Enrolments at the University of Otago have fallen for the third year in a row. (File photo) Photo: 123RF
Enrolments at the University of Otago have fallen for the third year in a row.
The university has around 17,600 full-time equivalent students - or 2 percent fewer than at the same time last year.
The drop was mostly due to fewer domestic students returning for a second year of study, but there were also fewer first-year domestic students. The faculties of Humanities and Sciences both saw fewer enrolments.
University of Otago acting vice-chancellor Professor Helen Nicholson said the university had expected a decline in domestic enrolments this year, but it was larger than expected, and there were not enough international students to offset it.
"In the international sphere we have seen pleasing increases in single semester study abroad and postgraduate coursework enrolments," Professor Nicholson said.
"On the other hand, we have had some challenges with late-arriving internationals due in some instances to delays with the issuing of visas."
Once Semester Two enrolments had been confirmed, the University was looking at a shortfall between $3 million and $5 million - but this was an improvement on last year's $20m budget hole and "most, if not all" of the sum could be absorbed centrally, she said.
Last year, Otago signalled job cuts when it reported a small drop in enrolments of 0.9 percent, blaming the "cumulative impact of ongoing Covid-19 disruption, the rising cost of study and a buoyant job market".
Waikato enrolments up
Meanwhile, enrolments at the University of Waikato have risen 6 percent, with international enrolments up 25 percent.
The number of postgraduate students was up 16 percent on last year, while first year figures have stayed the same despite fewer Year 13 students achieving University Entrance.
University of Waikato vice-chancellor Professor Neil Quigley said the number of students transferring from elsewhere was up by 19 percent.
"The demand for healthcare professionals is driving enrolment growth, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, especially with the prospect of a new Waikato Medical School.
"We have had notable enrolment increases for the Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing Practice qualifications."
Enrolments continued to be strong in Waikato's te reo Māori immersion programme, Te Tohu Paetahi, with a 20 percent increase overall.
The figures come as universities watch enrolments closely as they try to recover from their worst year on record.
The sector made its first-ever collective financial loss in 2023 after a drop in domestic enrolments forced some institutions to cut staff and courses.
As a result, the previous government bailed out the cash-strapped tertiary institutions, investing an extra $128 million on top of the 5 percent funding increase in the 2023 Budget.
Tertiary Education Commission figures drawn from university annual reports showed Massey, Victoria and Otago had some common features - last year they had more staff relative to students than before the pandemic began and those staff were costing their institutions more at the same time as income was falling.
Those three universities saw staff go through voluntary redundancies and layoffs, and certain subjects - such as natural and social sciences - were severely cut or dropped altogether.