I’m a 5th year medical student at The University of Auckland, and for studying medicine in New Zealand, the major distinction depends on whether you’re a domestic or international student.

** All costs in this post are in NZD.

Domestic Students
The University of Auckland’s tuition fees are about $14-15k/year, and just over $15k/year at The University of Otago. The first year is slightly cheaper at both Universities given it is a pre-med degree rather than medicine itself.

It’s also important to note that domestic students in New Zealand have access to StudyLink’s Student Loans which cover tuition fees, course-related fees and living costs, all of which have zero interest while studying. Depending on the income of your parents, you may also be eligible for StudyLink’s Student Allowance which provides weekly payments to help support your study without needing to pay back this money.

International Students
The University of Otago costs about $30k for the first year, $70k/year for years 2-3 and $80k/year for years 4-6, while The University of Auckland costs about $32k for the first year and about $73k/year onwards. International students are not eligible for the student loan or student allowance.