Best Schools in Wellington 2026
The top-ranked schools in Wellington on academic results and on the SchoolsNearMe value-added composite, which compares each school against its EQI peer group.
292 schools · refreshed from Education Counts 2026-07-12. Full methodology.
Top 45 schools in Wellington by academic results
Secondary schools ranked on NCEA Level 1–3 and University Entrance achievement — the "consensus" measure most rankings use. For a fairer, intake-adjusted view, see the value-added list below.
League-table caveat: we only rank schools with at least 30 NCEA candidates, so a 100% pass rate on a handful of students doesn't out-rank a large school — small-cohort percentages are volatile year to year. Read alongside the per-axis breakdown on each school's profile.
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The honest list: best value-added schools in Wellington
The SchoolsNearMe composite scores every level (primary, intermediate, secondary) against its EQI peer group — so it surfaces schools that get the most out of their students, not just the ones with the most advantaged intake. How it's calculated.
- 1Wellington Hills Christian College
Johnsonville · Composite · 124 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
View profile →97
/ 100 composite
Academic—Outcomes—Retention—Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review85 - View profile →
96
/ 100 composite
Academic—Outcomes—Retention—Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review82 - View profile →
93
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review82 - 4Mahinawa Specialist School and Resource Centre
Porirua · Specialist School · 148 students · EQI 510+ (most disadvantaged)
View profile →92
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review79 - View profile →
92
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory99ERO review81 - View profile →
91
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory—ERO review84 - View profile →
90
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review75 - View profile →
89
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory94ERO review76 - View profile →
88
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review70 - View profile →
88
/ 100 composite
Wellbeing100Trajectory100ERO review70 - View profile →
87
/ 100 composite
Academic92Outcomes74Retention94Wellbeing—Trajectory91ERO review85 - 12Wellington Girls' College
Thorndon · Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1,432 students · EQI <420 (most advantaged)
View profile →86
/ 100 composite
Academic96Outcomes76Retention97Wellbeing97Trajectory44ERO review75
Schools by suburb in Wellington
Browse every school in a specific Wellington suburb, ranked locally with ERO history and the value-added composite.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best schools in Wellington?
On academic results (NCEA Level 1–3 and University Entrance), the top-ranked Wellington secondary schools are Hutt International Boys' School, St Matthew's Collegiate (Masterton), Wellington Girls' College, St Mary's College (Wellington), St Oran's College. On the SchoolsNearMe value-added composite — which compares each school against its EQI peer group across all year levels — the leaders are Wellington Hills Christian College, TKKM o Nga Mokopuna, South Featherston School.
What are the best school suburbs in Wellington?
Lower Hutt, Kilbirnie, Trentham, Masterton, Thorndon have the highest concentration of top-ranked schools in Wellington on our academic ranking. Note that several of the highest-performing schools have enrolment zones, so the suburb you live in can determine which state schools you can enrol at.
How do school zones work in Wellington?
Many Wellington state schools operate an enrolment zone (home zone): if your home address is inside the zone you have a legal right to enrol, while out-of-zone places are allocated by ballot. Several of the highest-performing state schools are zoned, so the address you live at — not just the suburb — can determine which schools you can enrol at. Always confirm a school's current zone with the school or the Ministry of Education before relying on it; you can check schools against a specific address with our by-address tool.
Decile or Equity Index — how are Wellington schools rated for socio-economic need?
New Zealand replaced the decile system with the Equity Index (EQI) in 2023. A lower EQI means a more socio-economically advantaged community; a higher EQI means greater need. EQI measures the intake, not teaching quality — a higher-EQI school can outperform a lower-EQI one. The SchoolsNearMe composite controls for EQI so a school serving a more disadvantaged community isn't unfairly penalised against its peers.
What is the most prestigious school in Wellington?
Prestige is subjective and often tied to a school's history, roll and fees rather than results. On measurable academic achievement, Hutt International Boys' School is among the highest-ranked schools in Wellington. We rank on outcomes — NCEA, University Entrance, retention, post-school destinations and wellbeing — not reputation.
What is the highest-decile (most advantaged) school in Wellington?
The decile system was replaced by the Equity Index (EQI) in 2023 — a lower EQI means a more socio-economically advantaged student community. In Wellington, Cashmere Avenue School (Khandallah) has one of the lowest EQI figures at 344. The SchoolsNearMe composite controls for EQI so advantage alone doesn't inflate a school's score.
How these rankings work
The academic ranking orders secondary schools by NCEA Level 1–3 and University Entrance achievement. The value-added 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, comparing each school against its EQI-band peers (12 bands covering New Zealand's socio-economic spread) so a school serving a more disadvantaged community isn't unfairly penalised.
Source data: Education Counts (NCEA, retention, destinations, discipline, funding) · Ministry of Education (roll, EQI, identity).