--- title: "AUT vs University of Waikato: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?" description: "Which is more popular in search, AUT or University of Waikato? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Universities set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/aut-vs-university-of-waikato" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # AUT vs University of Waikato: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand? Which is more popular in search, AUT or University of Waikato? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Universities set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: AUT and University of Waikato - **Competitive set**: Universities - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Aug 2026 - **AUT Share of Search**: 13.5% - **University of Waikato Share of Search**: 11.1% ## Which is more popular in search, AUT or University of Waikato? - In August 2026, AUT had more branded searches than University of Waikato among universities in New Zealand. AUT was estimated to have 66.2K branded searches compared to University of Waikato’s 54.2K, and held a 13.5% Share of Search versus University of Waikato’s 11.1%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: University of Waikato took it in March 2026, AUT took it in August 2026. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, AUT’s estimated Share of Search among universities in New Zealand moved from 14.6% to 13.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.2K to 66.2K. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, University of Waikato’s estimated Share of Search among universities in New Zealand moved from 10.8% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 44.4K to 54.2K. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand universities in August 2026? - In August 2026, Massey University overtook University of Waikato to rank 3rd among universities in New Zealand, at 13.1%. - In August 2026, AUT overtook Victoria University of Wellington to rank 2nd among universities in New Zealand, at 13.5%. - In August 2026, University of Waikato lost estimated Share of Search among universities in New Zealand, from 12.7% to 11.1%. ## Month by month | Month | AUT estimated searches | AUT Share of Search | AUT rank | University of Waikato estimated searches | University of Waikato Share of Search | University of Waikato rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 60.2K | 14.6% | 2 | 44.4K | 10.8% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | 49.3K | 13.6% | 2 | 40.3K | 11.1% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 30.2K | 12% | 3 | 26.9K | 10.7% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | 41.9K | 11.1% | 4 | 40.3K | 10.7% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 66.2K | 12.9% | 2 | 60.2K | 11.8% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | 73.6K | 11.7% | 3 | 99K | 15.8% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | 44.4K | 11.1% | 5 | 54.2K | 13.6% | 3 | | May 2026 | 54.2K | 11.1% | 5 | 60.2K | 12.4% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | 49.3K | 11.5% | 4 | 54.2K | 12.6% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 66.2K | 12.7% | 3 | 66.2K | 12.7% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | 66.2K | 13.5% | 2 | 54.2K | 11.1% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AUT’s and University of Waikato’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **AUT**: Measured on the search terms “auckland university of technology”, “aut”, “aut auckland” and “aut university”, summed into one figure. - **University of Waikato**: Measured on the search terms “university of waikato”, “waikato uni” and “waikato university”, summed into one figure. - [AUT profile](/demand/nz/brands/aut) - [University of Waikato profile](/demand/nz/brands/university-of-waikato) - [All universities in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/universities): The set both shares are measured inside, 8 brands. ## Methodology - [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which is more popular in search, AUT or University of Waikato? In August 2026, AUT had more branded searches than University of Waikato among universities in New Zealand. AUT was estimated to have 66.2K branded searches compared to University of Waikato’s 54.2K, and held a 13.5% Share of Search versus University of Waikato’s 11.1%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "AUT vs University of Waikato: Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/aut-vs-university-of-waikato This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/aut-vs-university-of-waikato. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.