Increasing student engagement leads to improved educational outcomes, promotes positive student experiences, and reduces attrition rates. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), Maori students now account for 20% of university enrolments, but first-year attrition rates are approximately 17%. Both Maori and Pasifika students are more likely to drop-out during their first year of study than Pakeha students. To address the question "Are Maori and Pasifika students less engaged than Pakeha students when studying in their first year of university?" we measured student engagement during a compulsory first-year course delivered by a university in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland). Questions were from the National Survey of Student Engagement, and students identified their ethnicity as either Maori, Pakeha, Pasifika, or Other. Information on the campus of study was also collected. Three scales within the questionnaire were (1) Cooperative Learning, (2) Cognitive Development, and (3) Personal Skills, and both total score, and score for each scale, were compared between ethnicities and across campuses. Total engagement for Maori students was higher than all other ethnicities on all campuses, and at the South Auckland Campus, Maori students scored higher in Cooperative Learning than all other ethnicities. These encouraging scores for Maori students reflect a commitment of inclusion and support for Maori enrolled at this large tertiary education provider in Tamaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. The questionnaire was convenient to use and scales showed good internal consistency. We suggest that regular measures of student course engagement are made so trends can be shown for all student groups enrolled at universities throughout Aotearoa.