Key facts
- School number386
- School typeComposite · Years 1–15
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderPrimary Co-Ed/Secondary Girls
- BoardingYes
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established1 February 1915
About Columba College
Columba College is a state-integrated, special character, composite day and boarding school located in Dunedin. It is co-educational in the Junior School (Years 0 to 6) and girls-only from Years 7 to 13. The school has a Ministry of Education-approved roll of 565 students. Boarding is available from Years 7 to 13, and the school also enrols international students.
The college is founded on a Presbyterian basis and is one of thirteen Presbyterian schools in New Zealand. It maintains close links with the Presbyterian Church while accepting students of other denominations and faiths. A chaplain leads weekly chapel services, and special services are held at First Church of Otago and Knox Church. Religious Studies is taught at all year levels.
As a state-integrated school, Columba College follows the New Zealand curriculum. Its special character is preserved by governors, who also retain ownership of the school's land and buildings and hold trustee positions on the board of trustees.
Enrolment
Enrolment scheme on recordColumba College has an enrolment scheme (a home zone) on record. Living inside it guarantees a place; living outside it does not, though out-of-zone applications may still be considered.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations may be requested".
Check directly with the school for current charges, contributions or other costs. Learn more on the donations scheme or fees and charges at school, both on education.govt.nz.
Equity Index
The Ministry publishes this figure as a bare number — KuraData shows it against the directory-wide average, so you can see where Columba College actually sits, not just the number on its own.
The Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers students face, on average, and is used to inform government funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.
Higher values indicate a higher level of estimated socio-economic barriers; lower values indicate fewer. Learn how the Equity Index is calculated →
Student ethnicity
The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Columba College's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 458 students (75.5%)
- Asian — 115 students (18.9%)
- Pacific — 31 students (5.1%)
- Māori — 50 students (8.2%)
- MELAA — 13 students (2.1%)
- Other — 15 students (2.5%)
- International — 20 students (3.3%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Further education in Dunedin
Explore tertiary providers based in Dunedin — not necessarily where Columba College's own students go on to study.
-
University of Otago Universities
-
Otago Polytechnic Institutes of Technology & Polytechnics
Location
- Street address399 Highgate
- SuburbRoslyn
- CityDunedin
- Local authorityDunedin City
Official contact details
- ContactAaron Everett (Acting)
- Phone+64 3 467 5188
- Emailadmin@columbacollege.school.nz
- Websitewww.columbacollege.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Columba College, regardless of year level.
-
Kaikorai School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 319 m
-
Balmacewen Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 568 m
-
Otago Boys' High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 849 m
-
St Hildas Collegiate Secondary · Years 7–15 · 864 m
-
John McGlashan College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 916 m
Explore schools in Dunedin
Browse Dunedin schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Co-curricular Activities
The following named sporting competitions and activities are described in the school's sport information:
- Annual Inter-House sporting competitions
- Athletics Sports (Inter-House)
- Swimming Sports (Inter-House)
- Annual Summer Tournament — held jointly with John McGlashan College against St. Andrew's College
- Annual Winter Tournament — held jointly with John McGlashan College against St. Andrew's College
- Annual Winter Quadrangular Tournament — contested with Craighead Diocesan School, St. Hilda's Collegiate School, and St. Margaret's College
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Columba College's own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.
Sources & methodology
Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Columba College's own published information, reviewed before publication. Nothing here is inferred or estimated beyond what its source actually states.
| Data | Source | Data period | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| School characteristics | Ministry of Education | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Student roll | Ministry of Education / Education Counts | September 2026 | 15 October 2026 |
| Equity Index | Education Counts | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Address & coordinates | Ministry of Education | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Contact details | NZ Schools Directory | Current | 15 October 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Columba College's official website | Current | 29 September 2026 |