The Bachelor of Commerce at Victoria University of Wellington is the university's main undergraduate business degree. It is taught through the School of Business and Government, which covers accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing and international business, and it lets students build a major in one of those areas. Because the school is based in Wellington, the seat of government, the degree has a particular link to the public sector, policy, and the large professional services employers in the capital.
This guide covers what an international applicant needs to know about the Bachelor of Commerce: whether Victoria publishes an acceptance rate, what the degree costs in NZD, admission requirements, English thresholds, career context, and how the Post-Study Work Visa applies. For the university-wide picture, see our Victoria University of Wellington guide.
Victoria Business Acceptance Rate
Victoria does not publish an acceptance rate for the Bachelor of Commerce. New Zealand universities generally do not publish comparative admit rates, and undergraduate entry is criteria-based: if you meet Victoria's academic threshold for your country's qualification and the English requirement, you are eligible for a place, subject to the intake.
Third-party sites quote a university-wide Victoria rate of around 64%, but we could not verify that against any Victoria source, so treat it as unofficial. For the Commerce degree, the practical question is whether your school results meet Victoria's threshold for your country and whether your English score meets the standard minimum. Before you plan your course load, check the Commerce programme page for any papers that carry their own entry rules.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Victoria publishes international fees per point, and its 2026 figure for a full-time year of 120 points in Commerce, from its international fees page, is:
| Cost item (NZD, per year, incl. GST) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commerce tuition, 120 points | $37,545.60 |
| Student Services Fee | Calculated per point; not stated in the official page we reviewed |
Victoria calculates tuition per course, so use its cost calculator to add the Student Services Fee and your course load. A standard three-year Bachelor of Commerce would cost roughly NZD 112,600 in tuition at the 2026 rate, before the Student Services Fee and living costs, and fees rise over time, so budget for increases.
Living costs: New Zealand's student visa requires you to show sufficient funds for living costs. The amount commonly cited is NZD 20,000 per year, but we could not load Immigration New Zealand's current student visa page during this research, so confirm the exact figure on the official site. Wellington is usually cheaper than Auckland for accommodation, but third-party guides estimate about NZD 20,000 to 27,000 per year for a single student. Those are independent estimates, not Victoria figures.
Victoria offers an undergraduate international scholarship, and a third-party source reports NZD 15,000 for eligible Bachelor's students. We could not verify that on Victoria's site, so check the current scholarship details before you rely on it.
Admission Requirements
- A completed application through Victoria's international process
- Academic transcripts that meet Victoria's country-specific undergraduate requirement
- Evidence of English proficiency that meets the standard undergraduate threshold, unless you are exempt
- Certified English translations of any documents not issued in English
- Student visa supporting documents once you receive an offer
Third-party summaries describe the academic route as the International Baccalaureate Diploma, or three A-level passes at grade C, or an equivalent qualification. Use Victoria's official entry requirements page for your own country rather than a generic summary, since the country-specific rule is what decides your eligibility.
How to Get Into Victoria's Commerce Degree
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Confirm your country's entry threshold first. Victoria sets undergraduate entry by country of qualification, so check the requirement that matches your school-leaving certificate before anything else.
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Clear the English requirement with a margin. The standard undergraduate IELTS minimum is 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5. Commerce courses are reading- and writing-heavy, so an overall 6.5 is a safer target for the first year.
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Choose your major with the career in mind. Commerce lets you combine subjects such as accounting, finance, marketing, or international business. Your choice affects the internships and graduate roles you will target, so decide early.
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Start building work experience in Wellington. Part-time work, volunteering, or a summer internship in the public sector or professional services will help more than a high entry score once you graduate. Look for paid roles that fit your visa's work-hour rules.
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Apply with complete documents, and check the intake deadline. Send transcripts, translations, and English results together, and confirm the deadline for your intake on Victoria's site, since deadlines differ by intake and programme.
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo Requirements
These are Victoria's standard undergraduate English minimums from its official page:
| Test | Standard undergraduate minimum |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 overall, with no band lower than 5.5 |
| TOEFL iBT | 80 total |
| PTE Academic | 50 overall, with a Communicative score no lower than 42 |
| Duolingo English Test | 105, with no band lower than 95 |
Victoria's page did not state how long test results remain valid, so confirm that with admissions before booking. The standard requirement applies to the Bachelor of Commerce, and Victoria's official higher-requirements page lists postgraduate programmes rather than undergraduate Commerce.
Career Outcomes and Post-Study Work Visa Relevance
Victoria's Commerce graduates have the advantage of Wellington's concentration of public-sector, government, banking, and professional services employers. The School of Business and Government links students to that market, and the capital's job base is a real plus for accounting, economics, and policy-adjacent roles.
We did not retrieve an official graduate employment rate specific to Commerce, so we are not quoting one. A third-party aggregator cites a university-wide 92% employed-or-studying figure within six months, which we could not verify, so check Victoria's own graduate destinations content for Commerce before you rely on any figure.
Post-Study Work Visa: The Bachelor of Commerce is a Level 7 degree. Graduates who studied full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks can apply for a Post-Study Work Visa, which Immigration New Zealand describes as up to three years depending on qualification level and how long you studied. You must apply within three months after your student visa expires, and you must show at least NZD 5,000 for your stay.
From 16 November 2026, eligibility expands to NZQCF Level 7 graduate diplomas completed full-time in New Zealand and to bachelor's degrees completed in New Zealand or overseas. A Commerce student studying full-time in New Zealand is already in the eligible group, but confirm the final rules if your timeline is close to that date.
FAQ
Does Victoria publish an acceptance rate for the Bachelor of Commerce? No. Victoria does not publish a Commerce acceptance rate. Entry is criteria-based, so the realistic question is whether you meet your country's academic threshold and the English requirement.
How much does the Bachelor of Commerce cost at Victoria? Victoria's 2026 international fee for a full-time Commerce year of 120 points is NZD 37,545.60, including GST. The Student Services Fee is calculated per point and is additional.
What IELTS score do I need for Victoria Commerce? The standard undergraduate minimum is IELTS (Academic) 6.0 overall, with no band below 5.5.
Can I work in New Zealand after a Commerce degree? Yes, if you complete the degree full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks and meet the other visa conditions. The Post-Study Work Visa can last up to three years depending on your qualification and study length.
Is the Bachelor of Commerce the same as an MBA? No. The Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree. An MBA is a postgraduate qualification with different entry requirements, so check the separate programme page if you are looking at postgraduate business study.
Do I need work experience to get in? Victoria's undergraduate entry is based on academic and English requirements, not work experience. Experience helps with internships and graduate roles after the degree, so it is worth building during study.