Australia vs New Zealand (Comparing Education Systems 2026)

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This page compares the education systems of Australia and New Zealand.

Education System Overview

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Education System Overview
Category	Australia	New Zealand
System Type	Public/private mix; governance is shared between federal, state and territory governments. The Australian Government supports national policy and funding, while states and territories operate most public schools and regulate school education within their jurisdictions. [Australian Government]	Public/private mix; mixed governance. National legislation, funding and curriculum settings are combined with governance by individual state-school boards. [Ministry of Education]
Governing Body	Australian Government Department of Education; state and territory education departments; ACARA for the Australian Curriculum and national assessment; TEQSA for higher education regulation; and ASQA for most nationally regulated vocational education providers. [TEQSA]	Ministry of Education; Education Review Office (ERO); New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA); Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). From 1 September 2026, ERO regulates early childhood education licensing and certification, private-school registration and school-hostel licensing, while the Ministry retains state-school regulation, policy, funding and curriculum responsibilities. [Ministry of Education]
Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP)	5.1% of GDP in 2022, the latest value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS government-expenditure series. [World Bank]	5.2% (2023). [World Bank]

Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Compulsory Age Range	Rules vary by jurisdiction. Full-time school attendance generally begins at age 5 or 6; compulsory school attendance commonly continues to age 15 or 16, with education, training or employment participation requirements extending to about 17 in several jurisdictions. [Australian Government]	6 to 16 years. Most children begin school at age 5. [Ministry of Education]
Total Compulsory Duration (Years)	Usually about 10–12 years, depending on the state or territory and whether post-school-age participation requirements are included.	10 years. [Ministry of Education]
Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access	Optional before compulsory school in most settings. In 2025, 91% of Australia's 4-year-olds were enrolled in a preschool program; 97% of enrolled children attended for at least 15 hours per week. [ABS]	Optional. In 2025, 77% of 3-year-olds and 83% of 4-year-olds attended ECE for at least 10 hours per week; 96.8% of children participated in ECE during the six months before starting school. [Education Counts]
Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years)	Commonly Foundation + Years 1–6 + Years 7–10 + Years 11–12, equivalent to a 13-year school pathway from Foundation to Year 12. School-stage naming and year-group arrangements vary slightly by jurisdiction. [ACARA]	8 + 5 years: Years 1–8 primary/intermediate and Years 9–13 secondary, across 13 school year levels. [Ministry of Education]
Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%)	Approximately 17% vocational / 83% general among 15–19-year-olds enrolled at upper-secondary level in 2023, derived from OECD enrollment rates of 6.9% in vocational and 40.2% in all upper-secondary programs. [OECD]	—

Academic Calendar & Instruction Time

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Academic Year Start (Typical Month)	Late January or early February, depending on the state, territory and school.	February; for 2026, Term 1 could begin between 26 January and 9 February. [Ministry of Education]
Academic Year End (Typical Month)	December	December; schools in 2026 must finish no later than 18 December. [Ministry of Education]
Instruction Weeks per Year	Approximately 40 weeks, with school calendars set by individual jurisdictions.	—
Instruction Days per Year	—	—

Grading System

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Grading System
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Primary/Secondary Grading Scale	Commonly A–E or equivalent standards-based reporting during primary and lower-secondary education. Senior-secondary assessment and certificates are administered separately by states and territories, with ATAR widely used for university selection.	No single national numerical grading scale applies across Years 1–13. NCEA achievement standards use Not Achieved (N), Achieved (A), Merit (M), Excellence (E). [NZQA]
Higher Education Grading Scale	Institution-specific; common classifications include High Distinction (HD), Distinction (D), Credit (CR), Pass (P) and Fail, usually accompanied by percentage marks. [ANU]	—

