60.7% ▲ +24.8%
Higher than 60% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 48.7%
- 2016: 54.1%
- 2021: 60.7%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
McPherson · Federal Electorate
Education & Qualifications in McPherson
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
More than 60% of adults in McPherson have completed Year 12, a figure that has jumped 12 points since 2011. This high level of school completion is well above the Queensland average and reflects a well-educated local population. The area also sees a strong trend toward higher education, with a growing number of residents holding university degrees.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
School completion is higher than in most areas, with 60.7% of residents finishing Year 12. This is well above the Queensland figure of 57.1% and slightly higher than the national average.
Highest year of school
View on map →In McPherson, Year 12 is the majority at 65%; Year 10 is next at 21%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
A bachelor degree or higher is held by 24% of adults, which is a little above the state average. This figure rose 5.6 points since 2016, though it remains slightly below the national average of 26.3%.
24.0% —
Higher than 59% of federal electorate areas.
- 2016: 18.4%
- 2021: 24.0%
Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).
Highest qualification level
View on map →McPherson splits fairly evenly between Certificate III / IV (34%) and Bachelor degree (31%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 21%.
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common qualifications are in management and commerce, held by 20% of people. Other frequent fields of study include health, society and culture, and engineering.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Local schools are among the largest in the region, with typical sizes of 1,047 students and a high average advantage score. While there are 34,541 enrolments, there are relatively few schools available per 1,000 children.
1.14
Lower than 95% of federal electorate areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
33
Lower than 96% 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).
34,541
Higher than 83% of federal electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
1,047
Higher than 99% of federal electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,066
Higher than 69% of federal electorate areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving McPherson
33 schools — 34,541 students, average ICSEA 1,066.
By sector: Government 19 · Independent 9 · Catholic 5
By type: Primary 18 · Combined 9 · Secondary 6
| Tallebudgera State School, Tallebudgera | Government | Primary | 0.7 km | 751 | 1,074 |
| St Andrews Lutheran College, Tallebudgera | Independent | Combined | 2.3 km | 1,377 | 1,104 |
| Elanora State High School, Elanora | Government | Secondary | 2.9 km | 949 | 1,023 |
| St Augustine's Parish Primary School, Currumbin Waters | Catholic | Primary | 3.7 km | 482 | 1,086 |
| Elanora State School, Elanora | Government | Primary | 4.4 km | 924 | 1,061 |
| Marymount College, Burleigh Waters | Catholic | Secondary | 4.5 km | 1,262 | 1,073 |
| Marymount Primary School, Burleigh Waters | Catholic | Primary | 4.5 km | 1,020 | 1,085 |
| Hillcrest Christian College, Reedy Creek | Independent | Combined | 4.6 km | 2,055 | 1,104 |
| Gold Coast Christian College, Reedy Creek | Independent | Combined | 4.8 km | 237 | 1,066 |
| Ingleside State School, Tallebudgera Valley | Government | Primary | 4.9 km | 60 | 1,065 |
| Currumbin Community Special School, Currumbin Waters | Government | Combined | 5.0 km | 95 | 1,003 |
| Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School, Palm Beach | Government | Secondary | 5.1 km | 2,819 | 1,022 |
| Palm Beach State School, Palm Beach | Government | Primary | 5.2 km | 894 | 1,059 |
| Currumbin State School, Currumbin | Government | Primary | 5.4 km | 1,144 | 1,017 |
| King's Christian College, Reedy Creek | Independent | Combined | 5.5 km | 5,166 | 1,074 |
| Varsity College, Varsity Lakes | Government | Combined | 6.0 km | 3,304 | 1,065 |
| Caningeraba State School, Burleigh Waters | Government | Primary | 6.2 km | 1,068 | 1,042 |
| Burleigh Heads State School, Burleigh Heads | Government | Primary | 6.5 km | 458 | 1,048 |
| The Industry School - Gold Coast, Robina | Independent | Secondary | 7.0 km | 315 | 1,040 |
| Clover Hill State School, Mudgeeraba | Government | Primary | 7.1 km | 888 | 1,054 |
| Somerset College, Mudgeeraba | Independent | Combined | 7.3 km | 1,612 | 1,157 |
| Currumbin Valley State School, Currumbin Valley | Government | Primary | 7.8 km | 136 | 1,078 |
| Robina State School, Robina | Government | Primary | 8.1 km | 698 | 1,055 |
| Robina State High School, Robina | Government | Secondary | 8.7 km | 1,530 | 1,026 |
| Arcadia College, Robina | Independent | Secondary | 9.1 km | 715 | 992 |
| Mudgeeraba Special School, Mudgeeraba | Government | Combined | 9.1 km | 167 | 1,030 |
| Mudgeeraba State School, Mudgeeraba | Government | Primary | 10.1 km | 584 | 1,016 |
| All Saints Anglican School, Merrimac | Independent | Combined | 10.8 km | 1,828 | 1,137 |
| Coolangatta State School, Coolangatta | Government | Primary | 10.9 km | 285 | 989 |
| Star of the Sea School, Merrimac | Catholic | Primary | 11.5 km | 236 | 1,045 |
| The Village School Gold Coast, Coolangatta | Independent | Primary | 11.8 km | 88 | 1,047 |
| St Vincent's Primary School, Clear Island Waters | Catholic | Primary | 11.9 km | 794 | 1,091 |
| Merrimac State School, Merrimac | Government | Primary | 12.0 km | 600 | 1,020 |
Sources
More for McPherson
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in McPherson [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED322/mcpherson/topic/education