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Newcastle · Council (LGA)

Education & Qualifications in Newcastle

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

More than 11 percentage points more people finished Year 12 in Newcastle between 2011 and 2021. This shift is part of a broader trend toward higher learning, with university degrees becoming much more common. Now, nearly 30% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is a little above the national figure.

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📍 Newcastle, Council (LGA)

Where Newcastle sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

28.3% ▲ +43.9%

All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Newcastle — higher than 84% of areas.

Newcastle28.3%
Rest of NSW 17.8%
New South Wales 27.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

The share of people who finished Year 12 rose to 57.8% since 2011. This is much higher than most areas, though it remains a little below the New South Wales and national figures.

Completed Year 12

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57.8% ▲ +24.7%

Higher than 80% 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 Newcastle, Year 12 is the majority at 62%; Year 10 is next at 23%.

Year 12 57.8% Year 10 21.9% Year 9 or below 8.9% Year 11 5.3%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 28.3% of the population, a figure that rose 8.6 points over a decade. This standing is much higher than most areas and sits slightly above the national average.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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28.3% ▲ +43.9%

Higher than 84% 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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Newcastle splits fairly evenly between Bachelor degree (34%) and Certificate III / IV (31%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 16%.

Bachelor degree 29.4% Certificate III / IV 26.5% Advanced diploma / diploma 13.6% Postgraduate degree 10.3% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.8% Certificate I / II 1.9%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common qualifications are in management and commerce at 17.4%, followed by engineering at 14.5% and health at 13.7%.

Schools

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

Newcastle has 73 schools and 28,392 enrolments, among the largest totals for its level. While school sizes are higher than most areas, there are fewer schools per 1,000 children than in other regions.

Average school ICSEA

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1,061

Higher than 85% 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 Newcastle — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Newcastle

73 schools — 28,392 students, average ICSEA 1,061.

By sector: Government 47 · Catholic 17 · Independent 9

By type: Primary 46 · Secondary 16 · Combined 11
St Philip's Christian College - Waratah, Waratah Independent Combined — 1,466 1,138
Lambton High School, Lambton Government Secondary — 1,176 1,057
Kotara High School, Adamstown Government Secondary — 1,130 1,066
Hunter School of Performing Arts, Broadmeadow Government Combined — 1,094 1,085
Merewether High School, Broadmeadow Government Secondary — 1,080 1,206
Newcastle High School, Hamilton Government Secondary — 1,072 1,027
Newcastle Grammar School, The Hill Independent Combined — 1,049 1,181
St Francis Xavier's College, Hamilton Catholic Secondary — 959 1,096
Callaghan College Wallsend Campus, Wallsend Government Secondary — 890 952
Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, Fletcher Independent Combined — 860 1,085
Trinity Catholic College, Adamstown Catholic Secondary — 849 1,090
Callaghan College Waratah Campus, Waratah Government Secondary — 848 957
Alesco Secondary College, Cooks Hill Independent Secondary — 664 949
Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus, Jesmond Government Secondary — 659 980
Glendore Public School, Maryland Government Primary — 609 1,019
San Clemente Catholic College, Mayfield Catholic Secondary — 605 1,038
Wallsend South Public School, Wallsend Government Primary — 583 1,083
St Therese's Primary School, New Lambton Catholic Primary — 543 1,100
New Lambton Public School, New Lambton Government Primary — 538 1,108
New Lambton South Public School, New Lambton Government Primary — 462 1,095
The Junction Public School, Merewether Government Primary — 450 1,115
Adamstown Public School, Adamstown Government Primary — 439 1,078
Belair Public School, Adamstown Government Primary — 409 1,103
St Joseph's Primary School, Merewether Catholic Primary — 387 1,141
Maryland Public School, Maryland Government Primary — 368 996
Hamilton South Public School, Merewether Government Primary — 362 1,139
Tighes Hill Public School, Tighes Hill Government Primary — 358 1,104
Waratah Public School, Waratah Government Primary — 351 1,019
Mayfield East Public School, Mayfield East Government Primary — 343 1,044
Mayfield West Public School, Mayfield Government Primary — 342 1,033
Lambton Public School, Lambton Government Primary — 339 1,065
Hunter Christian School, Mayfield Independent Combined — 337 1,061
St James' Primary School, Kotara South Catholic Primary — 334 1,104
St Patrick's Primary School, Wallsend Catholic Primary — 323 1,076
Kotara South Public School, Kotara Government Primary — 309 1,069
Hamilton Public School, Hamilton Government Primary — 306 1,106
Elermore Vale Public School, Wallsend Government Primary — 290 996
Shortland Public School, Shortland Government Primary — 271 926
Merewether Heights Public School, Merewether Heights Government Primary — 269 1,129
Beresfield Public School, Beresfield Government Primary — 262 918
Newcastle East Public School, Newcastle Government Primary — 260 1,112
Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Tarro Catholic Primary — 260 1,013
Stockton Public School, Stockton Government Primary — 254 1,000
Wallsend Public School, Wallsend Government Primary — 252 965
St Philip's Christian College Dynamic Learning, Waratah Independent Combined — 223 1,022
Jesmond Public School, Jesmond Government Primary — 216 923
St John's Primary School, Lambton Catholic Primary — 200 1,083
Holy Family Primary School, Merewether Beach Catholic Primary — 198 1,132
Plattsburg Public School, Wallsend Government Primary — 195 910
St Peter's Primary School, Stockton Catholic Primary — 180 1,053
Corpus Christi Primary School, Waratah Catholic Primary — 169 1,085
St Columba's Primary School, Adamstown Catholic Primary — 168 1,107
Heaton Public School, Jesmond Government Primary — 162 955
St Columban's Primary School, Mayfield Catholic Primary — 162 1,034
Islington Public School, Islington Government Primary — 159 1,090
Merewether Public School, Merewether Government Primary — 139 950
Minmi Public School, Minmi Government Primary — 133 1,018
Our Lady of Victories Primary School, Shortland Catholic Primary — 130 1,025
Hamilton North Public School, Broadmeadow Government Primary — 123 1,030
Tarro Public School, Tarro Government Primary — 115 892
Waratah West Public School, Waratah West Government Primary — 113 963
Carrington Public School, Carrington Government Primary — 110 996
Margaret Jurd College, Shortland Independent Secondary — 103 889
Novoschool, Newcastle West Independent Secondary — 79 1,077
New Lambton Heights Infants School, New Lambton Heights Government Primary — 55 1,100
St Philip's Christian College Young Parents, Waratah Independent Secondary — 52 776
St Laurence Flexible Learning Centre, Broadmeadow Catholic Secondary — 47 869
Newcastle Middle School, Waratah Government Combined — 45 967
St Dominic's Catholic College, Mayfield Catholic Combined — 43 966
Newcastle Senior School, Waratah Government Secondary — 37 960
Kotara School, Kotara Government Combined — 25 816
Awabakal Environmental Education Centre, Shortland Government Combined — — —
John Hunter Hospital School, New Lambton Heights Government Combined — — —

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 Newcastle

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Newcastle [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA15900/newcastle/topic/education