Language of Instruction

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Language of Instruction
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Primary Instruction Languages (K–12)	English is the main language of instruction across Australian schools.	English; te reo Māori in Māori-medium education. Māori-medium education enrolled 28,382 students, or 3.3% of the school population, in 2025. [Education Counts]
Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12)	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, Auslan and community languages may be used or taught through bilingual, language-revival and school-specific programs.	Pacific languages are used in some bilingual and immersion provision. [Education Counts]

School Provision & Access (K–12)

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: School Provision & Access (K–12)
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)	62.8% of Australian school students attended government schools in 2025. [ABS]	95.98% in state and state-integrated schools as at 1 July 2025. [Education Counts]
Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency)	$0 standard tuition for eligible resident students in government schools. Families may still incur costs for uniforms, materials, excursions and optional activities; separate fee rules can apply to some temporary or international students.	$0 tuition for eligible domestic students at state schools; other costs such as uniforms, stationery and trips may apply. [Ministry of Education]
Public Schools Nationwide Availability	Yes. State and territory governments provide government-school systems throughout Australia, including metropolitan, regional and remote communities.	Yes. State and state-integrated schools operate nationwide, with local enrolment schemes used by some schools. [Ministry of Education]
Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students)	37.2% in 2025: 20.0% in Catholic schools and 17.2% in independent schools. [ABS]	3.99% in fully registered private schools as at 1 July 2025. [Education Counts]
Private Schools (Geographic Concentration)	—	—

International Schools (K–12)

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: International Schools (K–12)
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Number of International Schools (Total)	—	—
Number of IB World Schools	197 IB World Schools currently offer at least one IB programme in Australia. [IB]	20. [IB]
Main International Programmes Offered	International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International programs and Australian state or territory senior-secondary qualifications, depending on the school.	IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme; Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary, IGCSE and International AS & A Level. [IB] [Cambridge International]

Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools)	Generally at least four years of higher education, including an accredited initial teacher education program or recognized equivalent, followed by registration with the relevant state or territory teacher-registration authority.	Approved Initial Teacher Education qualification, Teaching Council registration and a current practising certificate. [Teaching Council]
Average Class Size (Primary)	Approximately 23.1 students in 2023 using the OECD comparable primary class-size measure. [OECD]	—
Average Class Size (Lower Secondary)	—	—
Average Class Size (Upper Secondary)	—	—

System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
Category	Australia	New Zealand
PISA Participation Years	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]	2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD]
PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	491 / 503 / 503	494 / 506 / 508. [OECD]
PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	487 / 498 / 507	479 / 501 / 504. [OECD]
PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science)	478 / 491 / 509 [OECD]	480 / 497 / 509. [Education Counts]
PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025	Between 2022 and 2025, Australia's mathematics and reading scores were lower, while science was about the same. Science performance has remained broadly stable for more than a decade, while the decline in mathematics and reading extends a longer downward trend; the 2025 mathematics and reading scores were the lowest recorded for Australia in PISA. [OECD]	Reading in 2022 remained below results observed in 2000–2009, while mathematics and science declined over 2012–2022. In 2025, mathematics and reading were similar to 2022; the 2025 science score was not statistically different from New Zealand's 2012–2022 science scores. [OECD] [Education Counts]
Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025)	Science — 509 points. [ACER]	Science — 509. [Education Counts]

