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Sutherland Shire · Council (LGA)

Education & Qualifications in Sutherland Shire

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

A significant 63.1% of residents in Sutherland Shire have completed Year 12, a figure well above the national average. This reflects a strong trend toward higher education, with a notable increase in both school completions and university degrees over the last decade.

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📍 Sutherland Shire, Council (LGA)

Where Sutherland Shire sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

28.1% ▲ +42.6%

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

Sutherland Shire28.1%
Greater Sydney 33.3%
New South Wales 27.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

School completion is a highlight here, with 63.1% finishing Year 12. This is much higher than most areas and rose by 9.7 percentage points since 2011.

Completed Year 12

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63.1% ▲ +18.2%

Higher than 86% 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 Sutherland Shire, Year 12 is the majority at 66%; Year 10 is next at 23%.

Year 12 63.1% Year 10 22.0% Year 9 or below 6.2% Year 11 4.6%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

University degrees are common, with 28.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is a little above the Australian figure and rose 8.4 percentage points since 2011.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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28.1% ▲ +42.6%

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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Sutherland Shire splits fairly evenly between Bachelor degree (33%) and Certificate III / IV (30%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 20%.

Bachelor degree 28.6% Certificate III / IV 26.1% Advanced diploma / diploma 17.5% Postgraduate degree 9.2% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.6% Certificate I / II 1.6%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of study are management and commerce at 24.6%, followed by engineering and related fields at 15.1%.

Schools

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

Sutherland Shire has 82 schools, among the largest number at this level, though there are much fewer schools per 1,000 children than in most areas. Most students attend government schools (75.6%), and typical school sizes are much larger than in other areas.

Average school ICSEA

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1,078

Higher than 88% 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 Sutherland Shire — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Sutherland Shire

82 schools — 37,410 students, average ICSEA 1,078.

