80.8% ▲ +142.5%
Higher than 97% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 33.3%
- 2016: 74.3%
- 2021: 80.8%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Sydney · Federal Electorate
Education & Qualifications in Sydney
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Over half of all adults in Sydney hold a bachelor degree or higher, marking it as one of the most highly qualified areas in the country. This academic strength is reflected in a population where school completion has surged, and a very high number of schools serve the local children.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
School completion has risen sharply here, with 80.8% of residents finishing Year 12. This is far above the New South Wales figure of 58.9% and the national figure of 58.8%.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Sydney, Year 12 is the majority at 88%; Year 10 is next at 6%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
The area is among the most qualified at this level, with 52.4% of adults holding a university degree. This is far above the national figure of 26.3% and is up 8.6 points since 2016.
52.4% —
Higher than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2016: 43.8%
- 2021: 52.4%
Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).
Highest qualification level
View on map →In Sydney, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 49%, followed by Postgraduate degree (24%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (14%).
Field of study
What people studied.
Management and commerce are the most common fields of study at 26.5%, followed by society and culture at 15.3% and creative arts at 9.5%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Sydney has a much higher number of schools per 1,000 children than most areas, though the typical school size is smaller than usual. There are 18,823 total enrolments across 48 schools within 3km.
3.05
Higher than 82% of federal electorate areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
48
Lower than 71% of federal electorate areas.
Schools serving the area — within 3 km of small areas, or inside larger ones. A measure of access (catchments overlap, so don't add it across areas).
18,823
Lower than 89% of federal electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
418
Lower than 67% of federal electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,134
Higher than 93% of federal electorate areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Sydney
48 schools — 18,823 students, average ICSEA 1,134.
By sector: Government 28 · Independent 15 · Catholic 5
By type: Primary 23 · Secondary 15 · Combined 10
| St Vincent's College, Potts Point | Independent | Secondary | 386.1 km | 755 | 1,145 |
| Sydney Distance Education High School, Woolloomooloo | Government | Secondary | 386.5 km | 615 | 1,032 |
| Darlinghurst Public School, Potts Point | Government | Primary | 386.5 km | 210 | 1,156 |
| Plunkett Street Public School, Woolloomooloo | Government | Primary | 386.5 km | 73 | 968 |
| Conservatorium High School, Sydney | Government | Secondary | 386.8 km | 156 | 1,194 |
| SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Darlinghurst | Independent | Combined | 386.9 km | 936 | 1,209 |
| St Mary's Cathedral College, Sydney | Catholic | Combined | 387.1 km | 937 | 1,125 |
| Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre, The Rocks | Government | Combined | 387.3 km | — | — |
| Sydney Grammar School, Darlinghurst | Independent | Secondary | 387.3 km | 1,925 | 1,274 |
| Crown Street Public School, Surry Hills | Government | Primary | 387.4 km | 288 | 1,114 |
| Fort Street Public School, Sydney | Government | Primary | 387.5 km | 284 | 1,094 |
| Bourke Street Public School, Surry Hills | Government | Primary | 387.6 km | 381 | 1,135 |
| Sydney Distance Education Primary School, Surry Hills | Government | Primary | 387.8 km | 124 | 1,094 |
| Macquarie Grammar School, Sydney | Independent | Secondary | 387.8 km | 84 | 1,027 |
| Australian International High School, Sydney | Independent | Secondary | 387.9 km | — | 1,028 |
| St Andrew's Cathedral Gawura School, Sydney | Independent | Primary | 387.9 km | 38 | 817 |
| St Andrew's Cathedral School, Sydney | Independent | Combined | 387.9 km | 1,436 | 1,189 |
| Inner Sydney High School, Surry Hills | Government | Secondary | 388.5 km | 1,161 | 1,104 |
| GOAL College, Ultimo | Independent | Secondary | 388.7 km | 204 | 1,027 |
| Westbourne College Sydney, Ultimo | Independent | Secondary | 388.7 km | 65 | 1,153 |
| Ultimo Public School, Ultimo | Government | Primary | 388.8 km | 483 | 1,088 |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School, Waterloo | Catholic | Primary | 388.8 km | 76 | 938 |
| Redfern Jarjum College, Redfern | Independent | Primary | 388.9 km | 25 | 667 |
| Green Square Public School, Zetlands | Government | Primary | 389.1 km | 107 | 1,122 |
| International Grammar School, Ultimo | Independent | Combined | 389.1 km | 1,224 | 1,170 |
| Yudi Gunyi School, Waterloo | Government | Combined | 389.2 km | 29 | 890 |
| Key College, Redfern | Independent | Secondary | 389.2 km | 70 | 909 |
| Australian Performing Arts Grammar School, Glebe | Independent | Secondary | 389.3 km | 129 | 1,103 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Rosebery | Catholic | Primary | 389.4 km | 150 | 1,112 |
| Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus, Glebe | Government | Secondary | 389.5 km | 798 | 1,094 |
| Glebe Public School, Glebe | Government | Primary | 389.6 km | 193 | 982 |
| Alexandria Park Community School, Alexandria | Government | Combined | 389.8 km | 1,313 | 1,052 |
| Central Sydney Intensive English High School, Alexandria | Government | Secondary | 389.9 km | 142 | 1,037 |
| St James Catholic Primary School, Glebe | Catholic | Primary | 389.9 km | 152 | 1,125 |
| Darlington Public School, Chippendale | Government | Primary | 390.0 km | 147 | 1,030 |
| St Scholastica's College Glebe Point, Glebe | Independent | Secondary | 390.3 km | 1,044 | 1,138 |
| Gardeners Road Public School, Rosebery | Government | Primary | 390.3 km | 393 | 1,058 |
| Forest Lodge Public School, Forest Lodge | Government | Primary | 390.3 km | 307 | 1,161 |
| Newtown North Public School, Newtown | Government | Primary | 390.3 km | 221 | 1,132 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Erskineville | Catholic | Primary | 390.4 km | 169 | 1,145 |
| Erskineville Public School, Erskineville | Government | Primary | 390.6 km | 334 | 1,155 |
| Royal Prince Alfred Hospital School, Camperdown | Government | Combined | 390.7 km | — | — |
| Bridge Road School, Camperdown | Government | Primary | 391.1 km | 37 | 977 |
| Newtown Public School, Newtown | Government | Primary | 391.2 km | 272 | 1,140 |
| Australia Street Infants School, Newtown | Government | Primary | 391.2 km | 104 | 1,143 |
| Newtown High School of Performing Arts, Newtown | Government | Secondary | 391.2 km | 1,145 | 1,127 |
| The Athena School, Newtown | Independent | Combined | 391.4 km | 52 | 1,058 |
| Lord Howe Island Central School, Lord Howe Island | Government | Combined | 392.5 km | 35 | 1,009 |
Sources
More for Sydney
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Sydney [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED142/sydney/topic/education