The 2025 International Student Experience Survey, released by Education New Zealand, reveals that 87% of international students rated their overall experience positively – upholding the steady rise in satisfaction seen last year (86%).
The proportion of students who rated their experience as ‘excellent’ rose to 43%, a 2% increase from the previous year.
“This is encouraging news for New Zealand. 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 Amanda Malu, chief executive, Education New Zealand.
The survey of 5,420 participants, across all education subsectors and stages of study, comes as New Zealand benefits from an increase in international student numbers.
Between January and April 2025, 63,610 international students were enrolled with New Zealand education providers, a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2024 (54,690), and a 49% increase on 2023 (42,700).
All education subsectors saw growth, with Private Training Establishments (PTEs) showing the strongest increase at +41% compared to 2024.
“We’re seeing a steady and encouraging recovery in international education. It’s not a boom, but a sign that our collective efforts are making a difference. What matters most is that students are not just coming to New Zealand, they’re having a high-quality experience that supports wellbeing and a sense of belonging,” said Malu.
“Under the International Education Going for Growth Plan, we’re focused on thoughtful, sustainable growth. These insights help us ensure that our progress is not just about numbers, but about delivering long-term value to students, communities, and the wider economy,” she continued.
In July 2025, the New Zealand government launched the plan, as part of its broader Going for Growth strategy, which was released in January 2025. Goals include increasing international student enrolments to 119,000 by 2034 and doubling the sector’s value from NZ$3.6 billion to NZ$7.2 billion.
A raft of changes have also been announced, including upping the number of hours overseas students can work and study visas being linked to education providers – the latter which caught the attention of some stakeholders in Australia, who have been lobbying for similar measures.
China and India remain New Zealand’s top source markets, followed by Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, USA, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Germany. Notably, Sri Lanka rose to fifth place (from ninth), and Nepal to seventh (from 11th).
The survey showed that respondents were most positive about the people and connections they made in New Zealand (92%), the quality of their education (90%), their arrival and orientation experience (89%), the ease of making study arrangements (87%), and their overall living experience (87%).
Elsewhere, international students’ experiences of making study arrangements have notably improved, with 80% of students rating their experience with the visa application process positively (up from 78% in 2024), and 74% positively rating the time taken to get their visa (up from 64%).
The survey also shows an increasing proportion of international students regard New Zealand as offering good value for money, with positive perceptions rising from 65% to 76%.
We’re seeing a steady and encouraging recovery in international education. It’s not a boom, but a sign that our collective efforts are making a difference
Amanda Malu, Education New Zealand
Marie Clark, director of insights and performance at Education New Zealand, said the results help to build a “meaningful picture” of student experience over time.
“It remains the only national survey focused on international student experience in all subsectors in New Zealand. The ability to break down insights by variables like country, sector, and gender makes the dataset especially useful,” said Clark.
