43.9% ▲ +48.6%
Lower than 74% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 29.5%
- 2016: 34.6%
- 2021: 43.9%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Port Macquarie - West · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Education & Qualifications in Port Macquarie - West
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
A big jump in school finishes has marked Port Macquarie - West since 2011, with Year 12 completions rising by 14 percentage points. Despite this growth, the area still has fewer high-level qualifications than most other places, with only 15.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Only 43.9% of residents finished Year 12, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 58.9%. About 28.9% of people stopped at Year 10, while 13.1% left school in Year 9 or earlier.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Port Macquarie - West, the largest group is Year 12 at 47%, followed by Year 10 (31%) and Year 9 or below (14%).
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
The share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is far below the Australian figure of 26.3%, though it rose 6.9 points since 2011. The most common qualification here is a Certificate III or IV, held by 35.0% of residents.
15.1% ▲ +85.1%
Lower than 69% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 8.2%
- 2016: 10.7%
- 2021: 15.1%
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 Port Macquarie - West, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 44%, followed by Bachelor degree (23%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (20%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of study for those with qualifications are management and commerce at 18.3%, followed by health at 13.4% and engineering at 12.2%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
With 11 schools and 5,199 enrolments, this area has much more schools per 1,000 children than most other areas. Independent schools make up the largest sector at 45.5%, followed by Catholic schools at 36.4%.
11
Higher than 90% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
3.42
Higher than 74% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
18
Lower than 53% 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).
5,199
Higher than 89% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
473
Higher than 57% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,018
Higher than 51% 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 Port Macquarie - West
18 schools — 8,670 students, average ICSEA 1,019.
By sector: Catholic 6 · Independent 6 · Government 6
By type: Primary 8 · Secondary 6 · Combined 4
| Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 1.6 km | 327 | 996 |
| Heritage Christian School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 1.8 km | 345 | 1,032 |
| Nautilus Senior College, Port Macquarie | Independent | Secondary | 2.5 km | 113 | 833 |
| Westport Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 2.6 km | 365 | 888 |
| St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 2.7 km | 1,221 | 1,116 |
| Hastings Secondary College, Westport Campus, Port Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 2.8 km | 612 | 919 |
| St Agnes' Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 3.0 km | 553 | 1,029 |
| St Peter's Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 3.0 km | 534 | 1,075 |
| St Joseph's Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 3.0 km | 397 | 1,017 |
| MacKillop College Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 3.3 km | 1,107 | 1,068 |
| The Nature School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 3.6 km | 171 | 1,054 |
| Port Macquarie Steiner School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Primary | 3.6 km | 69 | 1,051 |
| St Joseph's Regional College, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 3.7 km | 1,026 | 1,017 |
| Port Macquarie Adventist School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 4.3 km | 91 | 1,011 |
| Port Macquarie Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 4.7 km | 451 | 932 |
| North East Public School of Distance Education, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 4.7 km | 45 | 979 |
| Hastings Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 5.1 km | 526 | 1,019 |
| Hastings Secondary College, Port Macquarie Campus, Port Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 5.2 km | 717 | 971 |
Sources
More for Port Macquarie - West
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Port Macquarie - West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/108041164/port-macquarie-west/topic/education