Best schools in Bay of Plenty (2026)
The top five of 165 schools in each category, with links to the full top 100. Rankings use the Success Index (NZ), built only from official New Zealand data.
Bay of Plenty has 165 schools educating 58,711 students in 2026: 147 state, 15 state integrated, 2 private, 1 charter.
The median Equity Index (EQI) across Bay of Plenty is 496. Ministry of Education measure of socio-economic barriers faced by students; lower means fewer barriers.
Browse every school in Bay of Plenty →
Best primary schools in Bay of Plenty
Contributing, full primary, intermediate and composite schools offering Years 1–8.
St Mary's Catholic School (Tauranga)
Tauranga · State integrated contributing · Years 1–6
474 students
Bethlehem College
Bethlehem · State integrated composite · Years 1–13
2,108 students
Lynmore Primary School
Lynmore · State contributing · Years 1–6
645 students
Taumata School
Pyes Pa · State full primary · Years 1–8
669 students
Suzanne Aubert Catholic School
Papamoa · State integrated contributing · Years 1–6
215 students
Best secondary schools in Bay of Plenty
Secondary and composite schools offering Years 9–13.
Aquinas College
Pyes Pa · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
833 students
Bethlehem College
Bethlehem · State integrated composite · Years 1–13
2,108 students
John Paul College
Utuhina · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
1,090 students
Ōtūmoetai College
Tauranga Central · State secondary (year 9-15) · Years 9–13
1,999 students
Mount Maunganui College
Mount Maunganui · State secondary (year 9-15) · Years 9–13
1,705 students
Best state schools in Bay of Plenty
Government schools across all year levels.
Lynmore Primary School
Lynmore · State contributing · Years 1–6
645 students
Taumata School
Pyes Pa · State full primary · Years 1–8
669 students
Matua School
Matua · State contributing · Years 1–6
544 students
Tahatai Coast School
Papamoa · State contributing · Years 1–6
804 students
Omokoroa School
Whakamarama · State full primary · Years 1–8
321 students
Best state integrated schools in Bay of Plenty
State integrated (mostly church-affiliated) schools.
St Mary's Catholic School (Tauranga)
Tauranga · State integrated contributing · Years 1–6
474 students
Aquinas College
Pyes Pa · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
833 students
Bethlehem College
Bethlehem · State integrated composite · Years 1–13
2,108 students
Suzanne Aubert Catholic School
Papamoa · State integrated contributing · Years 1–6
215 students
St Mary's Catholic School (Rotorua)
Glenholme · State integrated contributing · Years 1–6
463 students
Best girls' schools in Bay of Plenty
Single-sex girls' schools.
Best boys' schools in Bay of Plenty
Single-sex boys' schools.
Best secondary schools by ncea level 2 attainment in Bay of Plenty
Secondary schools ranked by the percentage of school leavers who left with at least NCEA Level 2 (Ministry of Education), for schools with 30 or more leavers.
Aquinas College
Pyes Pa · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
833 students
Bethlehem College
Bethlehem · State integrated composite · Years 1–13
2,108 students
John Paul College
Utuhina · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
1,090 students
ACG Tauranga
Pyes Pa · Private composite · Years 1–13
421 students
Te Wharekura o Mauao
Bethlehem · State secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
276 students
Best secondary schools by university entrance in Bay of Plenty
Secondary schools ranked by the percentage of school leavers who attained the University Entrance award (Ministry of Education).
Aquinas College
Pyes Pa · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
833 students
John Paul College
Utuhina · State integrated secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
1,090 students
Bethlehem College
Bethlehem · State integrated composite · Years 1–13
2,108 students
Te Wharekura o Mauao
Bethlehem · State secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
276 students
Tauranga Girls' College
Gate Pa · State secondary (year 9-15) · Years 9–13
1,439 students
Best largest schools in Bay of Plenty
Schools with the largest rolls.
Tauranga Boys' College
Tauranga · State secondary (year 9-15) · Years 9–13
2,258 students
Bethlehem College
Bethlehem · State integrated composite · Years 1–13
2,108 students
Ōtūmoetai College
Tauranga Central · State secondary (year 9-15) · Years 9–13
1,999 students
Papamoa College
Papamoa · State secondary (year 7-15) · Years 7–13
1,883 students
Mount Maunganui College
Mount Maunganui · State secondary (year 9-15) · Years 9–13
1,705 students
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track for NCEA?
Success Tutoring runs personalised English and Maths tutoring for Years 1–13 in New Zealand. Start with a free assessment mapped to the New Zealand Curriculum.
- Personalised learning plan mapped to the Australian Curriculum
- English & Maths from Kindergarten to Year 12
- Flexible memberships, no lock-in contracts
- Centres across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA and ACT
Frequently asked questions
What is the best primary school in Bay of Plenty?
St Mary's Catholic School (Tauranga) in Tauranga ranks first among primary schools in Bay of Plenty with a Success Index (NZ) of 88.3 out of 100 (Equity Index (EQI): 385).
How are primary schools in Bay of Plenty ranked?
Each school's Success Index (NZ) combines 5 factors: equity index (fewer barriers is higher) (45%), roll size (10%), roll growth (5 years) (15%), school leavers with ncea level 2+ (20%), school leavers with university entrance (10%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type across New Zealand. Schools with fewer than 60 students are excluded from rankings.
Are these 2026 rankings official?
No. They are computed by Success Tutoring from official New Zealand data (Ministry of Education – Schools Directory; Ministry of Education – School leaver attainment (Find a school)). The Equity Index describes the student community, not teaching quality.