33.4% ▲ +19.3%
Lower than 94% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 28.0%
- 2016: 31.9%
- 2021: 33.4%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Cape York · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
Education & Qualifications in Cape York
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Much lower rates of formal schooling and degrees than most similar areas define Cape York. Only 33.4% of people have finished Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. While these numbers are low, the proportion of people completing high school has risen by 5.4 percentage points since 2011.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Year 12 completion is far below the Queensland rate of 57.1%, and the area is among the lowest for this level. Looking at the breakdown, 23.6% of residents left school after Year 10, while 13.6% finished Year 9 or below.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Cape York, the largest group is Year 12 at 41%, followed by Year 10 (29%) and Year 9 or below (17%).
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up only 9.0% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%. This rate has risen slightly by 2.3 percentage points since 2011, with Certificate III or IV being the most common qualification at 32.1%.
9.0% ▲ +34.5%
Lower than 93% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
- 2011: 6.7%
- 2016: 7.7%
- 2021: 9.0%
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 Cape York, Certificate III / IV is the majority at 52%; Bachelor degree is next at 18%.
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of qualification in the area are Engineering and related fields at 12.6%, followed by Management and commerce at 8.1%. Health and Education each account for about 7.5% of qualifications.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Cape York has 10 schools, which is among the largest number for similar areas, and it has a much higher number of schools per 1,000 children than most places. However, the typical school is much smaller than average with only 112 students.
10
Higher than 89% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
5.83
Higher than 88% 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).
1,116
Lower than 59% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
112
Lower than 90% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
795
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 Cape York
13 schools — 2,514 students, average ICSEA 806.
By sector: Government 9 · Independent 2 · Catholic 2
By type: Combined 6 · Primary 6 · Secondary 1
| Lockhart State School, Lockhart River | Government | Combined | 102.3 km | 141 | 635 |
| Aurukun State School, Aurukun | Government | Combined | 201.0 km | 227 | 694 |
| Kluthuthu Christian College, Napranum | Independent | Combined | 211.7 km | 42 | 634 |
| St Joseph's Parish School, Weipa | Catholic | Primary | 215.8 km | 161 | 949 |
| Western Cape College, Rocky Point | Government | Combined | 216.2 km | 1,010 | 820 |
| Laura State School, Laura | Government | Primary | 229.5 km | 19 | 623 |
| Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy, Hope Vale | Government | Primary | 245.2 km | 146 | 707 |
| Cooktown State School, Cooktown | Government | Combined | 270.8 km | 376 | 838 |
| Holy Spirit College, Cooktown | Catholic | Secondary | 270.8 km | 122 | 811 |
| Endeavour Christian College, Cooktown | Independent | Combined | 271.1 km | 166 | 991 |
| Lakeland State School, Lakeland | Government | Primary | 279.4 km | 12 | 949 |
| Rossville State School, Rossville | Government | Primary | 295.7 km | 25 | 893 |
| Bloomfield River State School, Bloomfield | Government | Primary | 315.6 km | 67 | 661 |
Sources
More for Cape York
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Cape York [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/315011396/cape-york/topic/education