Lincoln UniversityLincoln University (Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki) is a South Island university based in the town of Lincoln, around 20 km from Christchurch, specialising in the land-based sectors — farming, agribusiness, the environment, food, landscape and tourism.
About
Lincoln began as a place to train people for agriculture, and the land remains at the centre of what it teaches and researches. The university describes itself as a specialist in the land-based sectors and states that it is the only university of this kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Its subject range has nonetheless spread well beyond farming, horticulture and viticulture, keeping pace with a more varied national economy. Students can now take environmental management; food, wine and beer production; business, accounting and marketing with a strong agribusiness angle; science; landscape architecture; property management; tourism; and sport and recreation management. Technology and English language also feature among its study areas.
Teaching and research sit within three faculties: Agribusiness and Commerce; Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Environment, Society and Design. Alongside them, Te Tuawhiti | Pathways and Quality looks after academic quality and, through Academic Preparation and Pathways, offers selected students a supported route into faculty study.
A recurring theme across the university is a sustainable future for communities and ecosystems. Courses are research-led and hands-on, with ideas tested in the field, and graduates are expected to improve how people live and work with the land. The institution is run by a Senior Leadership Team and governed by the Lincoln University Council, whose powers are set out in the Education and Training Act 2020.
What stands out
- A land-based specialist. Everything from agronomy and winemaking to landscape architecture, property and tourism is framed around the land, and many business programmes approach commerce through agribusiness.
- University farms. Lincoln's own farms underpin its applied research and practical teaching, and keep students in contact with the wider sector.
- Living Laboratory. Under the Living Laboratory concept, students join research partners to investigate real-world problems.
- State of the Land. A programme of public events, expert debates, community forums and evidence-based reports — including work from the AERU research unit — on the health and prospects of land-based industries.
- Openness on animal research. The university was a founding member of New Zealand's Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching and publishes its own statement on the use of animals.
Campus and study
The 120-hectare campus is green and spacious, set in the town of Lincoln roughly 20 kilometres from Christchurch. Beyond the teaching buildings it includes the university farms, the Whare Hākinakina LU Gym — central to campus life and to the sport and recreation programmes — and an art collection of more than 280 paintings, prints, sculptures and ceramics.
Social wellbeing and environmental sustainability shape how the campus is run, with shared social and leisure spaces for students. For those who cannot be on site, some programmes are offered online, and a summer school lets students start ahead of the main semester and finish sooner.
For international students
For international applicants, the university offers an English language programme and Study Pathways that lead into faculty study, as well as online programmes that can be taken at your own pace. Among the student stories it shares is that of Amaka Nnaji from Nigeria, who is completing a PhD in economics. Note that the fees-free study mentioned on the website applies only to eligible domestic students.
Based on the provider’s official website; status from the NZQA register (checked 30.09.2026): provider website · NZQA register record