The University of Otago has topped nearly all key measures of students’ educational performance at New Zealand’s universities. Here are the Tertiary Education Commission’s Educational Performance Indicators for 2015:
This measures the number of students out of a starting cohort who successfully complete a qualification at the same level after a given time-frame.
Qualification completion
Our students are leading the way in New Zealand, their determination and combined successes place them at the top of the table when looking at the number of students who completed their university qualification within the required period of time.
Otago is privileged to be the university of choice for so many focused, talented young people during that pivotal stage in their lives as they begin to identify with their future.
This rate measures, for longer qualifications, how many students re-enrolled in the same level in the year after they enter the cohort.
First year retention rate
It is no surprise that first year students return in droves to re-enroll and progress with their studies at Otago. One of the reasons we rate so well by this measure is that our Residential Colleges provide a community environment where students, many of who are living away from home for the first time, find a sense of belonging. The level of pastoral care provided at Otago’s residential colleges cultivate the balance between academic success and personal, social and cultural development.
This EFTS-weighted measure shows the proportion of Student Achievement Component funded courses that are successfully completed.
Course completion
Otago’s standards of academic excellence provide our students with the best teaching and mentoring available in New Zealand, whilst the on campus support services ensure our students receive ongoing guidance and support throughout their time with us. This recent measure is testament to this, with more Otago students successfully progressing through their studies and completing each required component as it contributes to their overall qualification.
This measure shows the proportion of students in a given year who progress to study at a higher level after completing a Level 1 to 4 qualification.
Student progression to higher level study
Otago’s top placing in this measure reflects the ongoing success of our Foundation Year in preparing students for university-level study. Foundation Year includes the Pacific Foundation Programme and Tū Kahika Scholarship Programme, which have seen increasing numbers of Māori and Pacific students proceeding to Health Sciences First Year, and from there into our competitive-entry Health Sciences programmes, which include Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Medicine, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy.
