Students flock to Canterbury for tertiary education
Hundreds more students are flocking to Canterbury, with both Ara Institute and the University of Canterbury recording a rise in enrolments this year.
Ara has reported a 5.9% jump in equivalent full-time (EFT) student enrolments compared with the same period last year, while Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said the University of Canterbury’s enrolments were up 6%. “Once again the university has had another record enrolment – they had 23,000 people last year, they’ve got 6% more this year,” Mauger said at a public council meeting.
Last year – the university’s 150th anniversary – was a record year, with 21,361 students enrolled as of late March, up from 20,223 at the same time in 2022.
While the university expects to confirm its numbers in March, after the last date to withdraw from class without penalty passes, its current figures equate to 1364 extra students. Ara has 316 extra students this year, giving it a total of 5674 EFT students.
Overall, Aotearoa’s polytech sector has seen a 7.4% growth in EFT enrolments this year and a 71% increase in international student numbers year-on-year.
Ara operations lead Darren Mitchell said the institute was seeing “positive numbers” across its trades and pre-trade courses, and nursing in particular was a big drawcard. “We’re also seeing strong performance in the majority of our degree programmes such as the bachelor of information and communication technologies and bachelor of accounting.
“Extra provision this year in nursing and medical imaging will boost numbers further in 2024.”
Ara’s formal welcome of students at its central Christchurch campus on Monday saw over 800 ākonga, while the Woolston campus was packed last week. Today its Timaru campus will welcome its students for semester one, having recorded a 33.2% rise in the number of EFT students compared with this time last year.
“It’s always incredibly special to see the faces of those new to campus at these events,” Mitchell said..