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Story: Research institutions

PBRF rankings

2003 quality score
Ranking University Score
1 University of Auckland 3.96
2 University of Canterbury 3.83
3 Victoria University of Wellington 3.39
4 University of Otago 3.23
5 University of Waikato 2.98
6 Lincoln University 2.56
7 Massey University 2.11
8 Auckland University of Technology 0.77
2012 quality score
Ranking University Score
1 Victoria University of Wellington 5.51
2 University of Auckland 5.12
3 University of Otago 4.96
4 University of Canterbury 4.79
5 University of Waikato 4.53
6 Massey University 4.31
7 Lincoln University 4.02
8 Auckland University of Technology 3.59

The Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) is how the government allocates research funding to universities. Every six years each university is ranked according to a number of criteria and given a score, which determines the level of funding each institution receives for the next period. In 2013 the quality scores of all institutions markedly increased over their ratings in 2010, and the rankings had changed, with Victoria University of Wellington marginally ahead of the others.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, Research institutions – Universities, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/44974/pbrf-rankings (accessed 30 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 10 April 2014, updated 7 May 2026.