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Sunshine Coast · Council (LGA)

Education & Qualifications in Sunshine Coast

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

A gap of nearly 5 percentage points separates the Sunshine Coast from the national figure for bachelor degrees. While 21.5% of adults hold a university degree, this is well below the Australian average despite a steady rise in qualifications since 2016. The region now shows a stronger trend toward higher education than in previous years.

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📍 Sunshine Coast, Council (LGA)

Where Sunshine Coast sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

21.5% —

All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Sunshine Coast — higher than 76% of areas.

Sunshine Coast21.5%
Rest of Qld 17.1%
Queensland 21.9%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

School completion is improving, with 56.4% of people finishing Year 12. This is much higher than most similar areas and rose 6.3 percentage points since 2016, bringing the region's rate close to the Queensland figure.

Completed Year 12

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56.4% —

Higher than 79% 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 Sunshine Coast, Year 12 is the majority at 60%; Year 10 is next at 24%.

Year 12 56.4% Year 10 22.7% Year 11 7.6% Year 9 or below 6.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 21.5%, which is much higher than most similar areas but still well below the national average. Certificate III or IV is the most common qualification, held by 32% of residents.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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21.5% —

Higher than 76% 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 Sunshine Coast, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 38%, followed by Bachelor degree (28%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (20%).

Certificate III / IV 32.0% Bachelor degree 23.2% Advanced diploma / diploma 16.8% Postgraduate degree 6.3% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.7% Certificate I / II 2.0%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of study are management and commerce at 17%, followed by engineering and related fields at 13.3% and health at 12.9%.

Schools

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

The region has 81 schools and 56,572 enrolments, making it one of the largest areas for education. Local schools have an average advantage score of 1,050, which is much higher than most other areas.

Average school ICSEA

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1,050

Higher than 82% 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 Sunshine Coast — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Sunshine Coast

81 schools — 56,572 students, average ICSEA 1,050.

By sector: Government 54 · Independent 18 · Catholic 9

By type: Primary 43 · Combined 25 · Secondary 13
Chancellor State College, Sippy Downs Government Combined — 2,609 1,042
Kawana Waters State College, Bokarina Government Combined — 2,495 1,034
Mountain Creek State High School, Mountain Creek Government Secondary — 2,091 1,043
Meridan State College, Meridan Plains Government Combined — 1,795 1,013
Coolum State High School, Coolum Beach Government Secondary — 1,551 1,040
Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Forest Glen Independent Combined — 1,472 1,133
Nambour State College, Nambour Government Combined — 1,469 977
St Andrew's Anglican College, Peregian Springs Independent Combined — 1,459 1,143
Unity College, Caloundra West Catholic Combined — 1,450 1,065
Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Buderim Independent Combined — 1,426 1,155
Caloundra State High School, Caloundra Government Secondary — 1,316 1,004
Nambour Christian College, Woombye Independent Combined — 1,309 1,083
Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli Catholic Combined — 1,246 1,050
Immanuel Lutheran College, Buderim Independent Combined — 1,239 1,120
Maroochydore State High School, Maroochydore Government Secondary — 1,205 1,011
Pacific Lutheran College, Meridan Plains Independent Combined — 1,204 1,114
Buderim Mountain State School, Buderim Government Primary — 1,183 1,096
Glasshouse Christian College, Beerwah Independent Combined — 1,180 1,039
Suncoast Christian College, Woombye Independent Combined — 1,136 1,084
Peregian Springs State School, Peregian Springs Government Primary — 1,028 1,059
Coolum State School, Coolum Beach Government Primary — 1,004 1,046
Talara Primary College, Currimundi Government Primary — 974 1,035
Baringa State Primary School, Baringa Government Primary — 930 1,032
St John's College, Nambour Catholic Secondary — 927 1,059
Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs Catholic Secondary — 889 1,073
Beerwah State High School, Beerwah Government Secondary — 855 970
Burnside State High School, Burnside Government Secondary — 809 988
Mooloolaba State School, Mooloolaba Government Primary — 807 1,064
Mountain Creek State School, Mountain Creek Government Primary — 778 1,041
Buddina State School, Buddina Government Primary — 742 1,057
Stella Maris School, Maroochydore Catholic Primary — 737 1,081
Brightwater State School, Mountain Creek Government Primary — 733 1,055
Baringa State Secondary College, Baringa Government Secondary — 677 1,007
Nirimba State Primary School, Nirimba Government Primary — 665 1,023
Maleny State High School, Maleny Government Secondary — 647 1,029
Currimundi State School, Currimundi Government Primary — 619 1,041
Siena Catholic Primary School, Sippy Downs Catholic Primary — 616 1,081
Bli Bli State School, Bli Bli Government Primary — 615 1,005
Kuluin State School, Kuluin Government Primary — 612 1,018
Palmview State Primary School, Palmview Government Primary — 596 1,037
Eumundi State School, Eumundi Government Primary — 578 1,052
Golden Beach State School, Golden Beach Government Primary — 548 1,015
Coolum Beach Christian College, Coolum Beach Independent Combined — 491 1,081
Palmwoods State School, Palmwoods Government Primary — 485 1,030
Caloundra State School, Caloundra Government Primary — 481 1,027
Pacific Paradise State School, Pacific Paradise Government Primary — 467 1,024
Chevallum State School, Chevallum Government Primary — 456 1,054
Caloundra Christian College, Caloundra Independent Combined — 438 1,058
Woombye State School, Woombye Government Primary — 423 1,014
Maleny State School, Maleny Government Primary — 409 1,050
Palmview State Secondary College, Palmview Government Secondary — 379 1,021
Glass House Mountains State School, Glass House Mountains Government Primary — 376 998
Burnside State School, Burnside Government Primary — 368 984
Yandina State School, Yandina Government Primary — 365 1,004
North Arm State School, North Arm Government Primary — 356 1,031
Peregian Beach College, Peregian Beach Independent Combined — 347 1,069
St Joseph's Primary School, Nambour Catholic Primary — 341 1,045
Noosa Pengari Steiner School, Doonan Independent Combined — 324 1,089
Our Lady of the Rosary School, Caloundra Catholic Primary — 321 1,092
Landsborough State School, Landsborough Government Primary — 316 989
Montessori International College, Forest Glen Independent Combined — 276 1,104
Glenview State School, Glenview Government Primary — 251 1,062
Mooloolah State School, Mooloolah Valley Government Primary — 230 1,012
Caloundra City Private School, Pelican Waters Independent Combined — 228 1,095
The Industry School - Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore Independent Secondary — 226 1,054
Maroochydore State School, Maroochydore Government Primary — 222 969
Beerwah State School, Beerwah Government Primary — 220 950
Notre Dame College, Bells Creek Catholic Combined — 216 1,066
Currimundi Special School, Dicky Beach Government Combined — 177 1,006
Mapleton State School, Mapleton Government Primary — 177 1,048
Nambour Special School, Burnside Government Combined — 132 1,002
Eudlo State School, Eudlo Government Primary — 110 1,007
Blackall Range Independent School, Kureelpa Independent Combined — 108 1,039
Peachester State School, Peachester Government Primary — 104 1,001
Palmview State Special School, Palmview Government Combined — 102 1,023
Beerburrum State School, Beerburrum Government Primary — 101 945
Montville State School, Montville Government Primary — 91 1,072
The River School, Maleny Independent Primary — 77 1,074
My Independent School, Beerwah Independent Secondary — 69 996
Conondale State School, Conondale Government Primary — 47 970
Kenilworth State Community College, Kenilworth Government Primary — 44 983

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 Sunshine Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA36720/sunshine-coast/topic/education