What Yoobee Colleges does

Yoobee Colleges, formally Yoobee College of Creative Innovation, is a New Zealand-based Private Training Establishment (PTE) and the largest specialist creative and technology college in the country, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Up Education Limited, a diversified Australasian tertiary education conglomerate that also owns NZ School of Tourism, Elite Beauty School, Cut Above Academy, Healthcare Academy of NZ, NZMA, NZ Institute of Sport, The Culinary Collective, and Builders Academy NZ. The institution traces its origin to 1995, when veteran Disney animator John Ewing began training animators in Auckland; it operated as Animation College New Zealand before rebranding to Yoobee in the 2010s and to its current name in 2020. Yoobee delivers NZQA-accredited programmes from Level 4 certificates through Level 9 master's degrees across five faculties — Animation and VFX, Design, Film, Technology, and Marketing — via four physical campuses (Auckland City Road, Wellington, Christchurch, and South Seas in Auckland, the last operating as a working film-studio environment) plus asynchronous online study. The product portfolio is anchored in animation (Bachelor of Animation, Diploma in Animation, NZ Diploma in Animation) and has been broadened into cloud, cybersecurity, AI, software engineering, game development, marketing, and postgraduate specialisations including Master of Software Engineering, Master of Business Informatics (Business Analytics and Healthcare Informatics), and Master of Management.

The underlying technology stack blends industry-standard creative and engineering tooling — Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, Blender, Toon Boom (2D animation), Houdini (3D animation/VFX), Unreal Engine (game development) — with enterprise cloud and cybersecurity platforms (AWS Academy, IBM SkillsBuild, Cisco). Yoobee holds scarce vendor certifications including Toon Boom Centre of Excellence (one of two in NZ), Houdini Certified School (one of three in NZ), and Rookies Certified School (global), and integrates IBM, AWS, Cisco, and CompTIA certifications into its technology programmes as student-issued digital badges. International student fees are processed via Flywire, and pastoral services include airport transfer, homestay placement, and Allianz Studentsafe insurance.

Yoobee's business model is tuition-driven across domestic and international students, with materially higher international pricing (e.g., $38,000 NZD + $2,400 resource fee for international Master of Management vs $32,770 NZD domestic) and ancillary services income (airport transfers, homestay placement, insurance brokerage). Government TEC Fees-Free eligibility, an in-house Tech Futures Scholarship, and corporate-funded scholarships from Datacom and Potentia effectively lower or zero out tuition for a meaningful share of the domestic cohort, shifting revenue mix toward subsidised and corporate-funded streams. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer via the yoobee.ac.nz website and the Enroller self-serve portal, supplemented by on-campus course advisors, school partnerships (OnScreen/Smokefreerockquest), and a network of international education agents. Customer segments split between domestic school-leavers and career-changers, international students from 60+ countries, school students on short courses, and adult learners on professional development programmes. Graduate employers cited as placement destinations include Weta Digital, Blue Sky Studios, The Third Floor, and Fisher and Paykel Healthcare.

Name

Yoobee Colleges

Legal name

Yoobee Colleges Ltd

Website

https://yoobee.ac.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Yoobee Colleges is New Zealand's largest specialist creative and technology college, delivering NZQA-accredited certificate through master's programmes in animation, design, film, technology, and marketing across four campuses and online, serving domestic and international students as part of the Up Education group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Creative & Technology)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE), Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK), Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Creative technology education
• Vocational higher education
• Animation and design training
• Software engineering degrees
• Creative arts college

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Domestic Student Tuition Fees: Yoobee charges tuition fees for its programmes. Some technology programmes are offered zero-fees through government scholarships or the Tech Futures Scholarship. The Introduction to AI Certificate (Level 4) has a listed tuition fee of $4,320.56 NZD. Fees vary by programme level and duration.
2. Postgraduate Tuition Fees (Domestic and International): The Master of Management programme charges $32,770.00 NZD for domestic students and $38,000 NZD for international students, plus resource and admin fees of $2,400 NZD for international students. On-campus student services levy is $410 per year.
3. International Student Services: International students pay airport transfer fees ($150 NZD one way per person), homestay placement services, and insurance fees through Allianz Partners (Studentsafe Inbound Learners policy). These are ancillary charges on top of tuition.
4. Government-Funded (Fees-Free) Study: Many programmes are eligible for the New Zealand government's fees-free scheme, reducing or eliminating upfront tuition costs for eligible domestic students. Yoobee also offers its own scholarships (e.g., Tech Futures Scholarship) covering 100% of tuition for qualifying programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Yoobee Colleges (Yoobee College of Creative Innovation) is New Zealand's largest specialist creative and technology college, delivering vocational and higher education programmes (Certificates Levels 4-5, Diplomas Levels 5-7, Bachelor Degrees Level 7, and Master's Degrees Level 9) across five faculties: Animation and VFX, Design, Film, Technology, and Marketing. Programmes are delivered via four physical campuses (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, South Seas) and online, with embedded industry certifications from IBM, AWS, Cisco, and CompTIA.

