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Lake Macquarie · Council (LGA)

Education & Qualifications in Lake Macquarie

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

More than 30,000 students attend school in Lake Macquarie, which has some of the largest school enrolments and the highest number of schools for its size. While qualifications have improved over the last decade, the area still sees fewer adults with university degrees compared to the state and national figures.

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📍 Lake Macquarie, Council (LGA)

Where Lake Macquarie sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

19.0% ▲ +46.3%

All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Lake Macquarie — higher than 73% of areas.

Lake Macquarie19.0%
Rest of NSW 17.8%
New South Wales 27.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Year 12 completion rates rose 9.9 points since 2011 to reach 45.2%. This is higher than most similar areas, though it remains far below the New South Wales figure of 58.9%.

Completed Year 12

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45.2% ▲ +27.9%

Higher than 61% of council (lga) areas.

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

Highest year of school

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In Lake Macquarie, the largest group is Year 12 at 48%, followed by Year 10 (33%) and Year 9 or below (12%).

Year 12 45.2% Year 10 31.3% Year 9 or below 11.8% Year 11 6.6%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

The share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose to 19.0% since 2011, which is higher than most similar areas. However, this is still well below the national figure of 26.3%, with Certificate III or IV being the most common qualification at 36.4%.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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19.0% ▲ +46.3%

Higher than 73% of council (lga) areas.

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 Lake Macquarie, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 43%, followed by Bachelor degree (25%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (18%).

Certificate III / IV 36.4% Bachelor degree 21.3% Advanced diploma / diploma 15.5% Postgraduate degree 6.1% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.1% Certificate I / II 2.3%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common qualifications in the area are in engineering and related fields (18.2%) and management and commerce (18.1%), followed by health at 12.0%.

Schools

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

Lake Macquarie has 90 schools with an average size of 337 students, which is higher than most areas. Government schools make up 75.6% of the sector, though there are fewer schools per 1,000 children than in most areas.

Average school ICSEA

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1,007

Higher than 71% 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 Lake Macquarie — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Lake Macquarie

90 schools — 30,326 students, average ICSEA 1,007.

