Photo: Wikimedia Commons
About the university
New Zealand's oldest university, and its most traditional college-town experience — Dunedin is small enough that campus life basically is the city's social life. Otago is particularly known for health sciences.
Country
🇳🇿 New Zealand
City
Dunedin
Founded
1869
Study levels
Foundation, Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Intakes
February, July
Approx. tuition
NZD 28k–42k/yr
Popular courses
What people actually study here.
Entry requirements & approximate costs
What it takes to get in, and to fund it.
Academic entry
Completed GCE A/Levels (or equivalent), meeting NZQA's University Entrance standard or the university's own equivalent assessment.
English proficiency
IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is typical for undergraduate entry, with higher requirements for some postgraduate and professional courses.
Approximate tuition
Roughly NZD 28,000–42,000 a year for most undergraduate and master's programmes. Figures vary by course and change over time, confirm current fees on the university's site.
These figures apply broadly across New Zealand's higher-education system, not just University of Otago, always confirm your specific course's exact requirements and fees on the university's own site.
Scholarships
Ways to lower the cost.
Otago International Excellence and health-sciences-specific scholarships are available for overseas students.
The vibe
What it actually feels like.
- A true college town — students make up a huge share of Dunedin's population, and the city runs around the academic calendar.
- The Gothic-revival Clocktower building is the most photographed university building in New Zealand.
- Flatting culture is central here — most students live in shared student flats within walking distance of campus.
For Sri Lankan applicants
Why Sri Lankan students consider it.
For Sri Lankan students set on medicine, dentistry or pharmacy, Otago's clinical strength and small college-town setting are a genuine draw over a bigger-city alternative.
Fun things to do
Life outside the lecture hall.
Walk (or run) up Baldwin Street, officially one of the steepest streets in the world.
Watch a colony of albatrosses at the Royal Albatross Centre on the Otago Peninsula.
Join the crowd for a home game at the student-favourite Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Opportunities for international students
What's on offer if you're coming from abroad.
Application guidance
From application to visa-ready file.
- 1
Choose your course and confirm entry requirements
- 2
Apply directly to the university with certified transcripts and English test results
- 3
Receive your Offer of Place and confirm tuition arrangements
- 4
Begin your student visa financial documentation
Once you have an offer, the documentation process covers exactly what identification, academic and financial evidence your visa file will need next.
Related guides
Documentation, explained.
Student Visa Document Checklist for Sri Lankan Students
The short version. For the full explanation of each item, see our complete documentation process guide.
Student Visa Proof of Funds Explained
The single most common reason a student visa file stalls, explained in plain English.
Common Student Visa Documentation Mistakes
Most refused or delayed files aren't refused for one big reason. They're delayed by three or four small, avoidable ones.
Also in New Zealand
Other top New Zealand universities.
References & sources
Where this page comes from.
- University of Otago · official websiteVisit ↗
- International admissions pageVisit ↗
- Hero photograph · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
- The Central Library entrance · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
- Crest / coat of arms · Wikimedia CommonsSource ↗
Course lists, scholarships and admissions details summarised here are illustrative. Always confirm the current, exact terms on the university's own official website before applying. Photography is freely licensed via Wikimedia Commons, not sourced from the university's own site.
Aiming for University of Otago? Let's make the money story match.
Campus photography & crest via Wikimedia Commons contributors. Course, admissions and scholarship details change. Always confirm current terms on the official site above before applying.