See the tables below for information about the 2025 New Zealand Scholarship award recipients.
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2025 New Zealand Scholarship monetary awards
In 2025, the 40 Top Subject Scholarship awards were achieved by 38 students.
Of these 38 students, 26 received Top Subject monetary awards and the other 12 received awards in other categories.
Candidates receiving a Top Subject Scholar Award, who also achieve Scholarship in another subject, receive the Top Subject Award and, in addition, a maximum of one $500 Single-Subject Award.
|
Award |
2025 Awardees attained |
No. of Students |
|---|---|---|
|
Premier Awards $10,000 each year for three years (for the very top 7 to 13 students) as long as they maintain at least a 'B' grade average in tertiary studies |
NB: The number of recipients for this award is restricted and achieving the minimum requirement will not guarantee an award. |
13 |
|
Outstanding Scholar Awards $5,000 each year for three years (for the top 40–60 students) as long as they maintain at least a 'B' grade average in tertiary studies |
|
57 |
|
Top Subject Scholar Awards $2,000 each year for three years as long as students maintain at least a "B" grade average in tertiary studies |
|
38 |
|
Scholarship Award $2,000 each year for three years as long as students maintain at least a "B" grade average in tertiary studies |
|
331 |
|
Single Subject Awards A "one-off" award of $500 per subject (maximum payment is $1,000) |
|
2325 |
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New Zealand Scholarship awards by subject - provisional
Information on the number of New Zealand Scholarship students for each subject and what they were awarded.
| Scholarship Subject | Scholarship Score Range | Scholarship No. of Candidates | Outstanding Scholarship Score Range | Outstanding No. of Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 19-28 | 65 | 29-32 | 7 |
| Agriculture and Horticulture | 14-20 | 21 | 21-24 | 2 |
| Art History | 13-19 | 26 | 20-24 | 3 |
| Biology | 13-18 | 307 | 19-24 | 33 |
| Calculus | 17-26 | 346 | 27-32 | 41 |
| Chemistry | 17-24 | 256 | 25-32 | 28 |
| Chinese | 18-21 | 30 | 22-24 | 3 |
| Classical Studies | 14-18 | 98 | 19-24 | 9 |
| Dance | 13-21 | 28 | 22-24 | 3 |
| Design | 14-19 | 75 | 20-24 | 8 |
| Design and Visual Communication | 13-18 | 51 | 19-24 | 5 |
| Digital Technologies | 13-19 | 57 | 20-24 | 7 |
| Drama | 15-20 | 59 | 21-24 | 6 |
| Earth and Space Science | 14-18 | 31 | 19-24 | 4 |
| Economics | 14-20 | 109 | 21-24 | 9 |
| English | 13-19 | 572 | 20-24 | 72 |
| French | 14-20 | 13 | 21-24 | 2 |
| Geography | 14-18 | 141 | 19-24 | 13 |
| German | 16-22 | 6 | 23-24 | 1 |
| Health and Physical Education | 13-18 | 139 | 19-24 | 16 |
| History | 13-18 | 208 | 19-24 | 21 |
| Japanese | 17-21 | 20 | 22-24 | 4 |
| Latin | 26-30 | 4 | 31-32 | 1 |
| Media Studies | 13-18 | 86 | 19-24 | 10 |
| Music | 16-19 | 61 | 20-24 | 6 |
| Painting | 13-19 | 102 | 20-24 | 11 |
| Photography | 13-19 | 98 | 20-24 | 11 |
| Physics | 17-27 | 283 | 28-32 | 32 |
| Printmaking | 16-22 | 15 | 23-24 | 2 |
| Psychology | 13-18 | 44 | 19-24 | 6 |
| Religious Studies | 13-18 | 108 | 19-24 | 13 |
| Samoan | 18-21 | 9 | 22-24 | 2 |
| Sculpture | 15-23 | 11 | 24-24 | 1 |
| Spanish | 16-20 | 14 | 21-24 | 1 |
| Statistics | 18-27 | 312 | 28-32 | 33 |
| Te Ao Haka | 14-23 | 29 | 24-24 | 2 |
| Te Reo Maori | 14-20 | 57 | 21-24 | 3 |
| Te Reo Rangatira | 17-21 | 13 | 22-24 | 2 |
| Technology | 13-18 | 86 | 19-24 | 9 |
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How many students get this award?
To be awarded Scholarship in a subject, students must meet the Scholarship standard for that subject. Scholarship is awarded to the top 3% of students in a subject cohort. This is to ensure comparability and fairness between subjects.
