45.3% ▲ +22.6%
Higher than 61% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 36.9%
- 2016: 40.1%
- 2021: 45.3%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Coffs Harbour · Council (LGA)
Education & Qualifications in Coffs Harbour
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Higher education levels are becoming more common in Coffs Harbour, where the share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 18.2% since 2011. While these figures are well below the national average, they are higher than in most similar areas, reflecting a shifting mix of skills and qualifications across the region.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
About 45.3% of residents have completed Year 12, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 58.9%. This is a notable improvement from 2011, when the rate was 36.9%.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Coffs Harbour, the largest group is Year 12 at 49%, followed by Year 10 (31%) and Year 9 or below (13%).
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
University degrees are held by 18.2% of adults, which is well below the Australian average of 26.3%. The most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 33.3% of the population.
18.2% ▲ +43.6%
Higher than 72% of council (lga) areas.
- 2011: 12.7%
- 2016: 14.8%
- 2021: 18.2%
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 Coffs Harbour, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 41%, followed by Bachelor degree (26%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (19%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of study for those with qualifications are management and commerce at 16.5%, followed by health at 12.1% and engineering at 11.9%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Coffs Harbour has 36 schools and 13,335 enrolments, making it larger than about 83% of similar areas. Most students attend government schools (72.2%), and the average school size of 370 is higher than in most other areas.
36
Higher than 85% of council (lga) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
2.58
Lower than 67% of council (lga) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
13,335
Higher than 81% of council (lga) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
370
Higher than 70% of council (lga) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
993
Higher than 63% of council (lga) areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Coffs Harbour
36 schools — 13,335 students, average ICSEA 993.
By sector: Government 26 · Independent 6 · Catholic 4
By type: Primary 24 · Secondary 8 · Combined 4
| Bishop Druitt College, Coffs Harbour | Independent | Combined | — | 1,351 | 1,109 |
| St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour | Catholic | Secondary | — | 1,062 | 1,044 |
| Coffs Harbour Christian Community School, Bonville | Independent | Combined | — | 1,008 | 1,037 |
| Woolgoolga High School, Woolgoolga | Government | Secondary | — | 867 | 969 |
| Orara High School, Coffs Harbour | Government | Secondary | — | 858 | 896 |
| Coffs Harbour High School, Coffs Harbour | Government | Secondary | — | 783 | 957 |
| Toormina High School, Toormina | Government | Secondary | — | 739 | 941 |
| St Augustine's Primary School, Coffs Harbour | Catholic | Primary | — | 738 | 1,036 |
| Narranga Public School, Coffs Harbour | Government | Primary | — | 669 | 948 |
| Mary Help of Christians Primary School Sawtell, Toormina | Catholic | Primary | — | 490 | 1,052 |
| Coffs Harbour Public School, Coffs Harbour | Government | Primary | — | 474 | 897 |
| Coffs Harbour Senior College, Coffs Harbour | Government | Secondary | — | 454 | 1,038 |
| Kororo Public School, Korora | Government | Primary | — | 441 | 1,019 |
| Boambee Public School, Boambee | Government | Primary | — | 383 | 996 |
| Woolgoolga Public School, Woolgoolga | Government | Primary | — | 349 | 965 |
| Sandy Beach Public School, Sandy Beach | Government | Primary | — | 336 | 973 |
| Sawtell Public School, Sawtell | Government | Primary | — | 293 | 1,003 |
| Mullaway Public School, Mullaway | Government | Primary | — | 266 | 1,033 |
| St Francis Xavier Primary School, Woolgoolga | Catholic | Primary | — | 263 | 1,071 |
| Tyalla Public School, Coffs Harbour | Government | Primary | — | 258 | 872 |
| Corindi Public School, Corindi Beach | Government | Primary | — | 183 | 938 |
| Toormina Public School, Toormina | Government | Primary | — | 174 | 922 |
| William Bayldon Public School, Sawtell | Government | Primary | — | 159 | 812 |
| Bonville Public School, Bonville | Government | Primary | — | 121 | 979 |
| Casuarina Steiner School, Coffs Harbour | Independent | Primary | — | 103 | 1,072 |
| Nana Glen Public School, Nana Glen | Government | Primary | — | 100 | 921 |
| Allegra School Coffs Harbour, Coffs Harbour | Independent | Secondary | — | 83 | 984 |
| Maam Giingana Gumbaynggirr, Coffs Harbour | Independent | Combined | — | 81 | 798 |
| Crossmaglen Public School, Crossmaglen | Government | Primary | — | 45 | 988 |
| Coffs Harbour Bible Church School, Toormina | Independent | Combined | — | 37 | 1,021 |
| Orara Upper Public School, Upper Orara | Government | Primary | — | 33 | 940 |
| Ulong Public School, Ulong | Government | Primary | — | 32 | 903 |
| Coramba Public School, Coramba | Government | Primary | — | 30 | 912 |
| Karangi Public School, Karangi | Government | Primary | — | 29 | 957 |
| Coffs Harbour Learning Centre, Boambee | Government | Secondary | — | 23 | 841 |
| Lowanna Public School, Lowanna | Government | Primary | — | 20 | 793 |
Sources
More for Coffs Harbour
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Coffs Harbour [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA11800/coffs-harbour/topic/education