How to Study at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) as an International Student: The Complete 2026 Guide

Here is a number worth knowing before you apply: in 2025, more than one in five of AUT's international students came from India, 1,057 of 4,509. Auckland University of Technology became New Zealand's first polytechnic to become a university, on 1 January 2000, and it has kept that practical, industry-facing identity. 89% of its bachelor's students complete workplace experience as part of their studies.

AUT ranks 431st in the QS World University Rankings 2027, holds a QS five-star rating, and is number one in New Zealand for international outlook in the Times Higher Education rankings. Its business school holds AACSB and EQUIS accreditation, and it is 23rd in the world for Sports-related subjects in the QS 2026 subject rankings. For Indian students looking to study in New Zealand, AUT offers a central Auckland location, a large Indian community and entry rules that are unusually clear for Indian applicants.

This guide covers what it takes to study at AUT as an international student: campuses and programmes, current fees, entry marks for CBSE, ISC and Karnataka PUC students, three-year degree acceptance for postgraduates, the South Asia scholarship, and the visa and work rules that shape your career.

AUT at a Glance

AUT's other QS 2026 subject rankings include Nursing (top 225), Accounting and Finance (top 250), Communication and Media (275th), Business and Management (top 300), Art and Design (top 300), Computer Science and Information Systems (top 450) and Engineering and Technology (top 500). In the 2025 ShanghaiRanking subject tables, AUT was 43rd in the world for Hospitality and Tourism Management.

AUT's Three Campuses

City Campus (Wellesley Street East, central Auckland)

AUT's largest campus and its administrative centre, with the main entrance at 55 Wellesley Street East. Most programmes Indian students choose are taught here: business, computer and mathematical sciences, engineering, architecture, art and design, communications, hospitality and tourism, law and science.

North Campus (Akoranga Drive, Northcote)

The home of health sciences, education, and sport and recreation. This is where AUT's world-ranked sport programmes are based.

South Campus

Offers selected programmes in art and design, business, education, engineering and computing, health, law and sport. There is no AUT student accommodation at South Campus, so plan your housing separately if you study there.

What Can You Study at AUT?

1. Computer and Information Sciences

The Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences (BCIS) is recognised by IITP under the international Seoul Accord for computing degrees, and ends with a final-year research and development project. At postgraduate level, the Master of Computer and Information Sciences (MCIS), the Master of Analytics and the Master of Cyber Security are the programmes Indian IT graduates compare most often.

2. Business

AUT Business School holds AACSB and EQUIS accreditation. The Bachelor of Business ends with a capstone that can be a workplace experience, an applied project or a new venture. For graduates, there is the research-based Master of Business and the MBA, which requires five years of work experience and has four 2027 start dates: 22 February, 3 May, 12 July and 20 September.

3. Engineering

The four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and the Master of Engineering are both taught at City Campus. The MEng runs at 180 points for most Indian graduates (including graduates of three-year engineering degrees) or 120 points for students with an honours degree.

4. Hospitality, Tourism, Health and Sport

These are the areas where AUT's rankings are strongest: top 50 in the world for Hospitality and Leisure, 23rd for Sports-related subjects and top 225 for Nursing in QS 2026. If you are drawn to hotel management, tourism, sport science or the health professions, AUT is one of New Zealand's leading choices.

Entry Requirements for Indian Students

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

• Three-year bachelor's degrees are accepted. AUT says so directly in its India entry information, which is a real advantage for BCom, BSc and BCA graduates.
• Master of Computer and Information Sciences and Master of Business: at least 70%, or a B / 7 out of 10 in your final year, in a relevant major.
• Master of Engineering: at least 65%, First Division or 7 out of 10, plus advanced calculus. Three-year engineering degrees lead to the 180-point MEng.
• MBA: five years of work experience. The MBA and Master of Analytics pages do not carry India-specific criteria, so AUT's general B-average standard applies. Confirm the details for your programme.

English Language Requirements

Tuition Fees and Living Costs

AUT lists international fees per 120 points, the equivalent of one year of full-time study, with the student services levy included. Most rates carry no year label on AUT's page, so confirm the year for your intake. The MBA is priced for the whole programme.

• Work out the full cost of a 180-point master's. At the per-120-point rate, a 180-point MCIS comes to roughly NZ$74,000 in tuition across the programme.
• AUT accommodation in 2027: a studio at Te Āhuru Mayoral Drive (City Campus) is NZ$496 a week, or NZ$19,840 for 40 weeks. Akoranga Village (North Campus) is NZ$363 a week, or NZ$14,520 for 40 weeks. There is also a NZ$150 application fee and a NZ$165 Residential Life fee each semester. International students pay in full in advance.
• Visa funds: Immigration New Zealand asks for evidence of NZ$20,000 for each year of study, on top of tuition.
• Insurance: you must hold full medical and travel insurance for your whole stay.

