CensusAtlas

Geelong · Sub-region (SA3)

Education & Qualifications in Geelong

How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.

Higher qualification rates than most similar areas define the education landscape in Geelong. While 23.9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, this figure remains well below the Victorian average. There has been a strong upward trend in learning, with the share of people finishing Year 12 climbing 12 points since 2011.

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📍 Geelong, Sub-region (SA3)

Where Geelong sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

23.9% ▲ +57.3%

All sub-region (sa3) areas, 2021. The marker is Geelong — higher than 62% of areas.

Geelong23.9%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Year 12 completion sits at 55.2%, which is well below both the state and national figures. However, this is a significant improvement from 2011, when only 43.1% of residents finished their final year of school.

Completed Year 12

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55.2% ▲ +28.1%

Higher than 55% of sub-region (sa3) areas.

Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.

Highest year of school

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In Geelong, Year 12 is the majority at 59%; Year 10 is next at 15%.

Year 12 55.2% Year 10 14.3% Year 11 13.3% Year 9 or below 11.2%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

About 23.9% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, a figure that has risen 8.7 points since 2011. The most common highest qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 29.0% of residents.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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23.9% ▲ +57.3%

Higher than 62% of sub-region (sa3) areas.

Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).

Highest qualification level

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Geelong splits fairly evenly between Certificate III / IV (34%) and Bachelor degree (30%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 19%.

Certificate III / IV 29.0% Bachelor degree 25.7% Advanced diploma / diploma 16.0% Postgraduate degree 8.5% Graduate diploma / certificate 4.5% Certificate I / II 1.7%

Field of study

What people studied.

Qualifications in Geelong are spread across several key fields, with Management and Commerce being the most common at 15.4%, followed by Engineering and related fields at 13.4%.

Schools

Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).

Geelong is home to 70 schools, among the largest number of institutions for an area of this level. These schools are larger than most, with an average of 555 students per school and a total of 38,872 enrolments.

Average school ICSEA

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1,053

Higher than 67% of sub-region (sa3) areas.

Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).

Schools in and around Geelong — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Geelong

70 schools — 38,872 students, average ICSEA 1,053.

By sector: Government 45 · Catholic 17 · Independent 8

By type: Primary 45 · Combined 13 · Secondary 12
Kardinia International College, Bell Post Hill Independent Combined — 1,925 1,155
Christian College Geelong - Middle School – Highton, Highton Independent Combined — 1,908 1,098
St Joseph's College Geelong, Newtown Catholic Secondary — 1,742 1,075
Northern Bay P-12 College, Corio Government Combined — 1,726 877
The Geelong College, Newtown Independent Combined — 1,573 1,156
Sacred Heart College, Newtown Catholic Secondary — 1,450 1,105
Geelong Grammar School - Corio Campus, Corio Independent Combined — 1,422 1,149
Iona College Geelong, Charlemont Catholic Secondary — 1,332 1,078
Geelong Lutheran College - Armstrong Creek Campus, Armstrong Creek Independent Combined — 1,317 1,101
Belmont High School, Belmont Government Secondary — 1,291 1,053
Western Heights Secondary College, Hamlyn Heights Government Secondary — 1,060 991
North Geelong Secondary College, North Geelong Government Secondary — 989 961
Geelong High School, East Geelong Government Secondary — 976 998
Clonard College, Herne Hill Catholic Secondary — 940 1,051
Lara Lake Primary School, Lara Lake Government Primary — 888 1,025
Leopold Primary School, Leopold Government Primary — 873 1,016
Covenant College, Bell Post Hill Independent Combined — 735 1,070
Grovedale College, Grovedale Government Secondary — 693 996
Lara Secondary College, Lara Government Secondary — 658 975
Mirripoa Primary School, Mount Duneed Government Primary — 638 1,058
Clairvaux Catholic School, Belmont Catholic Primary — 631 1,095
Bellaire Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 623 1,094
Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, Geelong Government Secondary — 614 1,046
Montpellier Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 563 1,101
Newcomb Secondary College, Newcomb Government Secondary — 515 950
St Anthony's School, Lara Catholic Primary — 477 1,040
Manifold Heights Primary School, Manifold Heights Government Primary — 469 1,082
Lara Primary School, Lara Government Primary — 439 993
St Patrick's School, Geelong West Catholic Primary — 418 1,107
Chilwell Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 408 1,139
Fyans Park Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 405 1,131
Nazareth School, Grovedale Catholic Primary — 367 1,076
Mount Duneed Regional Primary School, Mount Duneed Government Primary — 362 1,045
Highton Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 359 1,121
Mandama Primary School, Grovedale Government Primary — 352 1,008
Holy Family School, Bell Park Catholic Primary — 344 1,029
Grovedale Primary School, Grovedale Government Primary — 343 1,009
Nelson Park School, Bell Park Government Combined — 334 938
Geelong South Primary School, South Geelong Government Primary — 326 1,088
Holy Spirit Parish School, Manifold Heights Catholic Primary — 326 1,068
Rollins Primary School, Bell Post Hill Government Primary — 326 1,001
Grovedale West Primary School, Grovedale Government Primary — 324 1,026
Belmont Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 301 1,112
Bell Park North Primary School, Bell Park Government Primary — 292 956
Hamlyn Banks Primary School, Hamlyn Heights Government Primary — 290 976
Christ the King School, Newcomb Catholic Primary — 269 1,061
Herne Hill Primary School, Hamlyn Heights Government Primary — 267 1,023
St Robert's School, Newtown Catholic Primary — 261 1,099
Ashby Primary School, Geelong West Government Primary — 259 1,059
Geelong Baptist College, Lovely Banks Independent Combined — 255 1,031
Roslyn Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 249 1,082
St Margaret's School, East Geelong Catholic Primary — 241 1,063
Oberon Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 224 1,024
St Mary's School, Geelong Catholic Primary — 214 1,114
Moolap Primary School, Moolap Government Primary — 197 970
MacKillop Specialist School - Whittington, Whittington Catholic Combined — 196 993
Newtown Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 193 1,076
St Francis Xavier School, Corio Catholic Primary — 177 937
Tate Street Primary School Geelong, Geelong East Government Primary — 164 1,029
Barwon Valley School, Belmont Government Combined — 161 1,004
Whittington Primary School, Whittington Government Primary — 153 896
Hamlyn Views School, Hamlyn Heights Government Combined — 150 998
St Thomas Aquinas School, Norlane Catholic Primary — 149 941
Geelong East Primary School, Geelong East Government Primary — 147 948
Newcomb Primary School, Newcomb Government Primary — 142 960
Ceres Primary School, Ceres Government Primary — 124 1,069
Wangala Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 99 986
Geelong English Language School (interim name), Belmont Government Combined — 95 884
Woodline Primary, Ceres Independent Primary — 73 1,100
Anakie Primary School, Anakie Government Primary — 69 988

Sources

  • Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
  • Australian Schools List — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025 (CC BY 4.0).

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Geelong [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/20302/geelong/topic/education