Waikato University has rocketed 100 spots in world rankings in the past four years, putting it in the top 300 universities for the first time ever.
It now is ranked at 292, and Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley says he is aiming to rise even further.
"Investing in programmes where we can grow quality, where we can grow student numbers - we need to keep focus on developing teaching capability of the staff we already have.
"Our management school is very highly ranked; we have strong environmental sciences and cyber security."
He says one of the issues the university faces is its small size which is a disadvantage in terms of visibility.
Over 26,000 universities around the world are marked annually on a range of criteria, including reputation and employability of graduates.
Auckland University is the only institution in New Zealand to drop on the list, down one place to 82nd.
Other big list-hoppers include Massey and Lincoln Universities, which have both been bumped up 24 spots.
Newshub.
