The table in the next section demonstrates that New Zealand is more affordable than Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. For example, the relative costs of tuition fees and full board for an under-graduate Business degree is

	US $	Ratio
New Zealand	31,000	1
Australia	40,000	1.3
United Kingdom	56,000	1.8
USA – State Universities	83,000	2.6
USA – Private	143,000	4.7

Note that these country budgets to complete the degree and the other analyses in the next section do not include a budget for personal spending over and above the fees and board. While this is obviously necessary to have one it is very much a matter of the means of the student involved. Research in the United States shows that some students spend many times the amount of other students. But the important thing is this expenditure in terms of what the student gets can be assumed to be in proportion to the costs used in our analyses. 

While it is true that some Canadian provincial Universities are less expensive than New Zealand, this is because fees are subsidized by some provincial governments. But as these governments come under increased funding pressure as they have been for several years now, the number of international students they are accepting is decreasing and it is now difficult for international students to enter these particular institutions. Those Universities with reasonably open access are considerably more expensive than New Zealand. 

Secondary and English language costs in New Zealand are similarly lower than in other countries. New Zealand offers a lower cost alternative to all students and it is likely that there are many students who cannot afford an education in the USA or the United Kingdom but who can afford to go to New Zealand.

There is little downside risk in a New Zealand education other than it is not widely known or understood and hence not seen as being as prestigious as a US or UK degree. Australia to a great extent has the same issue.

New Zealanders are great travelers and can be found succeeding in their careers at all levels in other countries. Indeed it appears that for the size of the country New Zealanders may be over represented in senior positions. There are also many examples of international students who have returned from New Zealand to their own countries and who are very successful in their later careers and in life. So if the test of quality of education is later success, New Zealand degrees compete well with others. 

Students with New Zealand undergraduate degrees with good grades can get entry into US/UK/Australian /Canadian post graduate degree programmes. So if a student feels it is important for employment reasons to have a US degree why not do ESOL/Secondary /Undergraduate education in New Zealand and enjoy the conducive environment and lower costs and then do a post graduate degree in the USA. From the information given it can be seen that for example, a business student who does his first degree in New Zealand would save more than enough money to completely pay for an MBA later in the USA.