47.5% ▲ +21.1%
Lower than 67% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 39.2%
- 2016: 42.3%
- 2021: 47.5%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
West Mackay · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Education & Qualifications in West Mackay
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Fewer residents in West Mackay hold high-level qualifications compared to most similar areas. While 47.5% of people finished Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%. However, the area is seeing a steady climb in education levels, with both school completion and university degrees rising since 2011.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Only 47.5% of residents have completed Year 12, which is well below the Queensland average of 57.1%. This is a positive trend, as the figure rose by 8.3 percentage points since 2011.
Highest year of school
View on map →In West Mackay, Year 12 is the majority at 54%; Year 10 is next at 27%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
About 16.5% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is well below the Australian figure of 26.3%. The most common qualification here is a Certificate III or IV, held by 36.6% of residents.
16.5% ▲ +31.5%
Lower than 64% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 12.5%
- 2016: 14.3%
- 2021: 16.5%
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 West Mackay, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 48%, followed by Bachelor degree (27%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (14%).
Field of study
What people studied.
Qualifications in the area are diverse, with 20.6% of degrees in engineering and related fields. Health and management and commerce each account for 13.3% of qualifications.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
West Mackay has three schools with an average size of 648 students, which is much higher than most areas. These include both Catholic and government options, with a higher number of schools per 1,000 children than usual.
3
Lower than 57% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
2.77
Higher than 65% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
17
Lower than 55% 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).
1,945
Higher than 61% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
648
Higher than 76% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,009
Lower than 53% 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 West Mackay
17 schools — 11,354 students, average ICSEA 985.
By sector: Government 8 · Catholic 7 · Independent 2
By type: Primary 10 · Secondary 6 · Combined 1
| Mackay West State School, West Mackay | Government | Primary | 0.3 km | 770 | 980 |
| St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Mackay West | Catholic | Primary | 0.4 km | 569 | 1,031 |
| Catherine McAuley College, Mackay | Catholic | Secondary | 1.3 km | 606 | 1,026 |
| Mackay State High School, South Mackay | Government | Secondary | 1.3 km | 1,254 | 936 |
| Mackay Central State School, Mackay | Government | Primary | 2.0 km | 216 | 908 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Mackay South | Catholic | Primary | 2.1 km | 384 | 1,050 |
| Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School, Mackay | Independent | Secondary | 2.3 km | 75 | 811 |
| St Patrick's College, Mackay | Catholic | Secondary | 2.5 km | 1,394 | 1,009 |
| Victoria Park State School, East Mackay | Government | Primary | 3.1 km | 602 | 927 |
| Glenella State School, Glenella | Government | Primary | 3.6 km | 234 | 977 |
| Mackay North State School, North Mackay | Government | Primary | 3.9 km | 401 | 933 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Mackay | Catholic | Primary | 4.0 km | 349 | 1,016 |
| Fitzgerald State School, North Mackay | Government | Primary | 4.0 km | 632 | 955 |
| Mackay North State High School, North Mackay | Government | Secondary | 4.1 km | 1,253 | 958 |
| Mackay Christian College, North Mackay | Independent | Combined | 4.4 km | 879 | 1,000 |
| Holy Spirit College, Mount Pleasant | Catholic | Secondary | 4.5 km | 1,139 | 1,023 |
| Emmanuel Catholic Primary School, Mount Pleasant | Catholic | Primary | 4.6 km | 597 | 1,025 |
Sources
More for West Mackay
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in West Mackay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/312021358/west-mackay/topic/education