BACKNZQA Scholarship exams are held at the end of the academic year. Preparation begins early, with programmes starting in Terms 1 and 2, including additional sessions—often outside regular class time—to support students in their exam readiness.
To further enrich this experience, the college hosts breakfast sessions with guest speakers throughout the year. These events offer valuable insights into academic success and help students cultivate a strong, focused mindset.
Rangitoto College has achieved a remarkable new NZQA record and once again, for the sixth time, gained the most Scholarship passes in New Zealand with a total of 348 Scholarships awarded; an increase of 24 over the previous record of 324 set in 2024.
These results include 42 Outstanding Scholarships and three Top in New Zealand subject honours that were gained by Rui-Han Ong in Health and Physical Education, Leen Murad in Photography and Xinyue Hua in Chinese.
The college also celebrates two premier award (top 13 in New Zealand) winners, alongside six outstanding scholar award winners (top 50 in New Zealand).
Leading the high-achievers are Joshua Wang (was Year 12 in 2025) with an incredible 10 Scholarships, and Yunxuan Sun with 8 Scholarships; with both students named as premier award winners who will travel to the Beehive in Wellington to receive their monetary award of $10,000 each year for three years.
Michael Yang (7 Scholarships), James Reynolds (6), Xingyi (Ellis) Luo (6), Angus Rose (6), Diqiu (Rachel) Gu (4), Leo Wang (4) all gained an NZQA outstanding scholar award valued at $5000 each year for three years.
A number of other students gained multiple passes, including Phoenix McClean in Year 12, who gained 7 scholarships.
We congratulate all students who gained scholarship passes, as these were spread across all year levels, including three year 9 students who received Scholarships in Calculus. Our 2025 cohort has demonstrated a profound level of intellectual rigor and dedication.
Rangitoto College scholarship students have achieved an extraordinary milestone in 2024, receiving 324 NZQA Scholarships, including 32 passes at the Outstanding level—the highest number ever awarded to a New Zealand school. Congratulations to all our scholarship recipients for this remarkable achievement.
This year’s success includes:
This marks the fifth time Rangitoto College has led New Zealand in scholarship passes, with achievements across 27 subjects in 2024. Impressively, across the 29 subjects entered, our students earned 8% of all scholarships awarded nationwide—a testament to the academic strength of our kura.
These accomplishments were celebrated at our Scholarship Evening, where students, teachers, and whānau gathered to honour the dedication, hard work, and perseverance that made these results possible.
Our 2024 NCEA Dux, Leanne Kim, achieved an exceptional 10 NZQA Scholarships, including 7 at the Outstanding level. This remarkable accomplishment earned Leanne one of only 12 Premier Awards granted nationwide—a true testament to her academic excellence.
In 2024, nine Rangitoto College students received the prestigious Outstanding Scholarship Award—a distinction earned by only 40–60 students nationwide each year.
Recipients:
Year 13
Year 12
Year 11
Recipients of this award receive $5,000 per year for three years toward their tertiary studies, provided they maintain at least a “B” grade average.
To qualify, students must meet one of the following criteria:
Rangitoto College is incredibly proud of our students who have received the prestigious Top Subject Scholarship Award—a phenomenal accomplishment that recognises the highest-performing student in each NZQA Scholarship subject nationwide. In 2024, only 37 students across New Zealand earned this honour.
Our distinguished alumni include:
In addition:
These accolades highlight the exceptional academic talent nurtured at Rangitoto College and the commitment of our students to excellence.
Congratulations to Cameron Senior for his outstanding achievement in receiving a Premier Award for the second year in a row ($30,000 for tertiary study). Gaining ten Scholarship passes with seven at outstanding is an unbelievable feat. To top that off, Cameron was also top in the country for Statistics, Geography and Art History.
Ashley Huddart gained an outstanding scholar award as well as top in the country for Health and Physical Education. This puts her within the top 60 academic achievers in New Zealand; and she is only in Year 12! Congratulations Ashley.
