Victoria University of Wellington (Te Herenga Waka) was founded in 1897 in New Zealand’s capital, and its campuses sit close to Parliament, government departments, the courts and the city’s creative industries. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 241st in the world and fourth in New Zealand. It’s known for law, public policy, international relations, the humanities, creative writing, architecture and design, and earth and environmental sciences.
Victoria uses the same academic entry criteria for all its bachelor’s degrees, so getting in is mostly about meeting the requirements and applying on time. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Victoria’s own guidance and official New Zealand government information.
1. Choose your degree and majors
Victoria’s bachelor’s degrees include Arts, Commerce, Science, Laws, Engineering with Honours, Architectural Studies, Design Innovation, Music and Health. Many let you combine majors, or study two degrees together as a conjoint, so you can keep your options open in your first year. In Law, you take introductory law courses in your first year alongside courses in other subjects, and places in the later years of the Bachelor of Laws are limited and based on your results.
2. Check the academic entry requirements
All bachelor’s degrees share the same academic criteria. You need a recognised high school qualification, a recognised foundation programme or at least a year of university-level study. For example, the IB Diploma needs at least 24 points, and Cambridge International needs three A Level passes, with at least one at grade C or higher (or grade C or higher in all three if you studied in the UK). Victoria publishes the requirements for other countries’ qualifications on its website. Victoria University of Wellington: entry requirements.
3. Apply by the trimester deadline
Victoria teaches in trimesters. You can apply at any time, but to start in Trimester 1 (February), apply by 8 December. For Trimester 2 (July), the deadline is 1 May, and for Trimester 3 (November), it’s 1 September. Applications after these dates are assessed case by case. Some postgraduate programmes, such as the Master of Conservation Biology (1 October) and several psychology and teaching programmes (1 November), close earlier. Victoria University of Wellington: dates and deadlines.
4. Apply online through Pūaha, with no application fee
You create an account on Pūaha, Victoria’s student portal, and complete your application online, or an approved agent can apply for you. There’s no application fee for international students. You’ll be asked for certified copies of your academic documents, so prepare them early, and include any previous university study if you’d like to apply for credit transfer.
5. Meet the English requirement
The standard requirement for bachelor’s degrees is IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5, or an equivalent score in another accepted test. Early Childhood Education and Midwifery ask for 7.0 with no band below 7.0. If you don’t meet the requirement yet, you can get a conditional offer and take Victoria’s English for Academic Purposes programme. Test results are usually valid for two years. Practise with our free IELTS, TOEFL and PTE practice tests.
6. Consider Foundation Studies if you need it
If your school qualification doesn’t meet the entry requirements, Victoria’s Foundation Studies programme can help you meet both the academic and English requirements, and completing it successfully guarantees you entry into undergraduate study. Victoria also accepts students who complete approved partnership and pathway programmes.
7. Take advantage of automatic scholarships
New international students starting a bachelor’s degree on campus are considered automatically for the VUW Undergraduate International Scholarship, worth NZ$15,000 towards first-year tuition fees. You don’t need to apply: you’ll find out in your Offer of Place. International school leavers who have studied in New Zealand may also qualify for the International School-Leaver Excellence Scholarship of NZ$10,000 for their second year. The Tongarewa International Scholarship gives new international students partial awards of up to NZ$10,000. See our 50 sample SOPs for help with scholarship statements.
8. Understand the fees
Victoria charges tuition for each point you study, and a full year is usually 120 points. For 2027, the estimated international fees for a full year are NZ$37,483 for Humanities and Social Sciences, NZ$39,798 for Commerce, NZ$43,802 for Law, NZ$42,892 for Science, NZ$47,137 for Architecture and NZ$49,237 for Engineering. Compulsory student fees are extra, and fees are reviewed every year. Victoria University of Wellington: fees for international students.
9. Accept your offer and apply for your student visa
Once you’ve accepted your offer of place from Victoria University of Wellington, you can apply online for a Fee Paying Student Visa, which costs from NZ$850 and can be issued for up to four years. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) asks you to apply at least three months before you travel, because October to March is its busiest period. You’ll need to show that you’ve paid your tuition fees for one year (or for the whole course, if it’s shorter), although if you apply from outside New Zealand you can wait to pay until INZ approves your visa in principle. You must also show at least NZ$20,000 for each year of study for your living costs, or have an acceptable sponsor, as well as medical and travel insurance for your whole stay, and you may need a chest X-ray and police certificates. You can apply with a conditional offer, but you’ll need an unconditional offer before your visa can be granted. Immigration New Zealand: Fee Paying Student Visa.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
Most student visas let you work up to 25 hours a week during term and full-time in scheduled holidays. Since 1 April 2026, the adult minimum wage has been NZ$23.95 an hour. After graduating, you can apply once for a Post-Study Work Visa, which gives you open work rights for up to three years. A master’s or doctoral degree, if you studied in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks, gives you three years, and a bachelor’s degree usually gives you a visa as long as the time you spent studying for it. You must apply within three months of your student visa expiring (six months after a doctorate) and show at least NZ$5,000 to support yourself. From 16 November 2026, Indian graduates with a New Zealand PhD will be able to get a visa of up to four years under the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. Jobs on the Green List of occupations in demand can lead to residence. Victoria University of Wellington’s careers service can help you find part-time work, internships and graduate jobs. Immigration New Zealand: Post-Study Work Visa.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at Victoria?
Postgraduate programmes, including honours years, postgraduate diplomas and master’s degrees, have their own entry requirements, and some have early deadlines. PhD applications use a separate application system, and you’ll need a research proposal and a supervisor. International doctoral students who live in New Zealand currently pay the same tuition fees as New Zealand students, which makes a PhD here unusually affordable, but check the current rules, because this policy can change. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one university to give yourself options. Read our guides to the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, Massey University and the University of Canterbury. Our guide to studying in New Zealand explains how the New Zealand system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Victoria University of Wellington’s official admissions, entry requirements, fees and scholarship pages, Immigration New Zealand and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on Victoria University of Wellington’s international website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Victoria University of Wellington.