29.1% ▲ +26.3%
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 23.0%
- 2016: 26.3%
- 2021: 29.1%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Cessnock · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Education & Qualifications in Cessnock
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Only 29.1% of people in Cessnock have completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure. This gap in formal schooling is reflected in the low number of university degrees held by adults, though the proportion of people finishing high school has risen since 2011.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Year 12 completion is among the lowest for similar areas at 29.1%, which is 30 points lower than both the state and national figures. The most common highest year of school finished is Year 10, reached by 33.0% of residents.
Highest year of school
View on map →Cessnock splits fairly evenly between Year 10 (39%) and Year 12 (34%), with Year 9 or below at 18%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Just 7.0% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, a figure far below the New South Wales average of 27.8%. Instead, the most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 41.5% of the population.
7.0% ▲ +33.9%
Lower than 99% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 5.2%
- 2016: 6.1%
- 2021: 7.0%
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 Cessnock, Certificate III / IV is the majority at 61%; Advanced diploma / diploma is next at 16%.
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of qualification are Engineering and related fields at 17.2%, followed by Management and commerce at 13.6%. Other notable areas of study include Society and culture at 9.3% and Health at 8.6%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Cessnock has 10 schools with 4,917 enrolments, making it one of the largest hubs for schooling at this level. However, the average school advantage score is 938, which is much lower than most areas.
10
Higher than 89% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
2.32
Higher than 57% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
13
Lower than 66% 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).
4,917
Higher than 89% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
492
Higher than 60% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
938
Lower than 86% 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 Cessnock
13 schools — 5,409 students, average ICSEA 938.
By sector: Government 10 · Catholic 2 · Independent 1
By type: Primary 10 · Secondary 2 · Combined 1
| St Patrick's Primary School, Cessnock | Catholic | Primary | 1.0 km | 347 | 975 |
| Cessnock East Public School, Cessnock | Government | Primary | 1.1 km | 215 | 835 |
| Cessnock Public School, Cessnock | Government | Primary | 1.3 km | 276 | 876 |
| Cessnock West Public School, Cessnock | Government | Primary | 1.6 km | 399 | 884 |
| Cessnock High School, Cessnock | Government | Secondary | 1.8 km | 616 | 892 |
| Nulkaba Public School, Nulkaba | Government | Primary | 2.3 km | 389 | 931 |
| Mount View High School, Cessnock West | Government | Secondary | 2.4 km | 930 | 911 |
| St Philip's Christian College - Cessnock, Nulkaba | Independent | Combined | 4.0 km | 1,276 | 1,032 |
| Kearsley Public School, Kearsley | Government | Primary | 4.7 km | 114 | 897 |
| Bellbird Public School, Bellbird | Government | Primary | 5.1 km | 355 | 907 |
| Kitchener Public School, Kitchener | Government | Primary | 5.5 km | 113 | 930 |
| Abermain Public School, Abermain | Government | Primary | 6.8 km | 257 | 917 |
| Holy Spirit Infants School, Abermain | Catholic | Primary | 8.2 km | 122 | 991 |
Sources
More for Cessnock
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Cessnock [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/106011108/cessnock/topic/education