Machine learning courses in New Zealand
Square1 Ai is an online school, registered in Sri Lanka. It runs five live machine learning bootcamps (ML Engineer, Fine-Tuning and Open-Weights, Computer Vision, LLMOps and LLM Evals and Reliability), each twelve weeks on Zoom with one instructor and 10 projects you keep, for NZ$249; self-paced courses start at NZ$49. New Zealand students join the Australian cohorts: weekday evenings from 8:30 PM New Zealand time (6:30 PM in Sydney), with full-day sessions at weekends.
Founding price, half the NZ$499 standard, until 1 December. Self-paced courses from NZ$49.
The ML Engineer Bootcamp handbook
The twelve weeks, the 10 projects and what the roles pay, in one PDF. Free: tell us where to send it.
What ML roles pay in New Zealand
Annual base salary in New Zealand, from Payscale (read 29 October 2026). The range is the middle half of reported salaries, and each row shows how many salary profiles it rests on.
| Role | Median a year | Middle half | Train for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineerPayscale113 salary profiles | NZ$123,300 | NZ$108,900 to NZ$139,300 | Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering |
| Software engineerPayscale192 salary profiles | NZ$84,600 | NZ$71,700 to NZ$105,200 | Software Engineering with AI, Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering |
| Data engineerPayscale47 salary profiles | NZ$83,400 | NZ$70,500 to NZ$107,400 | Data Engineering with AI |
| Data scientistPayscale35 salary profiles | NZ$83,200 | NZ$67,200 to NZ$119,300 | Data Science |
| Data analystPayscale144 salary profiles | NZ$73,000 | NZ$65,800 to NZ$84,600 | Data Analyst with AI, Analytics Engineer |
Salaries are what employers in New Zealand report paying, not what Square1 Ai students earn: the first cohorts have not graduated.
Bootcamps that fit a working week in New Zealand.
Twelve weeks each, weekday evenings and weekend days, 25 spots a cohort. Reserving a seat holds the founding price.
Machine learning courses in New Zealand, side by side
Machine learning courses you can take in New Zealand in 2026, with their length, how they are taught and the fee each provider lists.
| Course | Length | How it is taught | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied AI for Engineers (ENGGEN 720)University of Auckland Online | 15 weeks, about 10 hours a week | Live online, recorded | $1,607 domestic incl. GST |
| Machine Learning FundamentalsQueenstown Resort College | 10 or 16 weeks | Classroom, Queenstown | NZ$2,560 domestic (10 weeks; GST not stated) |
| Data Science and AI ProgrammeAUT with the Institute of Data | 12 weeks full time or 24 part time | AUT campus or live online | Not listed on its site |
| Live machine learning bootcamps (5 tracks)Square1 Ai | 12 weeks, about 15 hours a week | Live online, weekday evenings from 8:30 PM NZ time and weekend days | NZ$249 (founding price) |
Fees and lengths as each provider lists them on its own site, checked 29 October 2026. Ask the provider for the current intake before you pay.
Four ways into machine learning in New Zealand
Each fits a different person. The right one depends on whether you need a degree, a university name, a free start or a portfolio.
- Route 1
A degree or master's
Fits when You want a formal qualification in machine learning, or the theory in depth.
Watch for Years of study and a large fee; check how much of it uses the tools teams work with now.
- Route 2
A university or institute short course
Fits when You want a known name on a short machine learning course, online or on campus.
Watch for Most are a few weeks and teach concepts; ask whether you build and deploy something.
- Route 3
A free or funded programme
Fits when You want to try machine learning before paying for anything.
Watch for Good for basics; nobody reviews your work, so you still need projects to show.
- Route 4
A live online bootcamp
Fits when You are working and want a job-shaped portfolio in twelve weeks, taught live on New Zealand time.
Watch for Square1 Ai's bootcamps are new and not accredited: the first cohorts have not graduated, so there is no placement rate yet.
Questions people in New Zealand ask about machine learning
Which machine learning course is best in New Zealand?
It depends on what you need. University of Auckland Online's Applied AI for Engineers (ENGGEN 720) lists $1,607 domestic incl. GST and Queenstown Resort College's Machine Learning Fundamentals lists NZ$2,560 domestic (10 weeks; GST not stated); the table above lists each one's length and fee. If you are working and want a portfolio an employer can check, Square1 Ai's twelve-week live bootcamps are NZ$249 at the founding price.
How much does a machine learning course cost in New Zealand?
A Square1 Ai live machine learning bootcamp is NZ$249, the founding price until 1 December (the standard price is NZ$499), and a self-paced course is NZ$49. Other providers' fees are in the table above.
What does a data scientist earn in New Zealand?
Payscale puts the median base salary for a data scientist in New Zealand at NZ$83,200 a year, with the middle half between NZ$67,200 and NZ$119,300, from 35 salary profiles.
Machine learning or data science: which should I start with?
If you have not written Python before, start with data analysis or data science: SQL, Python and statistics come first. Machine learning builds on them, training and shipping models. Square1 Ai's ML Engineer bootcamp expects some Python; the self-paced Python for AI course covers the basics first.
Can I learn machine learning online in New Zealand while working full time?
Yes. New Zealand students join the Australian cohorts: weekday evenings from 8:30 PM New Zealand time (6:30 PM in Sydney), with full-day sessions at weekends. The work between sessions is graded by Nova, Square1 Ai's AI tutor, whenever you submit it. Plan for about fifteen hours a week across the twelve weeks.
Is it NZQA approved, and do Fees Free or StudyLink cover it?
No. Square1 Ai is not an NZQA-registered provider and its bootcamps are not NZQA-approved qualifications, so Fees Free, StudyLink loans and allowances do not apply. You leave with 10 deployed projects and a recorded defence of your work.
Does the bootcamp guarantee a job?
No. No placement rate is published because the first cohorts have not graduated. You leave with 10 projects an employer can open and run, a recorded defence of your work, and a hiring plan worked through with your instructor.
How do I pay?
Reserving a seat is free and takes your name, email and country. Nothing is charged until the start date is confirmed and you say yes.
25 spots a cohort. Hold one on New Zealand time.
Pick a bootcamp, reserve with your name and email, and hear the start date first. Nothing is charged until you confirm.