Last updated October 2026
Nelson College is a state, boys’ secondary school for Years 9 to 13 at Waimea Road, Nelson. It had 1,009 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The college’s site lists sport including rugby, cricket, football, hockey, basketball, volleyball, sailing and mountain biking, along with art, drama, music, performances and productions, learning support and a gifted and talented programme. Its whare, Te Ara Poutama, is home to kapa haka (a combined group with Nelson College for Girls), waka ama and Manu Kōrero, and boys can board in Rutherford and Barnicoat Houses on the college grounds or come as international students.
At a glance
- Principal
- Richard Washington
- Address
- Waimea Road, Nelson
- Phone
- 03 548 3099
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 1,009 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
58 international students
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
Stand-downs and suspensions
Cases per 1,000 students in 2025, adjusted for the ages of the school’s students, compared with all New Zealand schools.
These measure how a school responds to behaviour, and schools set their own thresholds, so they are not a measure of how students behave.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Evaluation Report from October 2025. ERO found the school had made variable progress on its earlier priorities after a period of leadership change.
A large majority of students reach expected curriculum levels in reading and writing by the end of the junior years, but only a small majority do in maths.
A large majority gain NCEA Levels 1 and 3 and most gain Level 2, but fewer than half gain University Entrance, and outcomes for Māori and Pacific students are not yet equitable. Only a small majority attend regularly, and some students and staff said consistently positive behaviour is not yet established across the school.
On the positive side, ERO noted a strongly relational culture, students’ sense of belonging, effective support for students with diverse learning needs, and leaders focused on trust, collaboration and good transitions out of school.
ERO’s key priorities are for all staff to work together consistently on improving student outcomes, to make better use of engagement, learning and leaving data in the junior years, to build consistent and culturally inclusive teaching across the school, and to improve regular attendance.
Read the ERO reports for Nelson College
Enrolling
Nelson College has no home zone, so any student can apply. The school asks families to enrol online where possible, with proof of domestic status attached, and paper forms are available from reception.
The school publishes its orientation, open day and enrolment closing dates on its enrolment page each year. Boarding and international students apply through their own enrolment pages.
Schools nearby
In Nelson South
Nelson College is in Nelson South. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Nelson South guide →Questions parents ask
Is Nelson College zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 9 to 13.
How many students go there?
1,009 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
441. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Is it a single-sex school?
Yes. It takes boys only.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 80.4% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 22 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0). Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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