81.9% ▲ +15.3%
Higher than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2011: 71.0%
- 2016: 73.7%
- 2021: 81.9%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Canberra · Federal Electorate
Education & Qualifications in Canberra
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
A massive gap exists between Canberra and the rest of the country, where over half the adults hold a university degree. This high level of formal education is matched by strong school results, with 81.9% of residents completing Year 12.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Year 12 completion has risen 11 points since 2011 to 81.9%. This is well above the ACT figure of 77% and far above the national average of 58.8%.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Canberra, Year 12 is the majority at 87%; Year 10 is next at 7%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Over half of adults (52.8%) have a bachelor degree or higher, a figure that rose 14 points since 2016. This is far above the Australian average of 26.3% and well above the state figure.
52.8% —
Higher than 99% of federal electorate areas.
- 2016: 38.4%
- 2021: 52.8%
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 Canberra, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 42%, followed by Postgraduate degree (29%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (10%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of study are society and culture at 25.5%, followed by management and commerce at 17.8%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Canberra has 2.63 schools per 1,000 children, which is much higher than most areas. Government schools make up 64.8% of the sector, and the average school size is 577 students.
2.63
Higher than 76% of federal electorate areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
54
Lower than 54% 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).
31,136
Higher than 72% of federal electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
577
Higher than 68% of federal electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,133
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 Canberra
54 schools — 31,136 students, average ICSEA 1,133.
By sector: Government 35 · Catholic 11 · Independent 8
By type: Primary 32 · Secondary 16 · Combined 6
| St Thomas More's Primary School, Campbell | Catholic | Primary | 5.3 km | 179 | 1,145 |
| Campbell Primary School, Campbell | Government | Primary | 5.4 km | 267 | 1,136 |
| Blue Gum Community School, Hackett | Independent | Combined | 5.4 km | 167 | 1,164 |
| Campbell High School, Campbell | Government | Secondary | 6.0 km | 420 | 1,120 |
| Dickson College, Dickson | Government | Secondary | 6.2 km | 899 | 1,101 |
| Rosary Primary School, Watson | Catholic | Primary | 6.3 km | 369 | 1,121 |
| North Ainslie Primary School, Ainslie | Government | Primary | 6.5 km | 527 | 1,145 |
| Ainslie School, Braddon | Government | Primary | 6.6 km | 351 | 1,130 |
| Majura Primary School, Watson | Government | Primary | 6.7 km | 675 | 1,135 |
| Emmaus Christian School, Dickson | Independent | Combined | 6.9 km | 590 | 1,138 |
| Merici College, Braddon | Catholic | Secondary | 7.0 km | 992 | 1,138 |
| Daramalan College, Dickson | Independent | Secondary | 7.2 km | 1,498 | 1,127 |
| St Clare's College, Griffith | Catholic | Secondary | 7.9 km | 887 | 1,087 |
| Lyneham High School, Lyneham | Government | Secondary | 7.9 km | 1,034 | 1,132 |
| Turner School, Turner | Government | Primary | 8.0 km | 318 | 1,141 |
| St Joseph's Primary School, O'Connor | Catholic | Primary | 8.1 km | 334 | 1,130 |
| St Edmund's College Canberra, Griffith | Independent | Combined | 8.1 km | 935 | 1,080 |
| Narrabundah Early Childhood School, Narrabundah | Government | Primary | 8.1 km | 53 | 990 |
| Telopea Park School, Barton | Government | Combined | 8.2 km | 1,586 | 1,153 |
| Brindabella Christian College, Lyneham | Independent | Combined | 8.3 km | 929 | 1,154 |
| Lyneham Primary School, Lyneham | Government | Primary | 8.4 km | 498 | 1,135 |
| O'Connor Cooperative School, O'Connor | Government | Primary | 8.6 km | 60 | 1,141 |
| St Benedict's Primary School, Narrabundah | Catholic | Primary | 8.7 km | 165 | 1,061 |
| Narrabundah College, Narrabundah | Government | Secondary | 8.9 km | 977 | 1,131 |
| Forrest Primary School, Forrest | Government | Primary | 8.9 km | 479 | 1,145 |
| Black Mountain School, O'Connor | Government | Secondary | 9.2 km | 108 | 1,030 |
| Canberra Grammar School, Red Hill | Independent | Secondary | 9.7 km | 2,116 | 1,187 |
| Canberra Girls Grammar School, Deakin | Independent | Secondary | 9.9 km | 1,203 | 1,177 |
| Red Hill Primary School, Red Hill | Government | Primary | 10.1 km | 720 | 1,133 |
| St Bede's Primary School, Red Hill | Catholic | Primary | 10.3 km | 261 | 1,117 |
| Yarralumla Primary School, Yarralumla | Government | Primary | 10.5 km | 313 | 1,142 |
| Kaleen Primary School, Kaleen | Government | Primary | 10.6 km | 400 | 1,075 |
| Maribyrnong Primary School, Kaleen | Government | Primary | 11.0 km | 483 | 1,100 |
| St Michael's Primary School, Kaleen | Catholic | Primary | 11.1 km | 171 | 1,094 |
| University of Canberra High School Kaleen, Kaleen | Government | Secondary | 11.6 km | 571 | 1,056 |
| Radford College, Bruce | Independent | Combined | 11.9 km | 2,091 | 1,203 |
| Alfred Deakin High School, Deakin | Government | Secondary | 11.9 km | 881 | 1,132 |
| The Woden School, Deakin | Government | Secondary | 12.3 km | 93 | 1,046 |
| Aranda Primary School, Aranda | Government | Primary | 12.3 km | 517 | 1,159 |
| Hughes Primary School, Hughes | Government | Primary | 12.5 km | 457 | 1,157 |
| Garran Primary School, Garran | Government | Primary | 12.5 km | 676 | 1,159 |
| St Vincent's Primary School, Aranda | Catholic | Primary | 12.6 km | 195 | 1,117 |
| Malkara School, Garran | Government | Primary | 12.7 km | 73 | 1,021 |
| Giralang Primary School, Giralang | Government | Primary | 12.8 km | 268 | 1,070 |
| Canberra High School, Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 12.9 km | 898 | 1,100 |
| Sts Peter and Paul Primary School, Garran | Catholic | Primary | 12.9 km | 299 | 1,130 |
| Holy Trinity Primary School, Curtin | Catholic | Primary | 13.2 km | 387 | 1,145 |
| Curtin Primary School, Curtin | Government | Primary | 13.5 km | 408 | 1,146 |
| Macquarie Primary School, Macquarie | Government | Primary | 14.2 km | 291 | 1,070 |
| Lyons Early Childhood School, Lyons | Government | Primary | 14.3 km | 91 | 1,116 |
| Weetangera Primary School, Weetangera | Government | Primary | 15.3 km | 404 | 1,117 |
| Belconnen High School, Hawker | Government | Secondary | 16.1 km | 636 | 1,066 |
| Hawker Primary School, Hawker | Government | Primary | 16.4 km | 331 | 1,129 |
| Hawker College, Hawker | Government | Secondary | 16.7 km | 605 | 1,073 |
Sources
More for Canberra
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Canberra [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ced/CED802/canberra/topic/education