We list 3 masters Scholarships Open to Nigerian Students in New Zealand, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 2 of them are fully funded.
Written from the 3 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 5 min read.
This page collects 3 master's scholarships in New Zealand that are open to Nigerian students. They come from three universities: the University of Waikato, the University of Otago and the University of Auckland. Each entry is a university award rather than a government scheme, which matters for how you apply: you deal with the institution's own scholarships office, not a separate national body.
The list is short by design. New Zealand is a small destination for Nigerian postgraduates, and only a handful of its universities run awards that a Nigerian applicant can enter without a nationality restriction attached. What you see here is the whole of that set as we currently hold it.
Two of the three are labelled fully funded. One is labelled partially funded. That split is the first thing to check against your own budget, because "fully funded" in a university's own wording can mean tuition only, or tuition plus a stipend, depending on the award.
On what the awards state in writing:
Read those three lines carefully. Tuition being covered is the common case. Living costs and health insurance are named by only one award each, so for the other entries you should assume you are meeting your own rent, food, transport and insurance unless the award text says otherwise. New Zealand living costs are not small, and a tuition-only award still leaves a real annual figure for you to find.
The three providers each contribute one entry to this list.
Note that all three entries also carry undergraduate and, in one case, PhD levels. That is why the level counts on this page read as they do: 3 awards are listed at bachelor's level, 3 at master's level, 1 at PhD level and 1 as a short course. The same award can appear under more than one level, so those numbers overlap and should not be added together. If you are searching specifically for master's funding, the three entries above are your set.
Yes, on nationality. Of the 3 awards on this page, none names Nigeria or the African region as a restricted group, and all 3 carry no nationality restriction at all. In other words, the eligibility barrier here is not your passport. It is your academic record and your documents.
The qualification that leads into this level is a first degree or an HND — B.Sc, B.A, B.Eng, LLB, MBBS or HND. These are taught and research master's programmes.
One of the three awards states a minimum degree class as a requirement. Where a New Zealand university asks for an "upper second" or equivalent, that corresponds to Second Class Upper (2:1) on a Nigerian transcript. If your transcript reads Second Class Lower, do not assume you are out — but do expect to make your case through work experience, a strong statement or a relevant postgraduate diploma, and check each university's own position before you spend money on an application.
Whether an HND is accepted for master's entry is decided by each university individually. It is not settled by this page, and it is worth an email to the admissions office before you pay for a transcript courier.
The brief for this list records one requirement stated across the set: a minimum degree class, named by 1 of the 3 awards. Beyond that, the awards do not state additional conditions in the text we hold.
Practically, a New Zealand master's application built from Nigeria usually involves the following, and you should budget for each:
Start the transcript request first. Nigerian registry offices run on their own timelines, and a courier that arrives after the selection round closes is money spent for nothing.
None of the 3 awards on this page carries a fixed closing date in the data we hold. All 3 are recorded as undated. That does not mean there is no deadline — it means the deadline is not stated on the award itself, and you must confirm it with the university.
The one concrete timing signal on the page is the University of Auckland entry, which references a Semester One intake window of 11 September to 23 October. Treat that as the shape of the cycle rather than a fixed date for every award: New Zealand's academic year begins in late February, so applications for a Semester One start generally fall in the second half of the previous year.
The University of Waikato entry is listed as open year-round, which usually means applications are assessed as they arrive rather than against a single cut-off. Even then, an early application gives you time to fix a missing document.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 129 Nigerian students were studying in New Zealand in 2024, ranking the country 51st as a destination for Nigerian students. That is a small community. It means you are unlikely to find a large Nigerian student network already in place at your chosen university, and it also means admissions staff may have seen few Nigerian transcripts. Clear, well-organised documentation helps.
Work through the three entries and shortlist by funding, not by city. Two are fully funded and one is partially funded, and the partially funded one is the only entry that names a specific intake window.
For each one, confirm three things directly with the university before you pay for anything: the current closing date, whether your degree class meets the stated minimum, and whether your English test result can be waived. Then request your transcripts. The awards on this page are open to you on nationality — the work now is in the paperwork.
Are you planning to study abroad in 2026 and searching for fully funded opportunities? New Zealand is one of the most sought-after study destinations among international students, offering world-class education, globally ranked universities, and a safe, welcoming environment. The best part is that a number of fully funded and partially funded scholarshipsare now open for international students in New Zealand for the 2025–2026 academic year. These scholarships are available for undergraduate, master’s, and PhD degree programs and offer financial assistance in the form of tuition fee waivers, monthly stipends, accommodation support, travel allowances, and medical insurance.
Whether you’re aiming to pursue higher education in engineering, business, social sciences, life sciences, environmental sciences, or any other field, New Zealand provides generous funding opportunities through government-sponsored programs and university-specific scholarships. Below is a comprehensive guide to some of the top scholarships available for international students in New Zealand, along with their benefits and how to apply.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2024.
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