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, so rent is the biggest line in your budget. Balancing it is a planning exercise, not a barrier — talk to us and we will build a realistic Auckland budget with your family.

Scholarships for Indian Students

1. AUT International Scholarships – South Asia: NZ$10,000 (bachelor's) or NZ$7,000 (master's)

Open to Indian students. The scholarship takes NZ$10,000 off first-year bachelor's fees, or NZ$7,000 off first-year master's fees, including a PGCert or PGDip that leads to a master's. PhDs are not included. You must be a new student with an offer of place, and you cannot combine it with other AUT tuition scholarships. It closes on 22 November 2026 for Semester 1 2027 and 23 May 2027 for Semester 2, or earlier if places fill. Selection is fortnightly.

2. International Student Accommodation Scholarship (Semester 1, 2027)

50% off rent at Te Āhuru Mayoral Drive, worth NZ$9,920 over 40 weeks. It is offered first come, first served until places are filled.

3. Faculty scholarships

AUT lists faculty scholarships for Semester 1 2027 as opening soon. Check its international scholarships page for updates.

Intakes and When to Apply

AUT has no single fixed international deadline and notes that some programmes set their own. Its recommended dates allow time for Immigration New Zealand, which decides 80% of student visa applications within eight weeks.

Applying from Bangalore and Karnataka

• Karnataka State Board is named by AUT. A II PUC student from the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board needs 75% in four academic subjects with 60% in English, the same as CBSE and ISC students in Bangalore, rather than the 80% / 65% set for other state boards.
• Three-year degrees from Karnataka universities: AUT accepts three-year bachelor's degrees for postgraduate study, so BCom, BSc and BCA graduates from Bangalore University and other recognised universities can apply for master's programmes. AUT does not publish an institution-by-institution list; your percentage and major are what count.
• VTU and other engineering graduates: the MEng asks for 65% (or First Division / 7 out of 10) plus advanced calculus.
• Visa paperwork: you apply online with Immigration New Zealand. If INZ asks for your passport, VFS Global handles it. In September 2026, VFS lists its Bengaluru New Zealand Visa Application Centre (J.P. Nagar) as temporarily closed, with Chandigarh, Mumbai and New Delhi open and courier submission available. Check the current status before you plan.
• Medical checks: stays of more than six months need a chest X-ray certificate from an INZ-approved panel physician, because India is not a low-tuberculosis country.
• Getting there: we could not confirm any nonstop flights from Kempegowda International Airport to New Zealand, so plan for at least one connection. AUT's City Campus is in central Auckland, New Zealand's main international gateway.
• Meet us in person: Falcon Nova's office is on the 7th floor of Kirloskar Business Park in Hebbal, North Bangalore. Book free counselling there or online.

Working in New Zealand: During and After AUT

• During study: the Fee Paying Student Visa (from NZD $850) lets eligible students work up to 25 hours a week during study and full-time in scheduled holidays, depending on the conditions on your visa.
• After a master's: a three-year Post-Study Work Visa, provided you studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks. Degree-level graduates can work in any job.
• After a bachelor's or Level 8 postgraduate diploma: a visa equal to the time you spent studying for the qualification, up to three years. A three-year BCIS can therefore lead to three years of work rights.
• Rules to plan around: only one Post-Study Work Visa per lifetime. Apply within three months of your student visa expiring, and show at least NZD $5,000. The visa costs from NZD $1,670.
• New from 16 November 2026: Immigration New Zealand is extending Post-Study Work Visa eligibility to NZQCF Level 7 graduate diplomas studied full-time in New Zealand, for graduates who already hold a bachelor's degree from New Zealand or overseas. That visa lasts as long as the diploma study, up to one year.
• Partners: partners of students on eligible master's or doctoral programmes can apply for a Partner of a Student Work Visa.

AUT's workplace focus fits these rules well. With most bachelor's students completing workplace experience and a campus in the middle of New Zealand's largest job market, graduates start their Post-Study Work Visa with contacts and practical experience already in place.

Is AUT Right for You?

AUT is an excellent fit if you want a practical, career-focused degree in the heart of Auckland, alongside more than a thousand fellow Indian students. It is strongest in computing, business, engineering, hospitality, health and sport. Its entry rules are especially clear for Indian applicants: Karnataka PUC is treated like CBSE, three-year degrees are accepted for master's programmes, and the South Asia scholarship is worth NZ$7,000 to NZ$10,000. Apply early, book a test-centre English test, and AUT becomes a very achievable, very well-connected choice.