By sector: Government 62 · Catholic 15 · Independent 5

By type: Primary 52 · Secondary 18 · Combined 12
Endeavour Sports High School, Caringbah Government Secondary — 1,381 1,040
St Patrick's College Sutherland, Sutherland Catholic Secondary — 1,227 1,093
Inaburra School, Bangor Independent Combined — 1,211 1,123
Cronulla High School, Cronulla Government Secondary — 1,205 1,050
Kirrawee High School, Kirrawee Government Secondary — 1,185 1,092
Aquinas Catholic College, Menai Catholic Secondary — 1,140 1,082
Engadine High School, Engadine Government Secondary — 1,063 1,051
Menai High School, Menai Government Secondary — 1,062 1,046
St John Bosco College, Engadine Catholic Secondary — 986 1,081
Port Hacking High School, Miranda Government Secondary — 950 1,050
Shire Christian School, Barden Ridge Independent Combined — 926 1,116
The Jannali High School, Jannali Government Secondary — 925 1,051
Caringbah High School, Caringbah Government Secondary — 908 1,172
Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Menai Catholic Primary — 803 1,098
Lucas Heights Community School, Barden Ridge Government Combined — 796 1,038
Woolooware High School, Woolooware Government Secondary — 788 1,063
St John Bosco Catholic Primary School, Engadine Catholic Primary — 772 1,094
Gymea Bay Public School, Gymea Bay Government Primary — 763 1,091
Sylvania High School, Sylvania Government Secondary — 750 1,039
Heathcote High School, Heathcote Government Secondary — 633 1,028
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Sutherland Catholic Primary — 603 1,106
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School, Caringbah Catholic Primary — 599 1,110
St Catherine Labouré Catholic Primary School, Gymea Catholic Primary — 596 1,109
Burraneer Bay Public School, Cronulla Government Primary — 573 1,101
Gymea Technology High School, Gymea Government Secondary — 554 1,048
Engadine West Public School, Engadine Government Primary — 541 1,057
Caringbah North Public School, Caringbah Government Primary — 538 1,086
De La Salle Catholic College, Caringbah, Caringbah Catholic Secondary — 536 1,078
Cronulla Public School, Cronulla Government Primary — 516 1,064
Bangor Public School, Bangor Government Primary — 503 1,077
St Aloysius College Cronulla, Cronulla Catholic Secondary — 482 1,089
Sylvania Heights Public School, Sylvania Government Primary — 482 1,056
Woolooware Public School, Cronulla Government Primary — 462 1,086
Laguna Street Public School, Caringbah Government Primary — 440 1,084
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer, Cronulla Catholic Secondary — 421 1,086
Oyster Bay Public School, Oyster Bay Government Primary — 416 1,098
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Como - Oyster Bay, Como Catholic Primary — 414 1,127
Engadine Public School, Engadine Government Primary — 411 1,059
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School Miranda, Miranda Catholic Primary — 396 1,090
Caringbah Public School, Caringbah Government Primary — 394 1,088
Gymea North Public School, Gymea Government Primary — 362 1,075
Grays Point Public School, Grays Point Government Primary — 353 1,113
Sutherland Public School, Sutherland Government Primary — 344 1,101
Loftus Public School, Loftus Government Primary — 337 1,079
Yowie Bay Public School, Yowie Bay Government Primary — 329 1,093
Tharawal Public School, Menai Government Primary — 328 1,085
Kirrawee Public School, Kirrawee Government Primary — 326 1,050
Lilli Pilli Public School, Lilli Pilli Government Primary — 323 1,113
Marton Public School, Engadine Government Primary — 318 1,063
Jannali East Public School, Jannali Government Primary — 313 1,081
Miranda Public School, Miranda Government Primary — 300 1,024
Miranda North Public School, Miranda Government Primary — 291 1,046
Como West Public School, Como Government Primary — 275 1,109
Heathcote Public School, Heathcote Government Primary — 273 1,056
Kareela Public School, Kareela Government Primary — 272 1,102
Cronulla South Public School, Cronulla Government Primary — 261 1,093
Yarrawarrah Public School, Engadine Government Primary — 249 1,081
Sutherland North Public School, Sutherland Government Primary — 225 1,073
Kurnell Public School, Kurnell Government Primary — 211 1,030
Bonnet Bay Public School, Bonnet Bay Government Primary — 197 1,090
Illawong Public School, Illawong Government Primary — 191 1,069
St Aloysius Catholic Primary School, Cronulla Catholic Primary — 178 1,123
St Francis de Sales Catholic Primary School, Woolooware Catholic Primary — 175 1,124
Bundeena Public School, Bundeena Government Primary — 174 1,067
Sylvania Public School, Sylvania Government Primary — 167 1,038
Alfords Point Public School, Alfords Point Government Primary — 165 1,037
Menai Public School, Menai Government Primary — 154 1,036
Sydney Montessori School, Gymea Independent Combined — 147 1,118
Jannali Public School, Jannali Government Primary — 139 1,062
Taren Point Public School, Taren Point Government Primary — 114 1,043
Heathcote East Public School, Heathcote Government Primary — 106 1,072
Como Public School, Como Government Primary — 103 1,071
Woronora River Public School, Woronora Government Primary — 70 1,054
Cook School, Loftus Government Combined — 66 956
Bates Drive School, Kareela Government Combined — 62 1,018
Dunlea Centre, Australia's Original Boys' Town, Engadine Independent Combined — 55 962
Minerva School, Sutherland Government Combined — 47 1,039
Southern Cross Baptist Church Christian School, Engadine Independent Combined — 42 1,108
Waterfall Public School, Waterfall Government Primary — 17 1,031
Kamay Botany Bay Environmental Education Centre, Kurnell Government Combined — — —
Royal National Park Environmental Education Centre, Audley Government Combined — — —
Sutherland Hospital School, Caringbah 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).

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Sutherland Shire [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA17150/sutherland-shire/topic/education