Science Explorer Interactive view Map
New Zealand

Top research institutions in New Zealand

University of Auckland ranks first in New Zealand on research quality in 2022–2025 (#267 worldwide), followed by University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington.

Ranked by research quality, 2022–2025

#InstitutionWorld rankTop-10% rateWorksAll time
1University of AucklandUniversity · Auckland #267 24.7% 10,578 #1
2University of OtagoUniversity · Dunedin #711 21.9% 5,862 #2
3Victoria University of WellingtonUniversity · Wellington #1,092 22.5% 4,162 #3
4University of CanterburyUniversity · Christchurch #1,161 22.7% 3,340 #4
5Massey UniversityUniversity · Palmerston North #1,234 26.4% 3,717 #5
6Auckland University of TechnologyUniversity · Auckland #1,481 21.5% 3,687 #7
7Springer Nature (New Zealand)Company · Auckland #1,883 33.2% 427 #13
8Ministry of EducationGovernment institution · Wellington #2,165 31.1% 502 #17
9University of WaikatoUniversity · Hamilton #2,311 25.7% 2,332 #6
10Bayer (New Zealand)Company · Auckland #3,708 75.0% 116 #25
11MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and NanotechnologyResearch facility · Wellington #3,989 14.8% 240 #12
12Lincoln UniversityUniversity · Lincoln #4,181 28.1% 829 #9
13GNS ScienceResearch facility · Lower Hutt #4,406 26.7% 353 #8
14National Institute of Water and Atmospheric ResearchResearch facility · Auckland #4,428 22.2% 407 #10
15The Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum TechnologiesResearch facility · Dunedin #5,533 14.9% 128 #19
16Plant & Food ResearchResearch facility · Auckland #5,587 25.7% 458 #16
17AgResearchGovernment institution · Lincoln #5,859 18.8% 635 #11
18Eastern Institute of TechnologyUniversity · Napier City #5,980 26.1% 161 #35
19Auckland City HospitalHospital / health system · Auckland #7,322 12.8% 548 #18
20Riddet InstituteResearch facility · Palmerston North #7,872 32.3% 215 #34
21Theranostics (New Zealand)Company · Auckland #7,893 18.0% 209 #43
22Maurice Wilkins CentreResearch facility · Auckland #8,202 24.3% 144 #27
23Statistics New ZealandGovernment institution · Wellington #8,582 19.1% 226 #23
24ScionResearch facility · Rotorua #9,875 23.1% 242 #32
25Manaaki Whenua – Landcare ResearchGovernment institution · Lincoln #9,930 21.5% 441 #15
26New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic ScienceResearch facility · Porirua #10,275 24.2% 157 #38
27Cawthron InstituteNonprofit · Nelson #11,536 23.9% 172 #39
28PharmacGovernment institution · Wellington #12,010 6.0% 320 #21
29Christchurch HospitalHospital / health system · Christchurch #13,098 10.5% 251 #14
30Tauranga HospitalHospital / health system · Tauranga #13,552 8.5% 108 #60
31Brain Research New ZealandResearch facility · Auckland #14,315 18.9% 83 #51
32Unitec Institute of TechnologyUniversity · Auckland #14,475 7.2% 302 #40
33Cancer Society of New ZealandNonprofit · Wellington #15,226 16.4% 68 #41
34Fonterra (New Zealand)Company · Auckland #17,193 14.3% 70 #53
35Counties Manukau District Health BoardHospital / health system · Auckland #17,300 10.4% 192 #82
36DairyNZNonprofit · Hamilton #17,450 24.0% 81 #37
37Medical Research Institute of New ZealandResearch facility · Wellington #17,509 23.0% 91 #28
38Starship Children's HealthHospital / health system · Auckland #17,719 13.7% 158 #56
39Wellington HospitalHospital / health system · Wellington #17,751 6.8% 193 #36
40Palmerston North HospitalHospital / health system · Palmerston North #17,769 17.6% 100 #50
41The Centre for Health (New Zealand)Company · Tauranga #18,584 15.5% 152 #30
42Middlemore HospitalHospital / health system · Auckland #18,631 9.7% 198 #46
43Dunedin Public HospitalHospital / health system · Dunedin #18,954 14.0% 139 #33
44Waikato HospitalHospital / health system · Hamilton #19,004 9.2% 210 #29
45Auckland District Health BoardHospital / health system · Auckland #19,132 13.3% 177 #44
46Physiotherapy New ZealandInstitution · Wellington #19,214 4.0% 527 #64
47Waikato Institute of TechnologyUniversity · Hamilton #19,780 16.7% 112 #74
48Environment CanterburyGovernment institution · Timaru #20,226 17.6% 91 #75
49Waikato District Health BoardHospital / health system · Hamilton #20,302 12.2% 101 #84
50Applied Research AssociatesResearch facility · Christchurch #20,570 10.3% 75 #42
51Christchurch Clinical Studies TrustResearch facility · Christchurch #20,719 19.1% 68 #20
52Ministry for Primary IndustriesGovernment institution · Wellington #20,725 11.1% 116 #54
53Open PolytechnicUniversity · Lower Hutt #21,168 29.5% 75 #58
54Nelson Marlborough Institute of TechnologyUniversity · Nelson #21,172 8.3% 61 #69
55Waitemata District Health BoardHospital / health system · Auckland #21,353 13.1% 111 #70
56Auckland Institute of StudiesUniversity · Auckland #21,404 18.8% 104 #49
57North Shore HospitalHospital / health system · Auckland #21,510 12.5% 158 #45
58Department of ConservationGovernment institution · Wellington #21,822 12.9% 93 #67
59Otago PolytechnicUniversity · Dunedin #22,019 16.0% 171 #55
60Hutt HospitalHospital / health system · Lower Hutt #22,642 12.6% 68 #26
61Capital and Coast District Health BoardHospital / health system · Wellington #22,734 15.0% 61 #52
62Ara Institute of CanterburyUniversity · Christchurch #22,837 17.5% 77 #66
63Greenlane Clinical CentreHospital / health system · Auckland #23,166 16.8% 65 #31
64Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaArchive · Wellington #23,543 13.6% 98 #73
65Education New ZealandGovernment institution · Wellington #24,533 17.5% 103 #63
66Canterbury District Health BoardHospital / health system · Ashburton #24,547 8.7% 73 #86
67New Zealand Association of CounsellorsNonprofit · Wellington #24,592 19.0% 70 #100
68Canterbury Health LaboratoriesResearch facility · Christchurch #25,051 9.4% 65 #71
69Southern District Health BoardGovernment institution · Dunedin #26,703 11.1% 68 #90
70Northland District Health BoardHospital / health system · Whangarei #26,781 10.4% 78 #99
71Manukau Institute of TechnologyUniversity · Auckland #26,884 13.7% 64 #85

