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Best secondary schools in Taranaki & Manawatū

45 secondary schools ranked by the SchoolsNearMe composite — a 5-axis score (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory) compared against EQI-band peers. Methodology.

Data refreshed from Education Counts 2026-05-27. Schools without enough data to score on the composite are omitted from this page but still appear in the directory.

  1. 1
    Te Kura o Te Wainui-ā-Rua

    Ranana · Composite · 58 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)

    94

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    —
    Outcomes
    —
    Retention
    —
    Wellbeing
    100
    Trajectory
    100
    ERO review
    71
  2. 2
    Mana Tamariki

    Palmerston North CBD · Composite · 74 students · EQI 420–449

    90

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    —
    Outcomes
    —
    Retention
    100
    Wellbeing
    100
    Trajectory
    61
    ERO review
    85
  3. 3
    Francis Douglas Memorial College logo
    Francis Douglas Memorial College

    Westown · Secondary (Year 7-15) · 732 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)

    83

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    95
    Outcomes
    71
    Retention
    93
    Wellbeing
    79
    Trajectory
    48
    ERO review
    85
  4. 4
    Whanganui Collegiate School logo
    Whanganui Collegiate School

    Whanganui · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 414 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)

    82

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    93
    Outcomes
    66
    Retention
    95
    Wellbeing
    92
    Trajectory
    39
    ERO review
    85
  5. 5
    Green School New Zealand logo
    Green School New Zealand

    Omata · Composite · 92 students · EQI unknown

    82

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    80
    Outcomes
    —
    Retention
    80
    Wellbeing
    —
    Trajectory
    100
    ERO review
    76
  6. 6
    Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth) logo
    Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth)

    Fitzroy · Secondary (Year 7-15) · 725 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)

    80

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    89
    Outcomes
    65
    Retention
    91
    Wellbeing
    88
    Trajectory
    52
    ERO review
    85
  7. 7
    Palmerston North Girls' High School logo
    Palmerston North Girls' High School

    Palmerston North · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1,312 students · EQI 420–449

    77

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    85
    Outcomes
    59
    Retention
    89
    Wellbeing
    88
    Trajectory
    58
    ERO review
    85
  8. 8
    St Peter's College (Palmerston North) logo
    St Peter's College (Palmerston North)

    Milson · Secondary (Year 7-15) · 757 students · EQI 420–449

    75

    / 100 composite

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    Academic
    87
    Outcomes
    57
    Retention
    91
    Wellbeing
    61
    Trajectory
    69
    ERO review
    80
  9. 9
    Whare Kura Morehu ō Ratana

    Ratana · Composite · 55 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)

    72

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    —
    Outcomes
    —
    Retention
    —
    Wellbeing
    52
    Trajectory
    100
    ERO review
    76
  10. 10
    Palmerston North Boys' High School logo
    Palmerston North Boys' High School

    Palmerston North · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1,720 students · EQI 420–449

    71

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    76
    Outcomes
    57
    Retention
    85
    Wellbeing
    72
    Trajectory
    59
    ERO review
    85
View the remaining 35 ranked secondary schools in Taranaki & Manawatū
  1. 11. Hato Paora College Feilding
    70
  2. 12. Te Kura aa Iwi o Ngaati Kauwhata Feilding
    70
  3. 13. Nga Tawa Diocesan School Marton
    69
  4. 14. St Dominic's College Gonville
    69
  5. 15. New Plymouth Boys' High School New Plymouth
    68
  6. 16. New Plymouth Girls' High School New Plymouth
    67
  7. 17. Cullinane College Whanganui
    67
  8. 18. Feilding High School Feilding
    67
  9. 19. Manukura Palmerston North
    66
  10. 20. Inglewood High School Inglewood
    65
  11. 21. Cornerstone Christian School Kelvin Grove
    63
  12. 22. Whanganui High School Whanganui
    61
  13. 23. Te Kura o Nga Ruahine Rangi Mangatoki
    61
  14. 24. Spotswood College New Plymouth
    60
  15. 25. Te Kura o Kokohuia Castlecliff
    60
  16. 26. TKKM o Tupoho Castlecliff
    59
  17. 27. Te Pi'ipi'inga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea Spotswood
    57
  18. 28. Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls Stratford
    56
  19. 29. Stratford High School Stratford
    55
  20. 30. Opunake High School Opunake
    55
  21. 31. Rangitīkei College Marton
    55
  22. 32. Whanganui Girls' College Whanganui East
    54
  23. 33. Freyberg High School Roslyn
    52
  24. 34. Waitara High School Waitara
    50
  25. 35. Te Paepae o Aotea Hāwera
    49
  26. 36. Awatapu College West End
    48
  27. 37. Queen Elizabeth College Palmerston North
    45
  28. 38. Patea Area School Patea
    44
  29. 39. Ruapehu College Ohakune
    42
  30. 40. Longburn Adventist College Longburn
    41
  31. 41. TKKM o Ngati Ruanui Hāwera
    41
  32. 42. Taihape Area School Taihape
    40
  33. 43. Whanganui City College Whanganui
    35
  34. 44. St Anthony's School (Wanganui) Whanganui
    29
  35. 45. Coastal Taranaki School Okato
    28

About this ranking

SchoolsNearMe's composite combines five axes — academic achievement, post-school destinations, Y9→Y13 retention, wellbeing (low stand-down rate), and roll trajectory — into a single 0–100 score. The math compares each school against its EQI-band peers (12 bands covering NZ's socio-economic spread), so a school serving more disadvantaged students isn't unfairly penalised against schools serving the most-advantaged.

Schools below 30 students aren't given a rollup score (per-axis data is still on each profile). Schools without composite-eligible data don't appear on this page.

Source data: Education Counts (NCEA, retention, destinations, discipline, funding) · Ministry of Education (roll, EQI, identity).