NZ Medical School Rankings 2027

Which is the best university for medicine in New Zealand?

On NextGen MedPrep's NGMP Score for 2027 entry, which reflects standing in the QS, Times Higher Education and ShanghaiRanking (ARWU) global subject rankings, the University of Auckland scores 82.0 out of 100 and the University of Otago 73.7. All 3 New Zealand medical schools are listed below: 2 carry a score and 1 is shown inline as not yet ranked (no graduating cohort, so no global subject-ranking position yet).

Neither is objectively "better" — both Auckland and Otago produce MCNZ-registered doctors via a six-year MBChB, and the right choice depends on the applicant's profile. Otago (via Health Sciences First Year) selects almost purely on academic rank with no interview, so it suits consistent exam performers. Auckland weights GPA (60%), UCAT-ANZ (15%) and an online MMI (25%), so it rewards strong communicators as well as academics, and runs the MAPAS and RRAS equity pathways. Location matters too: Otago splits clinical years across Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington, while Auckland is based on its City Campus.

New Zealand has two medical schools admitting today — the University of Auckland and the University of Otago — with a third, the University of Waikato, taking its first intake in 2028. With so few MBChB programmes there is no meaningful league table, so this is an honest head-to-head comparison on the dimensions that actually differ: entry pathway, the role of UCAT-ANZ, interview format, places and campus.

Both schools are accredited by the Medical Council of New Zealand to the same standard. For the full admissions walkthrough see how to get into medical school in NZ.

Compare Auckland vs Otago

Admitting now (3rd from 2028)

317

Auckland domestic places

Years to MBChB

School-leaver direct entry

Why this is a comparison, not a league table

Unlike the UK's 40-plus medical schools, New Zealand currently has two: the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. Both award a six-year MBChB and both are accredited by the Australian Medical Council on behalf of the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) to the same standard. Auckland has 317 domestic places plus up to 30 international; Otago's intake is capped by Government and was funded at 312 places in the Ministry of Health's March 2025 factsheet, with extra places phasing in at both. Ranking one above the other would be misleading.

Instead, this page compares them side by side on the factors that genuinely differ and that should drive your choice: the entry pathway (HSFY at Otago versus the Auckland gateway year), how each weights UCAT-ANZ, the interview format, campus structure and equity pathways. The right school is the one that fits your profile, not the one with a higher imaginary rank.

A third school is coming. The University of Waikato's New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine was given Government approval in 2025 and takes its first intake of 120 students in 2028, with applications opening mid-2027. It sits outside this comparison because it is a different kind of programme: a four-year graduate-entry MD selecting on GAMSAT rather than UCAT-ANZ, with no gateway first year, one year in Hamilton and three years based in regional communities across Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki/Whanganui, Hawke's Bay and Nelson/Marlborough. Waikato states its entry requirements remain indicative until accreditation is complete.

Ranked by the NGMP Score, 2027 Entry

The same 0–100 NGMP Score NextGen MedPrep uses everywhere else — each school's standing across the QS, Times Higher Education and ShanghaiRanking (ARWU) global subject rankings — with its TrueScore UCAT-ANZ alongside. With so few schools this is a short table, not a true league table. Waikato is listed but not yet ranked: it has no graduating cohort and therefore no global subject-ranking position, and it uses GAMSAT rather than UCAT-ANZ — the head-to-head comparison below is what should actually decide your choice.

#	School	Location	NGMP Score/100	Predicted UCAT-ANZ using TrueScore
1	University of Auckland — Medicine (MBChB)University of Auckland — Medicine (MBChB) How to get in	Auckland	82.0	2300standard
2	University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB)University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) How to get in	Dunedin	73.7	1750threshold
—	University of Waikato — New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (MD)University of Waikato — New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (MD) How to get in	Hamilton	Not yet ranked — no graduating cohort, so no global subject-ranking position yet	—

1University of Auckland — Medicine (MBChB)University of Auckland — Medicine (MBChB) How to get in
Location
Auckland
NGMP Score /100
82.0
Predicted UCAT-ANZ TrueScore
2300standard
2University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB)University of Otago — Medicine (MBChB) How to get in
Location
Dunedin
NGMP Score /100
73.7
Predicted UCAT-ANZ TrueScore
1750threshold
—University of Waikato — New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (MD)University of Waikato — New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (MD) How to get in
Location
Hamilton
NGMP Score /100
Not yet ranked — no graduating cohort, so no global subject-ranking position yet
Predicted UCAT-ANZ TrueScore
—

NGMP Score (0–100) is the Quality Consensus of each school's QS, THE and ARWU global subject positions. TrueScore is NextGen MedPrep's predicted UCAT-ANZ (/2700): Auckland weights it ~15% (a competitive standard bar), while Otago uses it only as a pass/fail threshold gate, not a competitive target.

Auckland vs Otago, 2027 Entry

Both of New Zealand's medical schools side by side on the dimensions that matter. Neither column is “the winner” — read across each row to see which programme suits your strengths.

