AUT Fees for International Students — Nepali Student Guide
AUT fees for international students: the published $38,700 tuition figure, the $1,260 levy, Auckland living costs and AUT's English entry rules.
The short answer
AUT publishes an international student fee figure of $38,700 plus a $1,260 levy (AUT international student fees). That is the headline figure you should quote in a conversation with your family — but open the AUT page yourself and check two things before you build a budget on it: which period the figure covers, and whether your specific programme is charged differently.
That second point is where most Nepali applicants go wrong. A university's published international fee is a reference figure. Engineering, health and some business programmes are frequently priced differently from the headline, and the only figure that matters at offer stage is the one printed on your Offer of Place.
AUT's published fee figures
| Item | Figure | Where it is published |
|---|---|---|
| AUT international tuition | $38,700 | aut.ac.nz international student fees |
| Student services levy | $1,260 | Same page |
Do not add these two numbers together in your head and treat the result as "the cost of AUT". They are separate charges, they can be invoiced separately, and the levy is not tuition. Quote them as two lines in your budget so that your parents and your bank can see what each one is.
Why we are not printing a "total cost of AUT"
Because there isn't one honest total. Tuition depends on your programme, the levy is separate, living costs depend on where you live in Auckland and how you live, and insurance and airfare sit outside all of it. Any counsellor who hands you a single rounded "AUT will cost you X" figure has done arithmetic on assumptions. Use the Master Reckoner to lay the components side by side instead — it matches courses, costs, entry requirements and English scores without collapsing them into one misleading number.
Living costs: AUT is in the most expensive city in New Zealand
AUT's campuses are in Auckland. Auckland carries the highest published monthly living cost of the New Zealand study cities in our spine.
| City | Monthly living cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | $3,662 | Highest in NZ; UoA/AUT/Massey area |
| Wellington | $3,200 | VUW area; expensive but compact |
| Christchurch | $2,800 | UC area; mid-range |
| Hamilton | $2,700 | Waikato/Wintec area |
| Dunedin | $2,500 | Otago; affordable student town |
| Palmerston North | $2,500 | Massey HQ |
| Lincoln | $2,500 | Lincoln Uni village |
| Tauranga | $2,300 | Toi Ohomai region |
| Hawke's Bay | $2,300 | EIT region |
| Invercargill | $1,950 | SIT — cheapest in NZ |
Read that table before you decide that AUT is the only option. The tuition line is one part of the decision; the monthly line runs for every month you are in the country. If your family's funding is tight, a cheaper city with an equivalent programme can change the whole picture. Compare institutions on the New Zealand destination hub.
The funds figures attached to a student visa application
These are the funds amounts that sit in our spine by family situation. Present them as separate lines. Do not merge them.
| Who is going | Student funds figure | Partner | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single student | $20,000 | — | — |
| Couple (no kids) | $20,000 | $7,400 | — |
| Couple + 1 child | $20,000 | $7,400 | $3,200 |
| Couple + 2 kids | $20,000 | $7,400 | $6,400 |
Two practical warnings from the files we see refused most often.
First: a funds figure is a minimum to be shown, not a budget to live on. Look at the Auckland monthly figure above and ask honestly whether the minimum lines up with how you intend to live in Auckland for the length of your course.
Second: bringing a partner or children multiplies the household living cost as well as adding the partner and child funds lines. Our cost model applies a household multiplier to the single-student living figure — 1.5 for a couple, 1.7 for a couple with one child, 1.9 for a couple with two children. Run those through the Master Reckoner rather than estimating at the kitchen table.
AUT's English requirements — and the one refusal that catches Nepali students
AUT publishes its English requirements by level (AUT English language requirements).
| Level | IELTS requirement |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degrees | 6.0, all bands 5.5+ |
| Master's | 6.5, all bands 6.0+ |
| PGDip / PGCert | 6.5 with 6.0 |
| Diplomas | 5.5 (Writing 5.5, other bands 5.0) |
Programmes with a higher bar
These are set above the general entry level and they are not negotiable:
- Midwifery 7.0 (Listening and Speaking 7.0, Reading and Writing 6.5)
- Nursing 6.5 with all bands 6.5
- Occupational Therapy, Oral Health, Physiotherapy, Podiatry 7.0 with 6.5 in all bands
- Paramedicine 6.5 with 6.5
- Bachelor of Education (Teaching) 7.0 with all bands 7.0
- BA Interpreting 7.0 (Speaking and Writing 7.0, Reading and Listening 6.5)
Note the shape of these, not just the overall number. Nursing at "6.5 with all bands 6.5" fails a candidate who scores 7.0 overall with a 6.0 in Writing. Band floors reject more Nepali applicants than overall scores do.
Accepted alternatives
NZCEL Level 4 (Academic) for undergraduate and Level 5 (Academic) for postgraduate. TOEFL 80 for undergraduate and 90 for postgraduate. PTE 50 and 58. Duolingo 105 and 120, with 90 for diplomas. One Skill Retake is accepted.
The catch worth reading twice
AUT refuses IELTS Academic Online and PTE Academic Online. This is stated on every level page, and it is the strictest refusal among the New Zealand institutions in our spine. If you sit an at-home online test from Kathmandu or Pokhara because a test-centre slot was full, that score will not be usable at AUT. Book a test centre sitting. We see this mistake cost students an entire intake, because by the time the rejection comes back the next test date and the application deadline no longer line up.
What to do with this page
- Open the AUT fees page and find your programme's fee. Write down the tuition line and the $1,260 levy line separately.
- Write down the Auckland monthly living figure of $3,662 as its own line.
- Write down the funds figure that matches your family situation from the table above.
- Check your English test type is one AUT accepts — in a test centre, not online.
- Compare against at least two other cities before you commit. More guides are on the blog.
Official sources
- AUT international student fees: https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/fees-and-scholarships/fees-to-study-at-aut/international-student-fees-at-aut
- AUT English language requirements (bachelor's degrees): https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/bachelors-degrees
Common questions
How much is the AUT fee for international students?
AUT publishes an international fee figure of $38,700 plus a $1,260 levy. Check the AUT fees page for the period that figure covers and for your own programme, because programme fees can differ from the published headline. The figure that governs your payment is the one written on your Offer of Place.
Is the $1,260 levy included in the tuition fee?
No. AUT lists the levy separately from the tuition figure, so treat it as a second line in your budget rather than part of the fee. Show both lines to your bank and to your family so nobody is surprised by a second invoice.
Does AUT accept IELTS Online for Nepali students?
No. AUT refuses both IELTS Academic Online and PTE Academic Online, and states this on every level page. Book a test at an approved test centre. AUT also accepts NZCEL, TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo at the scores listed on its English requirements page, and accepts One Skill Retake.
Is Auckland more expensive than other New Zealand cities?
Yes. Auckland carries the highest monthly living cost in our spine at $3,662, against $2,500 for Dunedin and $1,950 for Invercargill. If your funding is tight, compare the same programme in a lower-cost city using the Master Reckoner before you commit to AUT.