Higher Education System

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Higher Education System
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total)	206 registered higher education providers at 30 June 2025. [TEQSA]	—
Number of Universities (Research Universities)	42 universities in 2026. The current total reflects the Australian university sector after the establishment of Adelaide University. [Study Australia]	8. [Universities NZ]
Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges	Australia has no separate university-of-applied-sciences category. At 30 June 2025, TEQSA listed 7 University Colleges and 156 Institutes of Higher Education. [TEQSA]	10 stand-alone polytechnics operating from 1 January 2026; four additional polytechnic business divisions remained within NZIST during the 2026 transition. [TEC] [TEC]
Main Institution Types	Australian Universities, University Colleges and Institutes of Higher Education, alongside TAFE institutes and other vocational education providers operating in the broader tertiary sector.	Universities; polytechnics and institutes of technology; wānanga; private training establishments; government training establishments. [NZQA]
Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership	—	85.5% public providers / 14.5% private training establishments by EFTS in 2025. [Education Counts]
English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total)	—	—
Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%)	—	—
Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%)	—	—
Main Global Ranking Used	QS World University Rankings 2027. [Study Australia]	QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking)	9 Australian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 100. [Study Australia]	1 — University of Auckland (#67), QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking)	27 Australian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 500. [Study Australia]	8, QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking)	35 Australian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 1000. [Study Australia]	8, QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS]
National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education)	Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the national regulator for higher education providers. [TEQSA]	NZQA quality-assures non-university tertiary providers. Universities New Zealand — Te Pōkai Tara is the statutory body responsible for quality assurance of the eight universities, with institutional review carried out through Matatāhuna-Universities Quality Assurance Agency. [NZQA] [Universities NZ]
International Students (Total)	481,851 onshore overseas higher education students in 2024, the latest completed official higher-education student dataset. Total overseas enrollment including offshore study was 589,288. [Australian Government]	59,890 tertiary students in 2025. [Education Counts]
International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%)	31% of onshore higher education enrollment in 2024. [Australian Government]	15.2% of tertiary headcount in 2025 (59,890 of 395,095 students). [Education Counts]

Education Costs (Indicative)

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Education Costs (Indicative)
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency)	For Commonwealth Supported Places in 2026, maximum student contributions range from approximately $3,398 to $12,479 USD per EFTSL, depending on field of study. These values are converted from AUD 4,738–17,399 using the Reserve Bank of Australia's 11 September 2026 AUD/USD rate of 0.7172. [Study Assist] [RBA]	2026 University of Auckland full-time undergraduate reference range: $4,321–$11,081, converted from published NZD 7,616.40–19,531.20 fees using the 23 September 2026 NZD/USD exchange rate; Student Services Fee excluded. [University of Auckland]
Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency)	Average annual tuition for foreign students in public master's programs was $20,880 USD in the latest OECD comparable data. Actual fees vary substantially by institution and field of study. [OECD]	2026 University of Auckland full-time undergraduate reference range: $22,821–$49,110, converted from published NZD 40,225–86,561 fees using the 23 September 2026 NZD/USD exchange rate; Student Services Fee excluded. [University of Auckland]
Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency)	—	—
Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency)	—	—

