Wellington

Clustered around a stunning harbour, Wellington’s compact size inspires close collaboration between education providers, research institutions, the business community and the government.

This highly-connected culture has led to Wellington having seven government research institutions - more than anywhere else in New Zealand - and a fast-growing community of technology and start-up companies.

A network of about 50 education providers in the Wellington region work together, sharing resources and ideas to help make sure all international students have a positive experience of living and studying in the region.

Students come from around the world to the Wellington region to study creative arts such as design, filmmaking, dance, fine arts and music.

Wellington’s population is highly-educated as well as creative: 38% of residents have a tertiary qualification, compared to a national average of 18%. They’re also forward-thinking, with 44% of the workforce make a living in knowledge-intensive industries, compared to around 30% nationally.

Whether you study in Wellington City or one of the region’s other cities and districts - Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, Kapiti Coast and the Wairarapa - you’ll be welcomed into a hub of friendly communities, creativity and innovation.

Lively, friendly and fun, Wellington proves it’s possible to have all the attractions of a dynamic inner-city culture without having to compromise on quality of life.

Lonely Planet described Wellington as the coolest little capital in the world, while Rough Guides included Wellington in its 2015 list of 10 top cities.

Believed to have more cafes, bars and restaurants per capita than New York City, Wellington has excellent shopping, lots of markets and more than 50 museums and galleries. The region hosts festivals of everything from film to rugby to wearable arts to food and drink.

One in four people in Wellington were born in another country, leading to a diverse and sophisticated cultural mix. Wellingtonians also love exploring the beaches, forests and mountains.

Choose the Wellington region for your study adventure, and you’ll spend more time enjoying your life and less time queuing and sitting in traffic jams.

Wellington is the most walkable city in New Zealand. Its universities are within 15 minutes’ walk of downtown Wellington, as are many other tertiary education providers and schools.

The capital has a clean and efficient bus and train network, with more people using public transport in Wellington than anywhere else in the country. 90% of people in Wellington live within five minutes’ walk of public transport, and the average daily commute clocks in at just 25 minutes.

Wellington International Airport is only 10 minutes’ drive from the central city.

Often referred to as Wellywood, Wellington is the centre of New Zealand’s film industry and has developed a globally-recognised cluster of post-production and visual effects technology.

Film director Sir Peter Jackson and his production facility are based in Wellington, which was a location for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies - among many other film and television productions.

You can be a part of the creative capital by studying at one of the education institutions in the Wellington region that provides specialist training in creative subjects, from WelTec’s innovative courses in creative technologies to the digital design programmes offered by Yoobee School of Design.

Technology and innovation fuel Wellington’s strong science and research sector.

The sector is led by Crown Research Institutes, which are the government’s science research businesses, and tertiary institutions such as Victoria University. Victoria is the top university in New Zealand for research quality.

Knowledge and science-focused industries consistently attract high quality workers to Wellington, which is one reason why Wellingtonians have the highest average incomes in the country.

76% of jobs in Wellington City are in high-skilled occupations - higher than in anywhere else in New Zealand. The capital also has above-average employment rates.