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Best secondary schools in Waikato

51 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
    Matamata Christian School logo
    Matamata Christian School

    Matamata · Composite · 122 students · EQI 420–449

    95

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    Outcomes
    Retention
    Wellbeing
    100
    Trajectory
    100
    ERO review
    76
  2. 2
    Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa

    Enderley · Composite · 315 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)

    95

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    Outcomes
    Retention
    Wellbeing
    100
    Trajectory
    100
    ERO review
    76
  3. 3
    Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Taumarunui

    Taumarunui · Composite · 92 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)

    95

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    Outcomes
    Retention
    Wellbeing
    100
    Trajectory
    100
    ERO review
    76
  4. 4
    Waikato Diocesan School For Girls logo
    Waikato Diocesan School For Girls

    Hamilton · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 690 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)

    90

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    98
    Outcomes
    86
    Retention
    97
    Wellbeing
    100
    Trajectory
    52
    ERO review
    65
  5. 5
    St Paul's Collegiate (Hamilton) logo
    St Paul's Collegiate (Hamilton)

    Chartwell · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 877 students · EQI unknown

    86

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    93
    Outcomes
    76
    Retention
    92
    Wellbeing
    Trajectory
    71
    ERO review
    85
  6. 6
    St Peter's School (Cambridge) logo
    St Peter's School (Cambridge)

    Cambridge · Secondary (Year 7-15) · 1,184 students · EQI unknown

    83

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    96
    Outcomes
    65
    Retention
    98
    Wellbeing
    Trajectory
    51
    ERO review
    85
  7. 7
    Sacred Heart Girls' College (Ham) logo
    Sacred Heart Girls' College (Ham)

    Hamilton East · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 917 students · EQI 420–449

    80

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    86
    Outcomes
    61
    Retention
    92
    Wellbeing
    87
    Trajectory
    74
    ERO review
    85
  8. 8
    Te Wharekura o Manaia logo
    Te Wharekura o Manaia

    Manaia · Composite · 173 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)

    80

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    86
    Outcomes
    Retention
    60
    Wellbeing
    86
    Trajectory
    85
    ERO review
    76
  9. 9
    Hamilton Boys' High School logo
    Hamilton Boys' High School

    Hamilton · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 2,261 students · EQI 420–449

    75

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    85
    Outcomes
    58
    Retention
    85
    Wellbeing
    81
    Trajectory
    58
    ERO review
    63
  10. 10
    St John's College (Hillcrest) logo
    St John's College (Hillcrest)

    Hillcrest · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 924 students · EQI 420–449

    75

    / 100 composite

    View profile →
    Academic
    88
    Outcomes
    55
    Retention
    80
    Wellbeing
    73
    Trajectory
    69
    ERO review
    82
View the remaining 41 ranked secondary schools in Waikato
  1. 73
  2. 72
  3. 69
  4. 66
  5. 15. Cambridge High School Cambridge
    66
  6. 66
  7. 17. Waipa Christian School Te Awamutu
    64
  8. 18. Hillcrest High School Hillcrest
    62
  9. 19. Whangamata Area School Whangamata
    61
  10. 61
  11. 60
  12. 22. Tai Wananga Hamilton
    60
  13. 23. Morrinsville College Morrinsville
    59
  14. 59
  15. 25. Matamata College Matamata
    58
  16. 58
  17. 27. Thames High School Thames
    57
  18. 28. Paeroa College Paeroa
    57
  19. 29. Hamilton Christian School Rototuna North
    57
  20. 30. Te Awamutu College Te Awamutu
    56
  21. 56
  22. 32. Te Kōpuku High Te Rapa
    53
  23. 33. Te Aroha College Te Aroha
    52
  24. 34. Mercury Bay Area School Whitianga
    51
  25. 35. Tokoroa High School Tokoroa
    51
  26. 36. Coromandel Area School Coromandel
    49
  27. 49
  28. 38. Raglan Area School Raglan
    48
  29. 39. Ōtorohanga College Otorohanga
    48
  30. 48
  31. 41. Waihi College Waihi
    47
  32. 42. Te Kuiti High School Te Kuiti
    46
  33. 43. Piopio College Piopio
    46
  34. 44. TKKM o Te Hiringa Tokoroa
    46
  35. 45. Te Kauwhata College Te Kauwhata
    42
  36. 46. Fairfield College Chartwell
    42
  37. 47. Fraser High School Dinsdale
    41
  38. 48. Putāruru College Putaruru
    41
  39. 49. Huntly College Huntly
    40
  40. 50. Ngaruawahia High School Ngaruawahia
    40
  41. 51. Taumarunui High School Taumarunui
    40

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).