26.8% ▲ +2.3%
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 26.2%
- 2016: 25.8%
- 2021: 26.8%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Far West · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Education & Qualifications in Far West
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
A gap of 32 percentage points separates Far West from the state average in Year 12 completion. Only 26.8% of residents finished high school, marking one of the lowest levels of formal education across the region. This lack of senior schooling is mirrored in the low number of adults with university degrees.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Just 26.8% of people here finished Year 12, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 58.9% and has barely changed since 2011. Many residents left school earlier, with 23.9% finishing at Year 10 and 21.9% finishing in Year 9 or below.
Highest year of school
View on map →Far West splits fairly evenly between Year 12 (33%) and Year 10 (30%), with Year 9 or below at 27%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Only 9.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%. While this rose 1.3 points since 2011, it remains among the lowest levels for this qualification in similar areas.
9.3% ▲ +16.5%
Lower than 91% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 8.0%
- 2016: 5.9%
- 2021: 9.3%
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 Far West, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 45%, followed by Bachelor degree (21%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (18%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of qualification include engineering and related subjects at 9.0%, followed by agriculture and environment at 8.5% and education at 7.8%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Far West has 6 schools, which is more than about 80% of similar areas. However, these schools are among the smallest with an average size of 36 students, and the average school advantage score is among the lowest at this level.
6
Higher than 71% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
14.32
Higher than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
10
Lower than 75% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Schools serving the area — within 3 km of small areas, or inside larger ones. A measure of access (catchments overlap, so don't add it across areas).
214
Lower than 93% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
36
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
738
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Far West
10 schools — 800 students, average ICSEA 833.
By sector: Government 9 · Catholic 1
By type: Primary 7 · Combined 3
| White Cliffs Public School, White Cliffs | Government | Primary | 36.9 km | 17 | 873 |
| Wilcannia Central School, Wilcannia | Government | Combined | 50.3 km | 65 | 673 |
| St Therese's Community Parish School, Wilcannia | Catholic | Primary | 50.6 km | 25 | 740 |
| Menindee Central School, Menindee | Government | Combined | 148.6 km | 74 | 760 |
| Alma Public School, Broken Hill | Government | Primary | 177.1 km | 255 | 875 |
| Burke Ward Public School, Broken Hill | Government | Primary | 177.7 km | 200 | 858 |
| Railway Town Public School, Broken Hill | Government | Primary | 178.4 km | 124 | 868 |
| Wanaaring Public School, Wanaaring | Government | Primary | 193.4 km | 7 | 851 |
| Tibooburra Outback Public School, Tibooburra | Government | Primary | 220.1 km | 4 | — |
| Ivanhoe Central School, Ivanhoe | Government | Combined | 222.8 km | 29 | 747 |
Sources
More for Far West
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Far West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/105021098/far-west/topic/education