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Ballarat · Federal Electorate

Education & Qualifications in Ballarat

How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.

Far fewer people have finished high school in Ballarat compared to the rest of Victoria. While 51.5% of residents completed Year 12, this is well below the national figure. Despite this gap, educational attainment is improving, with a significant rise in Year 12 completions since 2011.

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📍 Ballarat, Federal Electorate

Where Ballarat sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

22.4% —

All federal electorate areas, 2021. The marker is Ballarat — higher than 53% of areas.

Ballarat22.4%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Only about half of residents have finished Year 12, which is far below the Victorian average of 61.8%. This result has improved over the last decade, rising 9.5 percentage points since 2011.

Completed Year 12

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51.5% ▲ +22.6%

Lower than 61% of federal electorate areas.

Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.

Highest year of school

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In Ballarat, Year 12 is the majority at 55%; Year 10 is next at 18%.

Year 12 51.5% Year 10 16.4% Year 11 14.1% Year 9 or below 11.2%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Bachelor degrees or higher are held by 22.4% of adults, a figure well below the national average. The most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 30.7% of the population.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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22.4% —

Higher than 53% of federal electorate areas.

Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).

Highest qualification level

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In Ballarat, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 36%, followed by Bachelor degree (27%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (18%).

Certificate III / IV 30.7% Bachelor degree 23.2% Advanced diploma / diploma 15.3% Postgraduate degree 7.8% Graduate diploma / certificate 5.2% Certificate I / II 2.0%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of study are management and commerce at 14.5%, followed by society and culture at 13.1% and health at 12.6%.

Schools

Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).

Ballarat has a high number of schools relative to its children, with 2.82 schools per 1,000 kids. Most of these are government primary schools, and the typical school is much smaller than in most other similar areas.

Schools within 3 km

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79

Higher than 79% 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).

Average school ICSEA

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1,035

Higher than 55% of federal electorate areas.

Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).

Schools in and around Ballarat — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Ballarat

79 schools — 25,659 students, average ICSEA 1,035.

