Apparently, over 82% of ākonga feel they need more information regarding their desired academic institutions (Jafari & Aliesmaili, 2013). Alongside subject interests, other influences in ākonga decision-making include their socio-economic status, their whānau, their academic ability, any financial constraints, and the institutions themselves which are under consideration (Leach & Zepke, 2005).
When we are new to higher education, finding independent LMI on potential higher education institutions can be difficult. It is all very well reading the individual uni marketing bumpf, but that doesn't really tell us how it will feel when we have boots on the ground. The institutions can have pretty slick recruitment programmes, but gloss over what university life is actually like: how long ākonga need to wait to see a health professional (Harding & Steyl, 2022); what parking is like (Durutalo, 2023); and how much accommodation costs (Consumer, 2019).
However, there are a few global university ranking organisations which can be useful to us. Three I use are as follows:
- The UK-based Times University rankings are at https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2023/world-ranking, with the specific NZ version at https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-new-zealand
- Then there are the US-based QS rankings: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2023, the New Zealand specific rankings here https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/world-university-rankings/top-universities-new-zealand-2021, and an article about the QS rankings at https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/492769/all-new-zealand-universities-have-risen-in-latest-international-ranking
- The science-journal based SCImago rankings are here, showing the New Zealand-specific rankings https://www.scimagoir.com/rankings.php?sector=Higher+educ.&country=NZL
There is also a New Zealand pan-uni organisation, Universities New Zealand, which you can more on here: https://www.universitiesnz.ac.nz/latest-news-and-publications. They publish the Tertiary Education Commission reports, and their own. It can be helpful to understand the scale of enrollments: some of us will do better on a small, quiet campus; others want the full noise of a roaring hive.
Some Unis have specialist subjects (e.g. Massey for food tech; Lincoln for ag/hort; Otago for medicine; Canterbury for engineering; AUT for sport; etc), so that too is a consideration. further, using our networks to find people who teach at the Uni and those who have attended the specific programme at each institution, and having a conversation from those who have been there sometimes clarifies fit for the individual.
Sam
Reference:
Consumer. (2019, August 7). Student accommodation costs: Hall of residence vs renting: we weigh up the costs. https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/student-accommodation-costs?r
Durutalo, M. (2023, Junne 9). Tauranga parking: Waikato University students have to fight for scarce, costly car parks. Bay of Plenty Times. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/scarce-costly-parking-putting-some-students-off-studying-at-university-of-waikato-tauranga-campus/WOIRQQYF6VDPBJNONWV4XAUQDI/
Harding, E., & Steyl, L. (2022, October 22). Southland Hospital 'on the brink of collapse', advocate say. Stuff. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/130118694/southland-hospital-on-the-brink-of-collapse-advocate-says
Jafari, P., & Aliesmaili, A. (2013). Factors influencing the selection of a university by high school students. Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, 3(1), 696-703. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Abdollah-Aliesmaeili/publication/357826984_Factors_Influencing_the_Selection_of_a_University_by_High_School_Students/links/61e14edd9a753545e2ccc3ec/Factors-Influencing-the-Selection-of-a-University-by-High-School-Students.pdf
Leach, L., & Zepke, N. (2005). Student decision-making by prospective tertiary students: A review of existing New Zealand and overseas literature [report]. Ministry of Education. https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/7448/student-decision-making-final-report.pdf
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