CensusAtlas

Greater Geelong · Council (LGA)

Education & Qualifications in Greater Geelong

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

More people in Greater Geelong are finishing school and getting degrees than in the past, though they still trail state averages. The typical resident is more likely to hold a qualification now, with bachelor degrees rising by 8.6 percentage points since 2011. This shift towards higher learning is reflected in the large number of students and schools across the region.

Open map →
📍 Greater Geelong, Council (LGA)

Where Greater Geelong sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

24.2% ▲ +54.7%

All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Greater Geelong — higher than 79% of areas.

Greater Geelong24.2%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Over half of residents, 55.2%, have completed Year 12, which is a 12 point increase since 2011. Despite this growth, the figure remains well below both the Victorian average of 61.8% and the national figure of 58.8%.

Completed Year 12

View on map →

55.2% ▲ +27.7%

Higher than 78% of council (lga) areas.

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

Highest year of school

View on map →

In Greater Geelong, Year 12 is the majority at 59%; Year 10 is next at 15%.

Year 12 55.2% Year 10 14.5% Year 11 13.6% Year 9 or below 10.6%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

About 24.2% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, a result that is much higher than most similar areas but still a little below the Australian average. The most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 28.9% of people.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

View on map →

24.2% ▲ +54.7%

Higher than 79% 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

View on map →

Greater Geelong splits fairly evenly between Certificate III / IV (34%) and Bachelor degree (30%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 19%.

Certificate III / IV 28.9% Bachelor degree 25.6% Advanced diploma / diploma 16.4% Postgraduate degree 8.3% Graduate diploma / certificate 4.7% Certificate I / II 1.7%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of study are management and commerce at 15.4%, followed by engineering and health, which both sit around 13%.

Schools

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

Greater Geelong has one of the largest networks of schools in the region with 85 campuses and 47,865 enrolments. Most of these are government schools (65.9%), though there are far fewer schools per 1,000 children than in most other areas.

Average school ICSEA

View on map →

1,052

Higher than 83% 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 Greater Geelong — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Greater Geelong

85 schools — 47,865 students, average ICSEA 1,052.