By sector: Government 56 · Catholic 18 · Independent 5

By type: Primary 64 · Secondary 9 · Combined 6
Warrenheip Primary School, Warrenheip Government Primary 3.6 km 32 909
Mount Clear College, Mount Clear Government Secondary 4.7 km 982 996
Emmaus Catholic Primary School, Mount Clear Catholic Primary 5.2 km 362 1,088
Damascus College, Mount Clear Catholic Secondary 5.3 km 1,215 1,052
Mount Clear Primary School, Mount Clear Government Primary 5.4 km 221 991
St Francis Xavier School, Ballarat East Catholic Primary 5.5 km 482 1,071
Canadian Lead Primary School, Ballarat East Government Primary 6.0 km 235 952
Woodmans Hill Secondary College, Ballarat East Government Secondary 6.2 km 602 988
Caledonian Primary School, Brown Hill Government Primary 6.5 km 215 1,010
Buninyong Primary School, Buninyong Government Primary 6.6 km 567 1,044
Sovereign Hill School, Ballarat Government Secondary 6.6 km — —
St Alipius' Parish School, Ballarat East Catholic Primary 7.0 km 248 1,052
Ballarat Steiner School, Mount Helen Independent Primary 7.1 km 64 1,076
Mount Pleasant Primary School, Ballarat Government Primary 7.1 km 129 972
Sebastopol Primary School, Sebastopol Government Primary 7.6 km 98 901
Little Bendigo Primary School, Nerrina Government Primary 7.7 km 84 986
Magpie Primary School, Magpie Government Primary 7.7 km 103 923
Ballarat Christian College, Sebastopol Independent Combined 7.8 km 406 1,058
St James' School, Sebastopol Catholic Primary 7.9 km 166 1,034
Ballarat Primary School (Dana Street), Ballarat Government Primary 8.2 km 227 1,069
Black Hill Primary School, Ballarat Government Primary 8.2 km 397 1,042
St Patrick's School, Ballarat Catholic Primary 8.7 km 249 1,096
St Aloysius' School, Redan Catholic Primary 8.7 km 254 1,022
Bungaree Primary School, Bungaree Government Primary 8.7 km 23 1,030
Phoenix P-12 Community College, Sebastopol Government Combined 8.8 km 1,473 947
Macarthur Street Primary School, Soldiers Hill Government Primary 8.9 km 83 951
Glen Park Primary School, Glen Park Government Primary 9.1 km 10 1,110
St Columba's School, Ballarat North Catholic Primary 9.1 km 334 1,090
Ballarat North Primary School, Ballarat Government Primary 9.5 km 330 1,002
Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat), Lake Wendouree Government Primary 9.7 km 350 1,095
Newington Primary School, Ballarat Government Primary 9.8 km 278 1,007
Ballarat Clarendon College, Ballarat Independent Combined 10.0 km 1,896 1,172
Delacombe Primary School, Delacombe Government Primary 10.1 km 641 970
St Patrick's College, Ballarat Catholic Secondary 10.1 km 1,267 1,055
Lumen Christi School, Delacombe Catholic Primary 10.3 km 324 1,029
Lal Lal Primary School, Lal Lal Government Primary 10.5 km 41 983
Invermay Primary School, Invermay Government Primary 10.7 km 74 945
Loreto College, Ballarat Catholic Secondary 10.9 km 948 1,073
Ballarat High School, Lake Gardens Government Secondary 11.5 km 1,461 1,016
Ballarat Grammar, Wendouree Independent Combined 11.5 km 1,989 1,120
Ballarat Specialist School, Lake Gardens Government Combined 11.5 km 453 950
Wendouree Primary School, Wendouree Government Primary 11.7 km 116 917
Napoleons Primary School, Napoleons Government Primary 12.1 km 86 996
Forest Street Primary School, Wendouree Government Primary 12.5 km 232 919
Alfredton Primary School, Alfredton Government Primary 12.7 km 527 1,009
Mount Rowan Secondary College, Wendouree Government Secondary 12.8 km 678 938
St Thomas More School, Alfredton Catholic Primary 12.9 km 431 1,087
Our Lady Help of Christians School, Wendouree Catholic Primary 12.9 km 101 1,017
St Mary's School, Clarkes Hill Catholic Primary 12.9 km 17 1,002
Yuille Park Community College, Wendouree Government Combined 13.1 km 209 840
St Patrick's School, Gordon Catholic Primary 14.5 km 76 1,048
Lucas Primary School, Lucas Government Primary 14.7 km 527 1,029
Siena Catholic Primary School, Lucas Catholic Primary 14.8 km 336 1,055
Mount Egerton Primary School, Mount Egerton Government Primary 15.4 km 10 1,049
Gordon Primary School, Gordon Government Primary 15.7 km 141 1,032
Haddon Primary School, Haddon Government Primary 18.4 km 232 1,019
Miners Rest Primary School, Miners Rest Government Primary 18.6 km 353 994
St Augustine's School, Creswick Catholic Primary 20.1 km 137 1,038
Creswick Primary School, Creswick Government Primary 20.5 km 148 1,009
Woady Yaloak Primary School, Smythesdale Government Primary 22.0 km 326 993
Newlyn Primary School, Newlyn Government Primary 22.2 km 21 951
Creswick North Primary School, Creswick Government Primary 22.3 km 58 968
Mount Blowhard Primary School, Blowhard Government Primary 23.4 km 79 1,008
Meredith Primary School, Meredith Government Primary 29.3 km 71 987
Linton Primary School, Linton Government Primary 33.6 km 21 1,001
Bullarto Primary School, Bullarto Government Primary 33.9 km 28 1,032
Daylesford Primary School, Daylesford Government Primary 34.6 km 192 1,022
Cape Clear Primary School, Cape Clear Government Primary 35.0 km 13 977
St Michael's School, Daylesford Catholic Primary 35.8 km 86 1,049
Daylesford Dharma School, Daylesford Independent Primary 35.9 km 21 1,062
Daylesford Secondary College, Daylesford Government Secondary 36.0 km 417 1,007
Clunes Primary School, Clunes Government Primary 37.2 km 96 978
Hepburn Primary School, Hepburn Government Primary 37.5 km 42 1,001
Rokewood Primary School, Rokewood Government Primary 37.7 km 42 959
Trentham District Primary School, Trentham Government Primary 42.7 km 85 1,093
Lethbridge Primary School, Lethbridge Government Primary 44.2 km 112 1,002
Shelford Primary School, Shelford Government Primary 45.5 km 13 1,013
Yandoit Primary School, Yandoit Government Primary 45.8 km 16 1,047
Teesdale Primary School, Teesdale Government Primary 48.3 km 250 1,019

Sources

  • Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
  • Australian Schools List — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025 (CC BY 4.0).

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Ballarat [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED202/ballarat/topic/education