Thursday, 18 March 2021, 7:42 am Māori and Pacific students now make up 35% of Waikato student body The University of Waikato has seen a 9.7% increase in student numbers compared to this time last year, equivalent to 736 full-time students. The number of new to degree students (largely school leavers) enrolled at the University of Waikato has grown by 27.4% compared to the same time last year, and the University has also seen a 19.8% increase in students who have transferred from other tertiary institutions. University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor, Professor Neil Quigley, says that while all tertiary institutions have experienced growth in enrolments with school leavers staying in New Zealand and people looking to