History, Affiliations and Rankings

The University of Otago is New Zealand’s oldest university, having been established in 1869 by an ordinance of the Otago Provincial Council. The new university was endowed with 100,000 acres of pastoral land and given permission to award degrees in the arts, medicine, law, and music. The University was originally housed in a building (later the Stock Exchange) on the site of John Wickliffe House on Princes Street, but when the northern parts of the Clocktower and Geology buildings were completed in 1878 and 1879, it moved to its current location. The university is affiliated with Matariki Network of Universities (MNU). The University of Otago School of Business is accredited by EQUIS and AACSB, two of the most prestigious international organizations. The University of Otago is ranked #=194 in the QS US University Ranking 2022.

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

The University of Otago has campuses in five main centers throughout New Zealand. The campuses are Dunedin, Auckland, Christchurch, Invercargill and Wellington. The University of Otago main campus is located in Dunedin. It includes Central administration and Four academic divisions - Business, Health Sciences, Humanities and Sciences. The Invercargill campus hosts education and health sciences students, academic staff, and clinical staff. They have two sites in Invercargill: College of Education Invercargill Campus on Nelson Street and Health Sciences Study Hub at Southland Hospital. They offer over 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programs, many of which are the only ones of their kind in New Zealand.

Accomplishments and Alumni 

The Otago Business School is proud of its personnel and students' accomplishments and enjoys celebrating success whenever possible. The university has received numerous accolades, including the Best Paper Award, the Evert Gummesson Outstanding Research Award, the Sir Frank Holmes Prize, the 2015 OUSA Teaching Awards, and others. The Rowheath Trust Award and Carl Smith Medal will be awarded to Professor Benjamin Schontal and Associate Professor John Shaver in 2021. The list of achievements at the university is endless. The University of Otago has over 100,000 alumni in over 140 countries. Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, Former Governor-General of New Zealand, Jack Lovelock, New Zealand Olympic athlete, and Bill English, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand are among the noteworthy graduates.

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

The University of Otago has over 21,000 students and nearly 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff enrolled. There are 14,782 students enrolled as undergraduates. Female students account for 60% of the student body. With 72.9 percent Europeans, 11.0 percent Maori, 20.0 percent Asian, 5.5 percent Pacific, and 3.6 percent Middle Eastern students, the school body is remarkably diversified. Throughout the year, the University hosts a number of webinars, events, and seminars to assist students in obtaining employment. Deloitte, PwC, Xero, Google, and Microsoft are among the top employers of university graduates.