After School
Alternatives to University in New Zealand: What to Do After School
In short
University isn't the only path after school in New Zealand. School leavers increasingly choose paid, real-world routes — like working on superyachts — to travel, save, and build life skills before (or instead of) a degree.
The main alternatives to university in New Zealand are paid work, a trade or apprenticeship, a polytechnic course, or a gap year of work and travel such as superyacht crew. The average New Zealand student loan balance was $26,075 in 2024/25 (Education Counts, Student Loan Scheme Annual Report 2025, checked 9 October 2026), so it pays to compare the options before you borrow.
Every year, thousands of Year 13 students across New Zealand face the same question: what now? The default answer — go to university, get a degree, figure it out later — works for some people. But for a lot of school leavers, it doesn't feel right. And that gut feeling is worth listening to.
Why does it feel like everyone has to go to university?
Your friends are enrolling. Your parents have opinions. Everyone seems to know what you should do with your life except you. But following the crowd into the wrong degree is one of the most expensive mistakes a young person can make. University is a bit like a relationship: you're better off being single than being in the wrong one.
What did I learn the hard way?
I went to university in Dunedin, and I can tell you from personal experience: I didn't find what I was looking for in a cold flat, unsure what I was studying or why. It wasn't until I stepped off the beaten track — eventually finding my way onto superyachts and sailing around the world — that I found something that genuinely lit me up.
Ten years later, I still have friends paying off their student loans. Meanwhile, the people I met on the water got paid to travel the world, learned real life skills no lecture theatre can teach, and are now buying their second homes from the charter tips they earned.
Not sure yet if this is the right move for you?
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“It never felt like a course or a programme — it felt like having someone in your corner who genuinely cared about where you ended up. Nick showed me I already had more to offer than I thought. Six months later I was a deckhand. I’ve sailed to Fiji. I’m 19.” — Freddie MHospitality → Deckhand · sailed to Fiji · age 19
What is a degree actually worth in 2026?
AI is reshaping every industry faster than universities can update their curriculums. The skills that set you apart aren't learned in a classroom — they're learned navigating a new city, working with people from 15 different countries, and figuring things out on the fly. EQ is the new IQ.
Can I still go to university later?
It'll be there in two years, five years, whenever you're ready — and when you do go, you'll go with savings in the bank, life experience behind you, and a clear idea of why you're there. This post is for anyone finishing school in New Zealand and wondering if there's another way. There is.
Thinking about a career on superyachts?
If you want to talk through your options — no pressure, just an honest conversation about what's possible — get in touch.
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“He wanted to make the most of his gap year — not the ordinary version of it. Three months later he’s working on multi-million dollar yachts in the Med, watching the sun set over the Balearic Sea, living a life most people only dream about.” — Antoni MHigh school → full-time in Palma · age 19
Nick studied at university in Dunedin before finding his way onto superyachts with zero prior experience and sailing around the world. He's worked in recruitment and education, watched good candidates get overlooked for doing the wrong training in the wrong ports, and now coaches young Kiwis through the same journey: honest, one-on-one and industry-backed.