Banking on International Fees

International education is now New Zealand’s fifth biggest export, annually worth $2.5 billion. Chief executive of Education New Zealand Grant McPherson said China, Japan and South Korea were New Zealand’s top markets for international students. “They all have potential to grow,” McPherson said. He said the agency was considering which countries to focus on for future growth, with Indonesia, India and Vietnam identified as potential growth markets. Victoria University has been one of the more active movers in the international market, with 3000 of its 22,000 students coming from more than 100 countries. Like all New Zealand universities, Victoria charges international students much higher fees than domestic students – 22,000 to 24,000 dollars a year for undergraduates, compared with 4000 to 5000 for domestic students.