Abstract
This study investigated the impact of acculturation strategies on the perceived academic success of Sri Lankan students enrolled in higher education study programs in New Zealand. Employing Berry’s acculturation model, the study examined the following strategies: integration, marginalisation, assimilation and separation to understand their impact on perceived academic success. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey approach was used, and the analysis revealed that engaging with both Sri Lankan and New Zealand academic cultures or adopting integration strategy was most frequently used and resulted in the highest levels of perceived academic success. While adoption of the marginalisation strategy was extremely rare in the sample, all strategies other than integration were found to result in a lower level of perceived academic success. The study highlights the importance of institutional support, such as culturally inclusive programs, mentoring, and counselling services in promoting successful integration.