Jul 28, 2025 Society
Every year when we present the results of Auckland’s high schools, we are forced to ask ourselves the same question: what truly constitutes a ‘good school’? Is its excellence defined by the highest NCEA attainments, or by its capacity to open doors to prestigious international universities? Does it excel in forging pathways to higher education, or does its value lie in cultivating a network of one-day-will-be-influential connections? Perhaps a school’s virtue is found in its ability to nurture strong values, transforming young minds not into products ready for the market, but into valued contributors within their community, be that geographic, cultural or religious. Could it simply be the place where one’s closest friends, or the children of friends, are educated? Or is it the institution renowned for its theatrical flair, its undefeated sports teams, its rigorous discipline, or its progressive, traditional or diverse ethos?
Ultimately, a single definition remains elusive. There is no one metric of ‘good’ and choosing a ‘best’ seems all but impossible. When students, and their parents, embark on the journey of secondary education, it’s typically a nuanced blend of these multifaceted considerations that guides their choice. Even the most ambitious scholars seek a high school experience that transcends relentless examination preparation, just as future sports stars recognise the need for diverse skills beyond their dreamed-of careers.
It is precisely this complexity that shapes the scope of our analysis. While the full tapestry of what makes a school exceptional is rich and varied, the most objective and consistently measurable indicator of success lies in academic performance. It is with this understanding that we present here a comprehensive report detailing the NCEA results for Auckland high schools from the 2023 academic year, drawing from the most recent data fully reported by the Ministry of Education. In doing so, we acknowledge that this approach, while robust, captures only a segment of a school’s true value, leaving many equally vital, yet harder-to-quantify, aspects to broader consideration. Further, it’s important to note that while NCEA is still the primary school-leaving qualification in our country, enrolment in Cambridge and International Baccalaureate programmes is growing in Auckland. Schools that offer these qualification pathways may consequently have less impressive NCEA results than they might otherwise be capable of achieving.
But as we meticulously examine the 2023 NCEA outcomes for high schools across Tāmaki Makaurau, certain patterns emerge. The enduring truth that schools are not uniform in their capabilities is reinforced year after year, with a notable divergence in results often unfortunately mirroring the socioeconomic landscape of various areas. For many families, the luxury of choice regarding their child’s education remains constrained; zoning regulations largely dictate attendance, with exceptions typically arising from religious affiliations, established family connections to specific institutions, or a student’s exceptional talent that attracts scholarship opportunities.
It’s also important to underscore that individual achievement can significantly deviate from school averages — remarkable results are often attained by students in schools with lower overall performance, while under-performance can (and frequently does) occur even within high-achieving environments. Academic metrics represent merely one dimension of a thriving educational journey; a truly commendable high school plays a crucial role in cultivating well-rounded individuals, a profound contribution that defies simple numerical tabulation.
And yet, we believe there is still value in that simple numerical tabulation. We think future and current students and parents (and teachers and administrators) should have access to the academic results of high schools across the city, to decide for themselves what value they have, and cross-compare them in whatever way suits their needs; that school assessment results should be open, transparent and available to all.
So here they are, Auckland’s NCEA results for 2023 — A+ for some, ‘needs improvement’ for others.
Download PDF: Metro Schools Data 2025