By sector: Government 68 · Catholic 13 · Independent 9

By type: Primary 66 · Secondary 15 · Combined 9
Warners Bay High School, Warners Bay Government Secondary — 1,161 1,056
Macquarie College, Wallsend Independent Combined — 1,060 1,110
St Mary's Catholic College, Gateshead Catholic Secondary — 989 1,062
Avondale School, Cooranbong Independent Combined — 977 1,055
Toronto High School, Toronto Government Secondary — 952 961
Hunter Sports High School, Gateshead Government Secondary — 941 955
Whitebridge High School, Whitebridge Government Secondary — 915 1,022
Belmont Christian College, Belmont North Independent Combined — 907 1,091
Charlton Christian College, Fassifern Independent Combined — 831 1,063
Belmont High School, Belmont Government Secondary — 812 973
Glendale Technology High School, Glendale Government Secondary — 802 946
Cardiff High School, Cardiff Government Secondary — 778 986
Swansea High School, Caves Beach Government Secondary — 710 972
Morisset High School, Morisset Government Secondary — 687 929
Edgeworth Public School, Edgeworth Government Primary — 647 967
St Paul's Catholic College, Booragul Catholic Secondary — 636 1,026
West Wallsend High School, West Wallsend Government Secondary — 632 940
Heritage College Lake Macquarie, Morisset Independent Combined — 511 1,002
Valentine Public School, Valentine Government Primary — 510 1,071
Eleebana Public School, Eleebana Government Primary — 506 1,105
Floraville Public School, Belmont Government Primary — 488 1,026
Lake Macquarie High School, Booragul Government Secondary — 435 925
St Mary's Primary School, Warners Bay Catholic Primary — 418 1,093
Bonnells Bay Public School, Bonnells Bay Government Primary — 376 925
St Joseph's Primary School, Charlestown Catholic Primary — 361 1,102
St Benedict's Primary School, Edgeworth Catholic Primary — 357 1,037
Caves Beach Public School, Caves Beach Government Primary — 349 1,019
Biddabah Public School, Warners Bay Government Primary — 348 1,065
Warners Bay Public School, Warners Bay Government Primary — 340 1,027
Cooranbong Public School, Cooranbong Government Primary — 330 948
Charlestown East Public School, Charlestown Government Primary — 319 1,036
Rathmines Public School, Rathmines Government Primary — 311 996
Edgeworth Heights Public School, Edgeworth Government Primary — 305 969
Cardiff South Public School, Cardiff South Government Primary — 298 1,017
St Paul's Primary School, Gateshead Catholic Primary — 294 1,023
Kahibah Public School, Kahibah Government Primary — 291 1,076
Cardiff Public School, Cardiff Government Primary — 283 1,000
Barnsley Public School, Barnsley Government Primary — 276 950
West Wallsend Public School, West Wallsend Government Primary — 268 950
Jewells Primary School, Jewells Government Primary — 262 1,026
Belmont Public School, Belmont Government Primary — 257 956
Speers Point Public School, Speers Point Government Primary — 256 1,000
Windale Public School, Windale Government Primary — 252 793
Coal Point Public School, Coal Point Government Primary — 245 1,065
Dudley Public School, Dudley Government Primary — 245 1,095
Redhead Public School, Redhead Government Primary — 240 1,089
Newcastle Waldorf School, Glendale Independent Combined — 237 1,072
Charlestown South Public School, Charlestown Government Primary — 235 1,075
Charlestown Public School, Charlestown Government Primary — 234 1,037
Glendale East Public School, Glendale Government Primary — 232 956
Garden Suburb Public School, Garden Suburb Government Primary — 227 1,045
Blackalls Park Public School, Blackalls Park Government Primary — 217 966
Booragul Public School, Booragul Government Primary — 206 931
Toronto Public School, Toronto Government Primary — 201 910
Swansea Public School, Swansea Government Primary — 199 923
St Joseph's Primary School, Kilaben Bay Catholic Primary — 194 1,023
Wyee Public School, Wyee Government Primary — 193 955
Wiripaang Public School, Gateshead Government Primary — 182 853
Wangi Wangi Public School, Wangi Wangi Government Primary — 181 987
Nords Wharf Public School, Nords Wharf Government Primary — 180 1,023
Arcadia Vale Public School, Arcadia Vale Government Primary — 171 971
Mount Hutton Public School, Mount Hutton Government Primary — 166 940
St Patrick's Primary School, Swansea Catholic Primary — 165 1,041
Hillsborough Public School, Charlestown Government Primary — 164 1,020
Biraban Public School, Toronto Government Primary — 163 871
Belmont North Public School, Belmont Government Primary — 160 946
Fennell Bay Public School, Fennell Bay Government Primary — 159 889
Morisset Public School, Morisset Government Primary — 156 919
Holy Cross Primary School, Glendale Catholic Primary — 153 1,036
Cardiff North Public School, Cardiff Government Primary — 149 1,014
Marks Point Public School, Marks Point Government Primary — 141 935
Dora Creek Public School, Dora Creek Government Primary — 139 939
St Kevin's Primary School, Cardiff Catholic Primary — 130 1,071
St Francis Xavier's Primary School, Belmont Catholic Primary — 124 1,048
St John Vianney Primary School, Morisset Catholic Primary — 118 961
Teralba Public School, Teralba Government Primary — 111 959
Brightwaters Christian College, Brightwaters Independent Combined — 106 1,001
Blacksmiths Public School, Blacksmiths Government Primary — 103 1,004
Boolaroo Public School, Boolaroo Government Primary — 99 981
Pelican Flat Public School, Pelican Government Primary — 94 981
Newcastle Junior School, Hillsborough Government Primary — 63 940
Fassifern Public School, Fassifern Government Primary — 59 947
Lakeside School, Gateshead Government Combined — 58 910
St Pius X Primary School, Windale Catholic Primary — 54 847
Five Islands School, Booragul Government Combined — 51 890
Argenton Public School, Argenton Government Primary — 46 934
Toronto Adventist School, Toronto Independent Primary — 43 1,173
North Academy, West Wallsend Independent Secondary — 35 966
Wakefield School, Wakefield Government Secondary — 31 869
Awaba Public School, Awaba Government Primary — 29 940

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).

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Lake Macquarie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA14650/lake-macquarie/topic/education