± or ¡°excellent¡± value for money, up from 65 per cent of the students quizzed in a corresponding survey last year.

Ratings improved for all affordability components ¨C course fees, cost of living and transport fares ¨C although New Zealand remains perceived as a pricey destination to reach.?Only 44 per cent of students considered the country an inexpensive place to travel to or from, compared with 41 per cent the previous year.

The captured the views of over 5,400 students from more than 100 countries. Overall, the results showed modest improvement from a creditable base, with 81 per cent of respondents offering positive ratings on the overall experience, up from 79 per cent the previous year.

New Zealand attracted particularly strong praise for its ¡°people and connections¡±, with 92 per cent of respondents rating this aspect of their experience as good or better than good. Ninety per cent offered a positive appraisal of the education experience.

However, an increased proportion of respondents said they had encountered difficulties finding work experience related to their studies, expressing dissatisfaction with both the availability of part-time work and the assistance provided by institutions.

¡°¡®Work experience opportunities¡¯ in New Zealand continues to be lowest rated of the aspects measured and is the only aspect that saw a fall in ratings between 2024 and 2025,¡± the report says. ¡°Substantial variation in scores suggests an inconsistent experience¡­among international students.¡±

The survey was published by Education New Zealand (ENZ), the government¡¯s promotional agency for international education. ¡°The fact that students continue to rate their experience here as excellent is a credit to our education providers and speaks to the warmth of the welcome our communities extend to international students,¡± said chief executive Amanda Malu.

According to ENZ, almost 64,000 overseas students were enrolled in the country between January and April ¨C 16 per cent more than the corresponding period in 2024, and a 49 per cent increase on the first four months of 2023.

Malu said the figures reflected ¡°thoughtful, sustainable¡± growth. ¡°Our progress is not just about numbers, but about delivering long-term value to students, communities and the wider economy,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not a boom. Students are¡­having a high-quality experience that supports well-being and a sense of belonging.¡±

A strategy released in July, the ¡°International education going for growth plan¡±, outlined the Wellington government¡¯s aspiration to double the value of the country¡¯s international education sector to NZ$7.2 billion (?3.1 billion) by 2034.

Critics say the government has devoted no resources to an unambitious strategy which would fail to replicate the industry¡¯s peak of about 132,000 international enrolments in 2016, before numbers declined amid a crackdown on poor-quality private training establishments.

This year¡¯s growth has been strongest at private training colleges, whose enrolments are 41 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of 2024.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com