54.7% —
Higher than 77% of council (lga) areas.
- 2016: 50.7%
- 2021: 54.7%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Cairns · Council (LGA)
Education & Qualifications in Cairns
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
More people in Cairns have finished high school and earned degrees than in most similar areas, though they still trail state and national figures. The typical resident's education level has climbed over the last few years, with university degrees and year 12 completion both showing a steady rise.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
About 54.7% of residents have finished Year 12, which is a 4.0 point increase since 2016. This result is much higher than most similar areas, though it remains a little below the Queensland figure.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Cairns, Year 12 is the majority at 61%; Year 10 is next at 22%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 19.1% of the population, a figure that is higher than most similar areas. While this is well below the Australian average, the proportion has risen by 2.9 points since 2016.
19.1% —
Higher than 73% of council (lga) areas.
- 2016: 16.2%
- 2021: 19.1%
Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).
Highest qualification level
View on map →In Cairns, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 40%, followed by Bachelor degree (26%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (19%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common qualifications held by residents are in management and commerce at 15.6%, followed by engineering and related fields at 14.5%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Cairns has 51 schools and some of the largest enrolments at this level, with 34,820 students. However, there are only 1.60 schools per 1,000 children, which is much lower than most areas.
51
Higher than 86% of council (lga) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
1.60
Lower than 89% of council (lga) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
34,820
Higher than 87% of council (lga) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
683
Higher than 96% of council (lga) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
981
Higher than 56% of council (lga) areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Cairns
51 schools — 34,820 students, average ICSEA 981.
By sector: Government 30 · Catholic 15 · Independent 6
By type: Primary 29 · Combined 12 · Secondary 10
| Cairns School of Distance Education, Manunda | Government | Combined | — | 3,692 | 1,024 |
| Redlynch State College, Redlynch | Government | Combined | — | 1,834 | 1,007 |
| Trinity Bay State High School, Manunda | Government | Secondary | — | 1,784 | 908 |
| The BUSY School, Cairns | Independent | Secondary | — | 1,780 | 975 |
| Bentley Park College, Bentley Park | Government | Combined | — | 1,771 | 869 |
| Cairns State High School, Cairns North | Government | Secondary | — | 1,636 | 1,019 |
| St Andrew's Catholic College Redlynch Valley, Redlynch | Catholic | Combined | — | 1,373 | 1,067 |
| Trinity Anglican School, White Rock | Independent | Combined | — | 1,204 | 1,103 |
| Tropical North Learning Academy - Smithfield State High School, Smithfield | Government | Secondary | — | 1,135 | 983 |
| MacKillop Catholic College, Mount Peter, Mount Peter | Catholic | Combined | — | 1,119 | 987 |
| St Mary's Catholic College, Woree | Catholic | Secondary | — | 949 | 1,023 |
| Tropical North Learning Academy - Trinity Beach State School, Trinity Beach | Government | Primary | — | 899 | 996 |
| Edge Hill State School, Edge Hill | Government | Primary | — | 864 | 1,016 |
| St Augustine's College, Cairns | Catholic | Secondary | — | 777 | 1,060 |
| Whitfield State School, Whitfield | Government | Primary | — | 774 | 974 |
| Woree State High School, Woree | Government | Secondary | — | 750 | 854 |
| St Monica's College, Cairns | Catholic | Secondary | — | 697 | 1,058 |
| Newman Catholic College, Smithfield | Catholic | Secondary | — | 625 | 1,046 |
| Gordonvale State High School, Gordonvale | Government | Secondary | — | 623 | 883 |
| Freshwater State School, Freshwater | Government | Primary | — | 594 | 1,064 |
| Holy Cross School, Trinity Park | Catholic | Primary | — | 572 | 1,058 |
| Freshwater Christian College, Brinsmead | Independent | Combined | — | 562 | 1,041 |
| Peace Lutheran College, Kamerunga | Independent | Combined | — | 544 | 1,054 |
| St Therese's School, Bentley Park | Catholic | Primary | — | 541 | 991 |
| Caravonica State School, Caravonica | Government | Primary | — | 540 | 1,020 |
| Woree State School, Woree | Government | Primary | — | 530 | 860 |
| Our Lady Help of Christians School, Earlville | Catholic | Primary | — | 506 | 1,025 |
| Isabella State School, Edmonton | Government | Primary | — | 496 | 899 |
| Parramatta State School, Parramatta Park | Government | Primary | — | 482 | 887 |
| Cairns West State School, Manunda | Government | Primary | — | 481 | 784 |
| White Rock State School, White Rock | Government | Primary | — | 439 | 837 |
| Gordonvale State School, Gordonvale | Government | Primary | — | 403 | 886 |
| St Gerard Majella Primary School, Woree | Catholic | Primary | — | 399 | 1,035 |
| St Francis Xavier's School, Manunda | Catholic | Primary | — | 382 | 953 |
| Balaclava State School, Mooroobool | Government | Primary | — | 381 | 797 |
| Hambledon State School, Edmonton | Government | Primary | — | 378 | 865 |
| Mother of Good Counsel School, Cairns North | Catholic | Primary | — | 354 | 1,091 |
| St Joseph's School, Parramatta Park | Catholic | Primary | — | 348 | 1,029 |
| Yorkeys Knob State School, Yorkeys Knob | Government | Primary | — | 321 | 998 |
| Babinda State School, Babinda | Government | Combined | — | 280 | 931 |
| St Michael's School, Gordonvale | Catholic | Primary | — | 279 | 993 |
| Djarragun College, Gordonvale | Independent | Combined | — | 259 | 683 |
| Machans Beach State School, Machans Beach | Government | Primary | — | 135 | 944 |
| Cairns State Special School, Woree | Government | Combined | — | 130 | 913 |
| Aloomba State School, Aloomba | Government | Primary | — | 72 | 972 |
| Cairns Adventist College, Gordonvale | Independent | Combined | — | 63 | 885 |
| St Rita's School, Babinda | Catholic | Primary | — | 27 | 900 |
| Mirriwinni State School, Mirriwinni | Government | Primary | — | 16 | 1,026 |
| McDonnell Creek State School, Fishery Falls | Government | Primary | — | 10 | 1,010 |
| Bellenden Ker State School, Bellenden Ker | Government | Primary | — | 6 | 909 |
| Bartle Frere State School, Bartle Frere | Government | Primary | — | 4 | — |
Sources
More for Cairns
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Cairns [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA32080/cairns/topic/education