Before 2024, the subject cohort was determined as those students who achieved 14 or more NCEA Level 3 subject credits in the year. Achieved in this context refers to achievement of internally assessed standards plus entries in externally assessed standards.
For 2025, the subject cohort of each NZ Scholarship subject comprises those students who meet any one of these criteria:
- Achieved 14 or more NCEA Level 3 subject credits in 2025. Achieved in this context refers to achievement of internally assessed standards plus entries in externally assessed standards.
- Achieved 14 or more NCEA Level 3 subject credits across 2025 and 2024. Students must have achieved some NCEA Level 3 subject credits in 2024 and either achieved some internally assessed subject credits or been entered for externally assessed standards at NCEA Level 3 in 2025.
- Entered for NZ Scholarship in that subject.
Some students may meet more than one of the above criteria, but are counted once only.
The 2024 change in determining the subject cohort acknowledges that, in any given year, there are a large number of students participating in the New Zealand Scholarship who have not entered 14 NCEA Level 3 subject credits that year.
High numbers of Scholarships in Latin
A significantly higher number of students achieve New Zealand Scholarship in Latin than in other subjects. This is because:
- Latin has a very small number of students at NCEA Level 3 and the cohort is based primarily on students studying at this level. Also, a significant number of students studying Latin in Year 13 enter for alternative qualifications. These students are only included in the cohort number if they have entries in NZ Scholarship.
- Up to 5 students in addition to the 3% of the Level 3 cohort can receive Scholarship in each subject.
New Zealand Scholarship cut scores
The cut scores table shows the range of New Zealand Scholarship scores and number of students for each subject.
| Scholarship Subject | Level 3 Cohort | % Level 3 Cohort Awarded Scholarship (including Outstanding) | Scholarship (excluding Outstanding) | Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 2,222 | 3.24 | 65 | 7 |
| Agriculture and Horticulture | 729 | 3.16 | 21 | 2 |
| Art History | 1,016 | 2.85 | 26 | 3 |
| Biology | 11,208 | 3.03 | 307 | 33 |
| Calculus | 13,102 | 2.95 | 346 | 41 |
| Chemistry | 10,236 | 2.77 | 256 | 28 |
| Chinese | 977 | 3.38 | 30 | 3 |
| Classical Studies | 3,486 | 3.07 | 98 | 9 |
| Dance | 1,398 | 2.22 | 28 | 3 |
| Design | 2,559 | 3.24 | 75 | 8 |
| Design and Visual Communication | 1,789 | 3.13 | 51 | 5 |
| Digital Technologies | 2,575 | 2.49 | 57 | 7 |
| Drama | 2,057 | 3.16 | 59 | 6 |
| Earth and Space Science | 1,171 | 2.99 | 31 | 4 |
| Economics | 3,734 | 3.16 | 109 | 9 |
| English | 22,396 | 2.88 | 572 | 72 |
| French | 487 | 3.08 | 13 | 2 |
| Geography | 5,427 | 2.84 | 141 | 13 |
| German | 202 | 3.47 | 6 | 1 |
| Health and Physical Education | 11,272 | 1.38 | 139 | 16 |
| History | 7,602 | 3.01 | 208 | 21 |
| Japanese | 706 | 3.4 | 20 | 4 |
| Latin | 45 | 11.11 | 4 | 1 |
| Media Studies | 3,645 | 2.63 | 86 | 10 |
| Music | 2,243 | 2.99 | 61 | 6 |
| Painting | 3,514 | 3.22 | 102 | 11 |
| Photography | 3,607 | 3.02 | 98 | 11 |
| Physics | 10,631 | 2.96 | 283 | 32 |
| Printmaking | 538 | 3.16 | 15 | 2 |
| Psychology | 2,858 | 1.75 | 44 | 6 |
| Religious Studies | 4,358 | 2.78 | 108 | 13 |
| Samoan | 361 | 3.05 | 9 | 2 |
| Sculpture | 367 | 3.27 | 11 | 1 |
| Spanish | 498 | 3.01 | 14 | 1 |
| Statistics | 11,649 | 2.96 | 312 | 33 |
| Te Ao Haka | 1,037 | 2.99 | 29 | 2 |
| Te Reo Maori | 1,955 | 3.07 | 57 | 3 |
| Te Reo Rangatira | 405 | 3.7 | 13 | 2 |
| Technology | 3,113 | 3.05 | 86 | 9 |
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