Inner West · Council (LGA)

Education & Qualifications in Inner West

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

Education levels have climbed steadily in the Inner West, with bachelor degree holders rising to 48.2% since 2016. This area is now far more qualified than the national average, with nearly half of adults holding a university degree. It is a high-achieving community where school completion and higher education are both very common.

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📍 Inner West, Council (LGA)

Where Inner West sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

48.2% —
  • 0.0%–2.1%: 3 areas
  • 2.1%–4.3%: 11 areas
  • 4.3%–6.4%: 18 areas
  • 6.4%–8.6%: 44 areas
  • 8.6%–10.7%: 94 areas
  • 10.7%–12.9%: 111 areas
  • 12.9%–15.0%: 65 areas
  • 15.0%–17.1%: 38 areas
  • 17.1%–19.3%: 31 areas
  • 19.3%–21.4%: 21 areas
  • 21.4%–23.6%: 20 areas
  • 23.6%–25.7%: 5 areas
  • 25.7%–27.9%: 11 areas
  • 27.9%–30.0%: 8 areas
  • 30.0%–32.1%: 5 areas
  • 32.1%–34.3%: 13 areas
  • 34.3%–36.4%: 1 area
  • 36.4%–38.6%: 9 areas
  • 38.6%–40.7%: 5 areas
  • 40.7%–42.9%: 5 areas
  • 42.9%–45.0%: 11 areas
  • 45.0%–47.1%: 6 areas
  • 47.1%–49.3%: 6 areas
  • 49.3%–51.4%: 1 area
  • 51.4%–53.6%: 7 areas
  • 53.6%–55.7%: 6 areas
  • 55.7%–57.9%: 3 areas
  • 57.9%–60.0%: 1 area

All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Inner West — higher than 97% of areas.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher compared with the state and national average
Inner West48.2%
Greater Sydney 33.3%
New South Wales 27.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

School completion is far above the national figure, with 77.1% of people finishing Year 12. This result is among the highest for similar areas and rose by 5.9 percentage points since 2016.

77.1% —

Higher than 96% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2016: 71.3%
  • 2021: 77.1%

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

Highest year of school

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In Inner West, Year 12 is the majority at 82%; Year 10 is next at 9%.

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Nearly half of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is 22 points higher than the Australian average. This high level of qualification has grown over time, rising 6.5 points since 2016.

48.2% —

Higher than 97% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2016: 41.7%
  • 2021: 48.2%

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 Inner West, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 46%, followed by Postgraduate degree (21%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (14%).

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of study are management and commerce at 21.5%, followed by society and culture at 17.6%. Creative arts qualifications are also frequent, held by 11.9% of the community.

Schools

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

The area has 58 schools with 25,093 enrolments, though there are fewer schools per child than in most areas. On average, schools here are much larger than usual and have some of the highest advantage scores.

1,118

Higher than 94% of council (lga) areas.

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

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

Schools serving Inner West

58 schools — 25,093 students, average ICSEA 1,118.

By sector: Government 37 · Catholic 13 · Independent 8

By type: Primary 39 · Secondary 13 · Combined 6

Schools serving Inner West, sortable by name, sector, type, distance and student count
Trinity Grammar School, Summer Hill Independent Combined — 2,296 1,168
Newington College, Stanmore Independent Secondary — 2,072 1,182
Christian Brothers' High School Lewisham, Lewisham Independent Combined — 1,231 1,074
St Vincent's College Ashfield, Ashfield Catholic Combined — 1,092 1,043
Tempe High School, Tempe Government Secondary — 985 1,096
Fort Street High School, Petersham Government Secondary — 917 1,176
Sydney Secondary College Balmain Campus, Rozelle Government Secondary — 854 1,112
Casimir Catholic College, Marrickville Catholic Secondary — 827 1,052
Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design, Dulwich Hill Government Secondary — 804 1,092
Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus, Leichhardt Government Secondary — 784 1,104
Ashfield Boys High School, Ashfield Government Secondary — 751 1,074
Summer Hill Public School, Summer Hill Government Primary — 662 1,167
Marrickville High School, Marrickville Government Secondary — 625 1,052
St Maroun's College, Marrickville Independent Combined — 567 1,051
Stanmore Public School, Stanmore Government Primary — 560 1,138
Haberfield Public School, Haberfield Government Primary — 542 1,125
Leichhardt Public School, Leichhardt Government Primary — 532 1,122
Orange Grove Public School, Leichhardt Government Primary — 519 1,132
Wilkins Public School, Marrickville Government Primary — 508 1,135
Rozelle Public School, Rozelle Government Primary — 507 1,162
Ashfield Public School, Ashfield Government Primary — 474 1,096
Canterbury Boys High School, Canterbury Government Secondary — 422 1,018
Marrickville West Public School, Marrickville Government Primary — 411 1,070
St Brigid's Catholic Primary School, Marrickville Catholic Primary — 372 1,072
Annandale Public School, Annandale Government Primary — 363 1,145
Annandale North Public School, Annandale Government Primary — 359 1,148
Dulwich Hill Public School, Dulwich Hill Government Primary — 358 1,099
Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain - Rozelle, Balmain Catholic Primary — 349 1,170
Tempe Public School, Tempe Government Primary — 346 1,096
Balmain Public School, Balmain Government Primary — 321 1,172
Camdenville Public School, Newtown Government Primary — 310 1,132
Ferncourt Public School, Marrickville Government Primary — 285 1,125
Kegworth Public School, Leichhardt Government Primary — 252 1,117
Petersham Public School, Petersham Government Primary — 232 1,137
Birchgrove Public School, Balmain Government Primary — 214 1,132
Marrickville Public School, Marrickville Government Primary — 213 1,090
Lewisham Public School, Lewisham Government Primary — 198 1,121
St Columba's Catholic Primary School, Leichhardt North Catholic Primary — 180 1,167
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Summer Hill Catholic Primary — 163 1,136
St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, Annandale Catholic Primary — 155 1,166
St Peters Public School, St Peters Government Primary — 154 1,099
St Pius' Catholic Primary School, Enmore Catholic Primary — 121 1,100
St Paul of the Cross Catholic Primary School, Dulwich Hill Catholic Primary — 118 1,094
Dobroyd Point Public School, Haberfield Government Primary — 116 1,149
St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Stanmore Catholic Primary — 116 1,160
St Joan of Arc Catholic Primary School, Haberfield Catholic Primary — 110 1,083
Australia Street Infants School, Newtown Government Primary — 104 1,143
Inner Sydney Montessori School, Balmain Independent Primary — 95 1,178
Nicholson Street Public School, Balmain East Government Primary — 95 1,151
St Fiacre's Catholic Primary School, Leichhardt Catholic Primary — 91 1,151
Mackillop Education Waranara School, Annandale Independent Secondary — 85 1,019
Eileen O'Connor Catholic College, Lewisham Catholic Combined — 74 1,052
The Athena School, Newtown Independent Combined — 52 1,058
Yeo Park Infants School, Ashfield Government Primary — 48 1,144
The John Berne School, Lewisham Independent Secondary — 45 1,038
Bridge Road School, Camperdown Government Primary — 37 977
Taverners Hill Infants School, Petersham Government Primary — 20 1,129
NSW School of Languages, Petersham Government Secondary — — —

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 Inner West

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Inner West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA14170/inner-west/topic/education