Institutions above the volume floor, ranked within New Zealand on the quality composite for 2022–2025; research measures only, not teaching. The tick on each rate track is the world’s rate in this record, 16.5% — teal above it, red below; bars are scaled to the largest institution on this page.

Size against quality inside New Zealand

The upper left is the interesting corner: institutions that publish less than the national giants and land more of it in the world top 10%.

0%50%100%mean 18.1352%fractional works (log) →share in the world top 10% →University of Auckland: 11k, 24.7%University of Otago: 5,862, 21.9%Victoria University of Wellington: 4,162, 22.5%University of Canterbury: 3,340, 22.7%Massey University: 3,717, 26.4%Auckland University of Technology: 3,687, 21.5%Springer Nature (New Zealand): 427, 33.2%Ministry of Education: 502, 31.1%University of Waikato: 2,332, 25.7%Bayer (New Zealand): 116, 75.0%MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology: 240, 14.8%Lincoln University: 829, 28.1%GNS Science: 353, 26.7%National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research: 407, 22.2%The Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies: 128, 14.9%Plant & Food Research: 458, 25.7%AgResearch: 635, 18.8%Eastern Institute of Technology: 161, 26.1%Auckland City Hospital: 548, 12.8%Riddet Institute: 215, 32.3%Theranostics (New Zealand): 209, 18.0%Maurice Wilkins Centre: 144, 24.3%Statistics New Zealand: 226, 19.1%Scion: 242, 23.1%Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research: 441, 21.5%New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science: 157, 24.2%Cawthron Institute: 172, 23.9%Pharmac: 320, 6.0%Christchurch Hospital: 251, 10.5%Tauranga Hospital: 108, 8.5%Brain Research New Zealand: 83, 18.9%Unitec Institute of Technology: 302, 7.2%Cancer Society of New Zealand: 68, 16.4%Fonterra (New Zealand): 70, 14.3%Counties Manukau District Health Board: 192, 10.4%DairyNZ: 81, 24.0%Medical Research Institute of New Zealand: 91, 23.0%Starship Children's Health: 158, 13.7%Wellington Hospital: 193, 6.8%Palmerston North Hospital: 100, 17.6%The Centre for Health (New Zealand): 152, 15.5%Middlemore Hospital: 198, 9.7%Dunedin Public Hospital: 139, 14.0%Waikato Hospital: 210, 9.2%Auckland District Health Board: 177, 13.3%Physiotherapy New Zealand: 527, 4.0%Waikato Institute of Technology: 112, 16.7%Environment Canterbury: 91, 17.6%Waikato District Health Board: 101, 12.2%Applied Research Associates: 75, 10.3%Christchurch Clinical Studies Trust: 68, 19.1%Ministry for Primary Industries: 116, 11.1%Open Polytechnic: 75, 29.5%Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology: 61, 8.3%Waitemata District Health Board: 111, 13.1%Auckland Institute of Studies: 104, 18.8%North Shore Hospital: 158, 12.5%Department of Conservation: 93, 12.9%Otago Polytechnic: 171, 16.0%Hutt Hospital: 68, 12.6%Capital and Coast District Health Board: 61, 15.0%Ara Institute of Canterbury: 77, 17.5%Greenlane Clinical Centre: 65, 16.8%Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: 98, 13.6%Education New Zealand: 103, 17.5%Canterbury District Health Board: 73, 8.7%New Zealand Association of Counsellors: 70, 19.0%Canterbury Health Laboratories: 65, 9.4%Southern District Health Board: 68, 11.1%Northland District Health Board: 78, 10.4%Manukau Institute of Technology: 64, 13.7%University of AucklandUniversity of Canter…Victoria University …University of Otago
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per institution in the table above.