CensusAtlas

Spence · Federal Electorate

Education & Qualifications in Spence

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

Far fewer people in Spence have completed high school or university compared to most other areas. Only 42.8% of residents finished Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. This gap is mirrored in higher education, where the share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is among the lowest in the region.

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📍 Spence, Federal Electorate

Where Spence sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

9.5% —

All federal electorate areas, 2021. The marker is Spence — lower than 98% of areas.

Spence9.5%
Greater Adelaide 25.9%
South Australia 22.7%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Completing Year 12 is far less common here than in the rest of South Australia and Australia, though this figure has barely changed since 2011. About 18.5% of residents peaked at Year 11, and another 18.1% at Year 10.

Completed Year 12

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42.8% ▲ +1.1%

Lower than 79% 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 Spence, the largest group is Year 12 at 46%, followed by Year 11 (20%) and Year 10 (19%).

Year 12 42.8% Year 11 18.5% Year 10 18.1% Year 9 or below 13.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

The number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is far below the national average and fell 4.0 percentage points since 2016. Instead, the most common highest qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 42.2% of people.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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9.5% —

Lower than 98% of federal electorate areas.

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

Field of study

What people studied.

Those with qualifications in Spence are most often trained in management and commerce or engineering, both at 16.1%. Society and culture is also common at 15.3%, followed by health at 9.7%.

Schools

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

Spence has a high number of school enrolments and larger average school sizes than most areas. However, it has fewer schools per 1,000 children than most, with government schools making up 64.5% of the sector.

Schools within 3 km

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62

Higher than 63% 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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956

Lower than 90% 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 Spence — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Spence

62 schools — 36,475 students, average ICSEA 956.

By sector: Government 40 · Independent 12 · Catholic 10

By type: Primary 36 · Combined 15 · Secondary 11
St Columba College, Andrews Farm Catholic Combined 2.2 km 1,519 973
John Hartley School B-6, Smithfield Plains Government Primary 3.1 km 685 903
Angle Vale Primary School, Angle Vale Government Primary 3.1 km 383 963
Compass Catholic Community, Davoren Park Catholic Secondary 3.3 km 139 916
Swallowcliffe School P-6, Davoren Park Government Primary 3.5 km 423 917
Trinity College Gawler River, Angle Vale Independent Combined 3.7 km 970 1,032
Mark Oliphant College (B-12), Munno Para West Government Combined 3.9 km 1,685 919
Adelaide North Special School, Munno Para West Government Combined 4.0 km 178 964
Riverbanks College B-12, Angle Vale Government Combined 4.5 km 1,393 955
Elizabeth North Primary School, Elizabeth North Government Primary 4.6 km 514 907
St Patrick's Technical College, Edinburgh North Catholic Secondary 4.9 km 260 998
Playford College, Elizabeth Independent Combined 5.2 km 670 940
Munno Para Primary School, Munno Para Government Primary 5.4 km 305 929
Edmund Rice Flexi School, Elizabeth Catholic Secondary 5.4 km 163 908
Northern Adelaide Senior College, Elizabeth Government Secondary 5.4 km 431 978
Taparra Primary School, Elizabeth Downs Government Primary 5.6 km 131 926
Blakeview Primary School, Blakeview Government Primary 5.6 km 542 921
Elizabeth Downs Primary School, Elizabeth Downs Government Primary 5.7 km 420 904
Craigmore High School, Blakeview Government Secondary 5.9 km 1,245 916
Trinity College Blakeview, Blakeview Independent Combined 5.9 km 635 1,037
Blakes Crossing Christian College, Blakeview Independent Combined 5.9 km 712 983
Elizabeth Park Primary School, Elizabeth Park Government Primary 6.1 km 312 862
St Thomas More School, Elizabeth Park Catholic Primary 6.1 km 267 927
Indie School Elizabeth Campus, Elizabeth Independent Secondary 6.2 km 322 946
Playford International College, Elizabeth Government Secondary 6.2 km 1,322 881
Kaurna Plains School, Elizabeth Government Combined 6.4 km 162 699
Pinnacle College - Elizabeth East Campus, Elizabeth East Independent Combined 6.5 km 993 1,049
Catherine McAuley School, Craigmore Catholic Primary 6.7 km 483 976
Playford Primary School, Craigmore Government Primary 6.7 km 398 944
Elizabeth East Primary School, Elizabeth East Government Primary 6.8 km 200 875
Elizabeth South Primary School, Elizabeth South Government Primary 6.9 km 144 860
Hope Christian College, Craigmore Independent Combined 7.1 km 921 977
Elizabeth Grove Primary School, Elizabeth Grove Government Primary 7.3 km 249 902
Craigmore South Primary School, Craigmore Government Primary 7.3 km 225 922
St Mary Magdalene's School, Elizabeth Grove Catholic Primary 7.3 km 185 958
Virginia Primary School, Virginia Government Primary 7.9 km 487 992
Lake Windemere B-6 School, Salisbury North Government Primary 7.9 km 426 924
Elizabeth Vale Primary School, Elizabeth Vale Government Primary 8.7 km 441 889
Burton Primary School, Burton Government Primary 8.8 km 422 946
Evanston Gardens Primary School, Evanston Gardens Government Primary 8.9 km 263 943
Salisbury North Primary School, Salisbury North Government Primary 9.1 km 343 897
Trinity College South, Evanston South Independent Combined 9.2 km 957 1,039
Paralowie School, Paralowie Government Combined 9.3 km 1,373 909
Salisbury High School, Salisbury North Government Secondary 9.4 km 1,058 907
Trinity College Senior, Evanston South Independent Secondary 9.5 km 669 1,025
Trinity College North, Evanston South Independent Combined 9.5 km 914 1,040
Salisbury Park Primary School, Salisbury Park Government Primary 10.1 km 220 960
St Augustine's Parish School, Salisbury Catholic Primary 10.3 km 664 981
Gawler and District College B-12, Evanston Government Combined 10.4 km 1,247 932
Settlers Farm Campus R-6, Paralowie Government Primary 10.4 km 597 951
Bethany Christian School Incorporated, Paralowie Independent Primary 10.6 km 531 996
Salisbury Primary School, Salisbury Government Primary 10.7 km 360 913
Riverdale Primary School, Salisbury Downs Government Primary 10.9 km 241 937
Salisbury Downs Primary School, Salisbury Downs Government Primary 11.3 km 271 926
Brahma Lodge Primary School, Brahma Lodge Government Primary 11.6 km 191 906
Thomas More College, Salisbury Downs Catholic Secondary 12.0 km 1,132 973
Gawler Primary School, Gawler Government Primary 12.2 km 168 954
One Tree Hill Primary School, One Tree Hill Government Primary 12.3 km 255 965
Immanuel Gawler, Gawler East Independent Primary 13.1 km 353 1,038
Xavier College - Head Campus, Gawler Belt Catholic Secondary 13.6 km 2,532 1,001
Gawler East Primary School, Gawler East Government Primary 13.6 km 374 987
Hewett Primary School, Hewett Government Primary 14.5 km 400 1,006

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).

More for Spence

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Spence [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED409/spence/topic/education