Garin College

As a state-integrated school, the proprietors of Garin College charge compulsory attendance dues to cover capital costs. For the 2025 school year, the attendance dues payable is $1,147 per year per student.^[3]

As of October 2025, Garin College has a roll of 629 students, of which 85 (13.5%) identify as Māori.^[2]

As of 2026, the school has an Equity Index of 429,^[4] placing it amongst schools whose students have few socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 8 and 9 under the former socio-economic decile system).^[5]

Garin College has four houses. The houses all have individual names (all are named catholic religious figures) and are represented by colours. Siblings enrolled at the college are often put in the same house.^[6]

• Aubert, Blue House
• Barbier, Green house
• MacKillop, Yellow house
• McAuley, Red house

The school has accommodation for up to 56 boarders from outlying areas in its boarding hostel, separated into two houses by gender: Francis Douglas House for male students; and Mother Teresa House for female students.^[7]

The college's haka was written and performed for the first time in 2006, four years after the school first opened. It was first unveiled to the school and spectators at the 2006 annual Te Wairua o nga Mahi Toi festival. It was the opening act on the 2006 final Mahi Toi night.^[8]

The name of the school has been backronymised to stand for: generosity, aroha (Māori for love), rangimarie (Māori for respect), integrity & new life

Since its foundation in 2002, Garin College has had two principals.

• Caleb Nott, member of music duo Broods^[9]
• Georgia Nott, lead vocals of music duo Broods^[9]
• Anna Robinson, singer^[10]
• Nate Wilbourne, environmentalist^[11]