Increased enrolment from foreign students has been reported throughout the country’s colleges, with some reporting rises of up to 36%, says Education New Zealand.
Official figures from the New Zealand immigration department show that 4,200 more student visas were issued in the year ending on 1 February, totaling 167,530.
The majority of foreign students go to New Zealand from India and China, but other countries are also catching on, with Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan all catching on to the country’s quality education system and high quality of life.
Many foreign students are opting to study in smaller towns in order to gain a more genuine experience of New Zealand, away from the major cities that may be more like home to many overseas people.