Massey Ranked Third In NZ, Climbs Global Rankings Amid International Growth

The university has risen nine spots in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, coming in at 230th equal in the world.

This marks the third consecutive year Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University has been ranked in the global top 250, and the seventh year running in the top 300 for both overall performance and academic reputation.

Massey has also moved up one spot to become the third-highest ranked university in Aotearoa New Zealand.

A standout achievement this year is in the international students’ indicator, where Massey jumped 25 places to 71st globally, highlighting the strong return and growing presence of international students on campus.

For research impact, the university surged 100 spots in the citations per faculty indicator, now ranked 373rd worldwide, building on a 47-position rise last year. Employer reputation has also improved, with Massey climbing 27 places to 558th globally.

Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes says, “At Massey, we have been doubling down on tracking and recording our citations and linking these to impact, amplifying our strategic point of difference as a university, tackling ‘real-world’ problems and offering evidence-based solutions. A huge thanks to all the teams involved in contributing to this increase in what is an increasingly competitive rankings system.”

For the first time, the QS rankings have introduced an unweighted indicator on international student diversity, recognising not just the size but also the breadth of an institution’s international student body. In this category, Massey has performed exceptionally, ranking 62nd globally and third nationally.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Students and Global Engagement Dr Tere McGonagle-Daly says it’s brilliant to see the tangible impact of our efforts to diversify Massey’s global student community across all campuses.

“By expanding into non-traditional markets and actively exploring opportunities in Africa, we’re broadening our reach and deepening our connections. Massey continues to lead the way for New Zealand in transnational education, strengthening the diversity and resilience of our enrolments for the future.”

For this ranking round, QS considered 8,467 institutions in 106 locations, which was 2,800 more than last year. Indicators assessed included academic and employer reputation, faculty student ratio, international research network, employment outcomes and sustainability.

A total of 19.8 million publications, 200 million citations, 1.5 million academic nominations and 520,000 employer nominations were assessed for the rankings.

Full information about the 2026 QS World University Rankings can be found here: https://www.topuniversities.com/qs-world-university-rankings

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