Dimension	University of Auckland	University of Otago
Awarding faculty	Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (FMHS)	Otago Medical School (OMS)
Degree	MBChB — 6 years full-time	MBChB — 6 years full-time
Gateway / entry pathway	First Year at Auckland: BBiomedSc, BHSc or a BSc health major (standardised guaranteed entry score of 200 for school leavers from 2027), then 8 prescribed courses, 7 of which count toward the eligibility GPA	Health Sciences First Year (HSFY): 7 prescribed papers at the Dunedin campus, plus the HSFY English Diagnostic or ENGL 128
Selection method	GPA 60% + online MMI 25% + UCAT-ANZ 15%, combined as z-scores; the ranking GPA uses only the four core courses (BIOSCI 107, CHEM 110, POPLHLTH 111, MEDSCI 142)	Academic rank only — no interview for the HSFY or Graduate categories. HSFY rank is the average of your best 7 paper marks
UCAT-ANZ role (2027 entry)	Weighted 15% of final ranking, using all four section scale scores including SJT. Replaced by Casper (50%) from 2028 entry	Threshold gate only (VR at or above 20th pct AND SJT at or above 10th pct); does not affect rank once cleared. Required of international applicants too from 2027 entry
Interview	Online asynchronous MMI via Kira Talent — 8 stations of 3.5 min (7 assessed), 30s read + 3 min recorded response, one fixed nationwide sitting	No interview (HSFY/Graduate); the Alternative category uses a Zoom interview about eight weeks after its 1 May close
Places	317 domestic + up to 30 international = 347 (2027 Programme Limitations); 73 RRAS and 127 MAPAS/UTAS places sit inside the 317	Capped by Government; 312 funded places in the Ministry of Health's March 2025 factsheet. 2026 entry accepted 254 through HSFY (incl. 25 international) plus Graduate and Alternative admissions
Clinical campuses (Years 4–6)	Auckland City Campus throughout	University-assigned: Dunedin, Christchurch or Wellington
Equity / sub-schemes	MAPAS (Māori & Pacific); RRAS (regional rural)	Te Kauae Parāoa — Māori, NZRIPO (Indigenous Pacific), Socioeconomic Equity, Refugee Background and NZ Rural Origins groups, each ranked in its own sub-pool
Graduate pathway	Graduate entry: a NZ degree, postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma completed within 5 years, GPA ≥6.0; UCAT-ANZ required for 2027 entry	Graduate category (first NZ degree within 3 years, weighted GPA ≥5, UCAT-ANZ required) and Alternative category (NZ-domestic only, allied-health or other graduates, interview, no UCAT)

For 2028 entry, Auckland replaces UCAT-ANZ with CASPer. Otago BDS (dentistry) removed UCAT-ANZ from 2025 — see the NZ dental school comparison.

Which school fits which applicant

Choose Otago (HSFY)

Academic-first

A consistent exam performer who thrives in a structured, high-volume science year and prefers to avoid an interview at selection. HSFY selects almost purely on academic rank — every mark counts. Be ready for university-assigned clinical years in Dunedin, Christchurch or Wellington.

Choose Auckland (First Year)

Balanced profile

A strong communicator as well as an academic performer who wants to stay in Auckland. Selection blends GPA (60%), UCAT-ANZ (15%) and an online MMI (25%), so interpersonal skills count alongside grades.

Equity pathways (Auckland)

MAPAS · RRAS

Eligible Māori and Pacific applicants (MAPAS, with a 5-station Specialty Interview) or rural/regional applicants (RRAS) gain access to dedicated Auckland selection pools. These are additional pools, not shortcuts.

Graduate & alternative routes

Already have a degree

Otago's Graduate Category (relevant NZ degree within 3 years, UCAT-ANZ required) and Alternative Category (experienced allied-health professionals, no UCAT), plus Auckland's graduate entry (completed degree, GPA ≥6.0, UCAT-ANZ for 2027).

Frequently asked questions

Two are admitting students today — the University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and the University of Otago Medical School. Both award the six-year MBChB and both are accredited by the Australian Medical Council on behalf of the Medical Council of New Zealand to the same standard. Auckland has 317 domestic places and up to 30 international places a year; Otago's intake is capped by Government and was funded at 312 places in the Ministry of Health's March 2025 factsheet, with extra places phasing in at both universities. A third school is coming: the University of Waikato's New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine takes its first intake of 120 students in 2028, with applications opening mid-2027 — but it is a four-year graduate-entry MD selecting on GAMSAT, so it does not compete with Auckland and Otago for the same applicants. With so few schools there is no meaningful league table: this is a head-to-head comparison on the dimensions that actually differ.

Not equally, and one school does not use it at all. For 2027 entry Auckland weights UCAT-ANZ at 15% of the final selection ranking alongside GPA and the MMI, applied as a z-score against your admission category, so a higher score genuinely improves your position — and unusually, Auckland combines all four section scale scores including Situational Judgement, which most schools leave out of the total. Otago MBChB uses UCAT-ANZ only as a threshold gate: Verbal Reasoning at or above the 20th percentile AND Situational Judgement at or above the 10th percentile for 2027 entry, after which it does not affect your academic rank at all. From 2028 entry Auckland replaces UCAT-ANZ with Casper, while Otago extends its UCAT requirement to every applicant including internationals. Waikato will use GAMSAT rather than UCAT-ANZ from 2028.

Both MBChB programmes are accredited by the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) and the Australian Medical Council to a common standard, so the difference is one of style and structure rather than quality. Otago runs a dedicated Health Sciences First Year in Dunedin before distributing students across three clinical campuses; Auckland uses BHSc or BSc Biomedical Science as its gateway and keeps students on the City Campus. Choose on fit — teaching style, campus and selection method — not on a perceived quality gap.

Annually, as Auckland and Otago publish their latest entry requirements, selection weightings and cohort figures. The 2028 cycle brings the most change in years: Auckland drops UCAT-ANZ for Casper and stops ranking on GPA, its gateway degrees were restructured for 2027, Otago extends its UCAT requirement to all applicants, and Waikato opens as a third medical school. Check the official faculty pages before you apply.

Decide between Auckland and Otago

Work out which entry pathway, UCAT-ANZ strategy and interview profile fits you best for New Zealand medicine.

Dental school comparison Browse NZ medical schools

Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 14 September 2026