Product overview

Yoobee Colleges (Yoobee College of Creative Innovation) is New Zealand's largest specialist creative and technology college, offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational and higher education programmes. The institution operates as a unified educational services provider organized into five faculties: Animation and VFX, Design, Film, Technology, and Management. The product portfolio spans certificate (Level 4-5), diploma (Level 5-6), bachelor degree (Level 7), and master degree (Level 9) programmes across creative disciplines (animation, design, film, marketing) and technology disciplines (IT, cloud computing, cybersecurity, software engineering). The institution also offers short courses, online learning options, and postgraduate programmes. Key offerings include the Bachelor of Animation, Bachelor of Marketing and Creativity, Bachelor of Software Engineering, and various technology diplomas in cloud engineering and cybersecurity, as well as AI-focused courses like Introduction to AI and AI for Creative Industries. The institution partners with industry leaders including IBM (SkillsBuild), AWS Academy, and Cisco for technology programmes, and holds Toon Boom Centre of Excellence and Houdini Certified School status for animation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Animation A 3-year Level 7 NZQA-accredited degree providing comprehensive training across all animation disciplines, producing portfolio-ready animators for studios such as Weta Digital, Blue Sky Studios, and The Third Floor. Delivered at Auckland City Road campus with access to Toon Boom and Houdini certified instruction.
• Bachelor of Software Engineering A 3-year Level 7 degree integrating computer science, programming, art/design, social science, and business with focus on Cloud Computing, AI, Cyber Security, Game Development, and Web & App Development. Includes IBM SkillsBuild AI and Cybersecurity electives plus an IBM Digital Badge Certification in Data Science, AI, and Cybersecurity on top of the degree.
• Bachelor of Marketing and Creativity
• Master of Management
• Master of Software Engineering
• Master of Business Informatics (Business Analytics)
• Master of Business Informatics (Healthcare Informatics)
• New Zealand Diploma in Animation
• Diploma in Animation
• Diploma in Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity
• Diploma in Cloud Engineering
• Diploma in Software Development
• Diploma in Digital Design (Web and Graphic Design)
• Diploma in Web and UX Design
• Diploma in Creative Digital Design
• Diploma in Creative Marketing
• Diploma in Film and Content Creation
• Diploma in Film and TV Production
• Diploma in Screen and Stage Acting
• Diploma in Drama (Screen Acting)
• New Zealand Certificate in Makeup Artistry
• Certificate in Creative Media
• New Zealand Certificate in Information Technology
• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Certificate
• AI for Creative Industries Certificate
• Yoobee Short Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates hired by top studios including Weta Digital, Blue Sky Studios, The Third Floor, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, and Disney/Marvel productions.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The RookiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoobee is a Rookies Certified School with formal accreditation recognising it among the best schools worldwide for up-to-date, relevant industry training in creative disciplines. This certification provides graduates with portfolio validation and employer recognition globally.
• IBMcoreTechnology or IntegrationYoobee has partnered with IBM to incorporate IBM SkillsBuild into its Bachelor of Software Engineering degree. IBM delivers AI and Cybersecurity electives, and students receive an IBM Digital Badge Certification in Data Science, AI, and Cybersecurity on top of their degree.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationYoobee's Cloud Engineering students gain access to industry-recognised AWS Industry Certifications through AWS Academy, providing hands-on experience with AWS cloud lessons based on real industry scenarios.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationYoobee's Cyber Security graduates receive a portable and data-rich digital badge from Cisco, verifying their skills and achievements to tech industry employers around the world.
• CompTIAcoreTechnology or IntegrationCompTIA is the world's largest vendor-neutral IT exam and certification developer. Yoobee's IT Certificate students receive CompTIA certifications that validate their skills and enhance career opportunities.
• IT Professionals (ITP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoobee's partnership with IT Professionals allows the institution to advocate on behalf of the Education Sector, connecting students with the broader tech professional community in New Zealand.
• OnScreenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYoobee is proud to partner with OnScreen — a nationwide, free-access film development programme and competition for school students. Students create short films, documentaries, or music videos, engaging with industry mentors. Yoobee supports skill development and highlights creative pathways for future filmmakers.
• DatacomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDatacom has established a scholarship partnership with Yoobee, offering successful applicants the opportunity to study the Software Engineering Degree with financial support. This is part of Yoobee's broader Scholarship Partnerships with tech corporates including Datacom and Potentia.
• EducaiderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducaider is listed as a Yoobee partner on the website footer, providing educational resources or support services to Yoobee's student community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yoobeecolleges
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@yoobee_colleges
• Facebookfacebook.com/yoobeecolleges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yoobeecolleges
• TikToktiktok.com/@yoobeecolleges

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yoobee Colleges