Major Education Updates & Policy Changes

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
Category	Australia	New Zealand
2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms	NAPLAN: National literacy and numeracy testing began in 2008 for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. [ACARA] Australian Curriculum development: National curriculum development accelerated from 2008, followed by the establishment of ACARA and publication of the first Australian Curriculum content during the following years. Early Years Learning: The national Early Years Learning Framework was introduced in 2009 as a shared curriculum reference for early childhood education and care.	NCEA was introduced progressively from 2002 to 2004 as New Zealand's main senior secondary qualification. [NZQA] From 1 July 2007, eligible 3- and 4-year-olds at participating teacher-led services could receive up to 20 hours per week of free ECE. [Education Counts] The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum became mandatory for English-medium schools in February 2010. [Ministry of Education]
2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms	National higher education regulation: TEQSA was established under legislation in 2011 and began its regulatory role in 2012. [TEQSA] Australian Education Act 2013: The Act established the central Commonwealth legislative basis for recurrent school funding arrangements. [Australian Government] Australian Curriculum: States and territories progressively implemented national curriculum content while retaining responsibility for delivery and local school arrangements.	The Ministry released the refreshed Te Whāriki early childhood curriculum in 2017. [Ministry of Education] Fees Free tertiary education and training was introduced on 1 January 2018 for eligible first-time learners. [TEC] The Education and Training Act 2020 received Royal assent on 31 July 2020. [New Zealand Legislation]
2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms	Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Ministers endorsed the revised curriculum in 2022, followed by jurisdiction-level implementation. [Australian Government] National Teacher Workforce Action Plan: Education ministers agreed to the plan in December 2022 to address teacher supply, retention and preparation. Australian Universities Accord: The Final Report was released in February 2024 and became the basis for a series of higher-education funding, access and student-support changes. [Australian Government]	From January 2023, the Equity Index replaced the school decile system for allocating equity funding. [Education Counts] From Term 1 2024, schools with Years 0–8 students were required to provide an average of at least one hour per day each of reading, writing and mathematics, or their Māori-medium equivalents. [Ministry of Education] State schools and kura were required to have student phone restrictions in force no later than 29 April 2024. [Ministry of Education]
2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms	Better and Fairer Schools Agreement: New school funding agreements began in 2025, with all states and territories subsequently covered and additional Commonwealth funding tied to student outcomes, wellbeing and workforce measures. The 2026 progress report was updated in July 2026. [Australian Government] National Student Ombudsman: The independent higher-education complaints service began receiving complaints on 1 February 2025. [Australian Government] Higher education funding transition: A transition to the Managed Growth Funding System began on 1 January 2026, with full implementation scheduled for 2027. [Australian Government] Preschool reform: Governments extended the Preschool Reform Agreement through the end of 2027, while the Preschool Outcomes Measure entered a 2026–27 national pilot. [Australian Government] Higher education standards: Amendments published in July 2026 added new governance and anti-racism requirements, with the new requirements taking effect for providers during 2027. [TEQSA]	The first seven new charter schools opened at the start of Term 1 2025. [Ministry of Education] The redesigned vocational education and training system began operating on 1 January 2026 with eight Industry Skills Boards, 10 stand-alone polytechnics and four work-based learning providers transitioning into independent private training establishments. [TEC] From 1 September 2026, ERO assumed responsibility for ECE licensing and certification, private-school registration and school-hostel licensing. [Ministry of Education]

General Overview (Narrative)

Australia and New Zealand education system comparison: General Overview (Narrative)
Category	Australia	New Zealand
Overview	Australia operates a mixed public and private education system in which the Australian Government shares responsibilities with state and territory governments. Schooling normally follows a 13-year pathway from Foundation through Year 12, while compulsory attendance and participation ages differ by jurisdiction. Government schools enrolled 62.8% of students in 2025, with Catholic and independent schools accounting for the remaining 37.2%. English is the main language of instruction, alongside Indigenous-language, Auslan and community-language programs. Australia has participated in every PISA cycle since 2000. In PISA 2025, students scored 478 in mathematics, 491 in reading and 509 in science; mathematics and reading were lower than in 2022, while science was about the same. Higher education includes universities, University Colleges and Institutes of Higher Education, with 42 universities operating in 2026. The latest completed higher-education dataset recorded 481,851 onshore overseas students in 2024. Current changes include the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, preschool reforms, the transition to new higher-education funding arrangements and revised higher-education standards.	New Zealand has a public/private education system with national legislation, funding and curriculum settings alongside local governance by state-school boards. The Ministry of Education retains responsibility for policy, funding, curriculum and state-school regulation, while ERO carries review functions and, from September 2026, specified regulatory duties for ECE, private schools and school hostels. Schooling is compulsory from ages 6 to 16, although most children begin at age 5. The 13 school year levels comprise Years 1–8 primary/intermediate and Years 9–13 secondary; ECE is non-compulsory. Most students attend state or state-integrated schools. English and te reo Māori are the main curriculum languages, and NCEA is the main senior secondary qualification. In PISA 2025, New Zealand scored 480 in mathematics, 497 in reading and 509 in science. Tertiary education includes eight universities, polytechnics, wānanga and private training establishments. In 2025, tertiary headcount was 395,095, including 59,890 international students. Current structural changes include the charter-school model operating from 2025, the redesigned VET system operating from January 2026 and the September 2026 transfer of specified regulatory functions to ERO.