Fields of specialisation for domestic students in New Zealand
All tertiary levels, 2025, number of students enrolled (domestic only)
| Predominant field of study | Number of students enrolled |
|---|---|
| Mathematical sciences | 6,845 |
| Physics and astronomy | 1,695 |
| Chemical sciences | 2,150 |
| Earth sciences | 2,285 |
| Biological sciences | 12,215 |
| Other natural and physical sciences | 2,930 |
| Computer science | 10,455 |
| Information systems | 2,980 |
| Other information technology | 3,105 |
| Manufacturing, engineering and technology | 215 |
| Process and resources engineering | 1,320 |
| Automotive engineering and technology | 4,730 |
| Mechanical and industrial engineering and technology | 6,130 |
| Civil engineering | 3,715 |
| Geomatic engineering | 525 |
| Electrical and electronic engineering and technology | 6,700 |
| Aerospace engineering and technology | 1,560 |
| Maritime engineering and technology | 1,065 |
| Other engineering and related technologies | 8,030 |
| Architecture and urban environment | 5,580 |
| Building | 10,445 |
| Agriculture | 3,255 |
| Horticulture and viticulture | 4,540 |
| Forestry studies | 405 |
| Fisheries studies | 170 |
| Environmental studies | 2,095 |
| Other agriculture, environmental and related studies | 1,025 |
| Medical studies | 4,520 |
| Nursing | 15,685 |
| Pharmacy | 2,475 |
| Dental studies | 785 |
| Optical science | 245 |
| Veterinary studies | 3,100 |
| Public health | 5,835 |
| Radiography | 900 |
| Rehabilitation therapies | 3,365 |
| Complementary therapies | 490 |
| Other health | 11,130 |
| Teacher education | 15,695 |
| Curriculum and education studies | 4,670 |
| Other education | 900 |
| Accountancy | 11,110 |
| Business and management | 34,965 |
| Sales and marketing | 11,985 |
| Tourism | 1,790 |
| Office administration | 3,330 |
| Banking, finance and related fields | 7,850 |
| Other management and commerce | 3,130 |
| Political science and policy studies | 4,125 |
| Studies in human society | 15,940 |
| Human welfare studies and services | 14,115 |
| Behavioural science | 14,865 |
| Law | 13,415 |
| Justice and law enforcement | 1,365 |
| Librarianship, information management and curatorial studies | 720 |
| Language and literature | 37,665 |
| Philosophy and religious studies | 3,855 |
| Economics and econometrics | 3,520 |
| Sport and recreation | 3,650 |
| Other society and culture | 3,455 |
| Performing arts | 4,100 |
| Visual arts and crafts | 4,030 |
| Graphic and design studies | 6,980 |
| Communication and media studies | 5,705 |
| Other creative arts | 1,455 |
| Food and hospitality | 3,605 |
| Personal services | 4,350 |
| General education programmes | 8,210 |
| Social skills programmes | 1,050 |
| Employment skills programmes | 1,865 |
| Other mixed field programmes | 690 |
Notes
Students are counted in each ethnic group they identify with, so the sum of the various ethnic groups may not add to the total.
Data calculation/treatment
These figures present statistics relating to the predominant field(s) of study of students enrolled at tertiary education providers. This data looks at all the courses studied within a qualification to determine a student’s predominant field(s) of study. For example, you might use this data to know how many students are specialising in Information technology.
The Ministry of Education has revised the method used to derive the predominant field of study of students/graduates in tertiary education providers. The same method is now be used for both student enrolments and graduates.
Students are counted in each field of study they enrol in, so the sum of the various fields may not add to the total.
Students are counted in each qualification type/level they enrol in, so the sum of the various levels may not add to the total.
For more information
Inclusions
Data relates to students enrolled at any time during the year with a tertiary education provider in formal qualifications of greater than 0.03 EFTS (more than one week's full-time duration). Data includes those private training establishments that received Student Achievement Component funding, and/or had students with student loans or allowances, and/or Youth Guarantee programmes.
Exclusions
Data excludes all non-formal learning and on-job industry training.
Data provided by
Dataset name
Tertiary Education Participation: Provider based enrolments - The predominant field of study of students at tertiary education providers 2025
Webpage:
https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/tertiary-participation
How to find the data
At URL download file 'Provider-based enrolments: Predominant field of study'.
Import & extraction details
File as imported: Tertiary Education Participation: Provider based enrolments - The predominant field of study of students at tertiary education providers 2025
From the dataset Tertiary Education Participation: Provider based enrolments - The predominant field of study of students at tertiary education providers 2025, this data was extracted:
- Sheet: FOS_ENR.4
- Range:
D5:BQ88 - Provided: 5,544 data points
This data forms the table Tertiary Education - Domestic students by predominant field of study and qualification and ethnic group 2025.
Dataset originally released on:
March 2026
About this dataset
These are statistics relating to the predominant field(s) of study of students enrolled at tertiary education providers. This data looks at all the courses studied within a qualification to determine a student's predominant field(s) of study. For example, you might use this data to know how many students are specialising in Information technology.