By sector: Government 56 · Catholic 21 · Independent 8

By type: Primary 57 · Secondary 15 · Combined 13
Kardinia International College, Bell Post Hill Independent Combined — 1,925 1,155
Christian College Geelong - Middle School – Highton, Highton Independent Combined — 1,908 1,098
St Joseph's College Geelong, Newtown Catholic Secondary — 1,742 1,075
Northern Bay P-12 College, Corio Government Combined — 1,726 877
The Geelong College, Newtown Independent Combined — 1,573 1,156
Sacred Heart College, Newtown Catholic Secondary — 1,450 1,105
Saint Ignatius College Geelong, Drysdale Catholic Secondary — 1,442 1,075
Geelong Grammar School - Corio Campus, Corio Independent Combined — 1,422 1,149
Iona College Geelong, Charlemont Catholic Secondary — 1,332 1,078
Geelong Lutheran College - Armstrong Creek Campus, Armstrong Creek Independent Combined — 1,317 1,101
Belmont High School, Belmont Government Secondary — 1,291 1,053
Bellarine Secondary College, Drysdale Government Secondary — 1,147 1,006
Oberon High School, Armstrong Creek Government Secondary — 1,074 1,023
Western Heights Secondary College, Hamlyn Heights Government Secondary — 1,060 991
North Geelong Secondary College, North Geelong Government Secondary — 989 961
Geelong High School, East Geelong Government Secondary — 976 998
Clonard College, Herne Hill Catholic Secondary — 940 1,051
Armstrong Creek School, Armstrong Creek Government Primary — 905 1,023
Lara Lake Primary School, Lara Lake Government Primary — 888 1,025
Leopold Primary School, Leopold Government Primary — 873 1,016
Covenant College, Bell Post Hill Independent Combined — 735 1,070
Grovedale College, Grovedale Government Secondary — 693 996
Lara Secondary College, Lara Government Secondary — 658 975
Mirripoa Primary School, Mount Duneed Government Primary — 638 1,058
Clairvaux Catholic School, Belmont Catholic Primary — 631 1,095
Bellaire Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 623 1,094
Ocean Grove Primary School, Ocean Grove Government Primary — 619 1,105
Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, Geelong Government Secondary — 614 1,046
Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Ocean Grove Catholic Primary — 593 1,092
Montpellier Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 563 1,101
Surfside Primary School, Ocean Grove Government Primary — 545 1,075
Newcomb Secondary College, Newcomb Government Secondary — 515 950
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School, Armstrong Creek Catholic Primary — 504 1,070
St Anthony's School, Lara Catholic Primary — 477 1,040
Clifton Springs Primary School, Clifton Springs Government Primary — 472 1,003
Manifold Heights Primary School, Manifold Heights Government Primary — 469 1,082
Lara Primary School, Lara Government Primary — 439 993
St Thomas Primary School, Drysdale Catholic Primary — 428 1,051
St Patrick's School, Geelong West Catholic Primary — 418 1,107
Barwon Heads Primary School, Barwon Heads Government Primary — 416 1,120
Chilwell Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 408 1,139
Fyans Park Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 405 1,131
Drysdale Primary School, Drysdale Government Primary — 388 1,016
Nazareth School, Grovedale Catholic Primary — 367 1,076
Mount Duneed Regional Primary School, Mount Duneed Government Primary — 362 1,045
Highton Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 359 1,121
Mandama Primary School, Grovedale Government Primary — 352 1,008
Holy Family School, Bell Park Catholic Primary — 344 1,029
Grovedale Primary School, Grovedale Government Primary — 343 1,009
Nelson Park School, Bell Park Government Combined — 334 938
Geelong South Primary School, South Geelong Government Primary — 326 1,088
Holy Spirit Parish School, Manifold Heights Catholic Primary — 326 1,068
Rollins Primary School, Bell Post Hill Government Primary — 326 1,001
Grovedale West Primary School, Grovedale Government Primary — 324 1,026
Belmont Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 301 1,112
Bell Park North Primary School, Bell Park Government Primary — 292 956
Hamlyn Banks Primary School, Hamlyn Heights Government Primary — 290 976
Christ the King School, Newcomb Catholic Primary — 269 1,061
Herne Hill Primary School, Hamlyn Heights Government Primary — 267 1,023
St Robert's School, Newtown Catholic Primary — 261 1,099
Ashby Primary School, Geelong West Government Primary — 259 1,059
Geelong Baptist College, Lovely Banks Independent Combined — 255 1,031
Roslyn Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 249 1,082
St Margaret's School, East Geelong Catholic Primary — 241 1,063
Oberon Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 224 1,024
St Mary's School, Geelong Catholic Primary — 214 1,114
Moolap Primary School, Moolap Government Primary — 197 970
MacKillop Specialist School - Whittington, Whittington Catholic Combined — 196 993
Newtown Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 193 1,076
St Francis Xavier School, Corio Catholic Primary — 177 937
St Leonards Primary School, St Leonards Government Primary — 173 970
Tate Street Primary School Geelong, Geelong East Government Primary — 164 1,029
Barwon Valley School, Belmont Government Combined — 161 1,004
Whittington Primary School, Whittington Government Primary — 153 896
Hamlyn Views School, Hamlyn Heights Government Combined — 150 998
Portarlington Primary School, Portarlington Government Primary — 150 1,010
St Thomas Aquinas School, Norlane Catholic Primary — 149 941
Geelong East Primary School, Geelong East Government Primary — 147 948
Newcomb Primary School, Newcomb Government Primary — 142 960
Wallington Primary School, Wallington Government Primary — 137 1,031
Ceres Primary School, Ceres Government Primary — 124 1,069
Wangala Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 99 986
Geelong English Language School (interim name), Belmont Government Combined — 95 884
Woodline Primary, Ceres Independent Primary — 73 1,100
Anakie Primary School, Anakie Government Primary — 69 988

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 Greater Geelong

Full area profile →

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Greater Geelong [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA22750/greater-geelong/topic/education