45.2% ▲ +18.7%
Lower than 66% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 38.1%
- 2016: 41.5%
- 2021: 45.2%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Mackay · Sub-region (SA3)
Education & Qualifications in Mackay
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Fewer people in Mackay have finished high school or university compared to most of the country, though these numbers are slowly climbing. Only 12.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%. This creates a local workforce where trade certificates are much more common than degrees.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Just 45.2% of residents have completed Year 12, which is far below the Queensland figure of 57.1%. While this is lower than most areas, the proportion of people finishing school has risen by 7.1 percentage points since 2011.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Mackay, Year 12 is the majority at 51%; Year 10 is next at 30%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Adults with a university degree are much less common here than in most areas, sitting well below the state average. Instead, the most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 41.9% of the population.
12.3% ▲ +31.9%
Lower than 80% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 9.3%
- 2016: 10.6%
- 2021: 12.3%
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 Mackay, Certificate III / IV is the majority at 55%; Bachelor degree is next at 20%.
Field of study
What people studied.
Engineering and related fields are the most popular qualifications in the region at 23.9%. Management and commerce follow at 13.5%, with health and society and culture also featuring prominently.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Mackay is home to 58 schools, making it one of the largest areas for education at this level. Most students attend government schools (74.1%), and the vast majority of these are primary schools.
58
Higher than 90% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
2.37
Higher than 56% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
22,282
Higher than 85% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
384
Lower than 58% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
973
Lower than 73% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Mackay
58 schools — 22,282 students, average ICSEA 973.
By sector: Government 43 · Catholic 11 · Independent 4
By type: Primary 43 · Secondary 10 · Combined 5
| St Patrick's College, Mackay | Catholic | Secondary | — | 1,394 | 1,009 |
| Mackay State High School, South Mackay | Government | Secondary | — | 1,254 | 936 |
| Mackay North State High School, North Mackay | Government | Secondary | — | 1,253 | 958 |
| Whitsunday Anglican School, Beaconsfield | Independent | Combined | — | 1,151 | 1,102 |
| Holy Spirit College, Mount Pleasant | Catholic | Secondary | — | 1,139 | 1,023 |
| Mackay Northern Beaches State High School, Rural View | Government | Secondary | — | 1,012 | 950 |
| Mackay Christian College, North Mackay | Independent | Combined | — | 879 | 1,000 |
| Mirani State High School, Mirani | Government | Secondary | — | 786 | 947 |
| Sarina State High School, Sarina | Government | Secondary | — | 775 | 935 |
| Mackay West State School, West Mackay | Government | Primary | — | 770 | 980 |
| Fitzgerald State School, North Mackay | Government | Primary | — | 632 | 955 |
| Eimeo Road State School, Rural View | Government | Primary | — | 607 | 938 |
| Catherine McAuley College, Mackay | Catholic | Secondary | — | 606 | 1,026 |
| Victoria Park State School, East Mackay | Government | Primary | — | 602 | 927 |
| Emmanuel Catholic Primary School, Mount Pleasant | Catholic | Primary | — | 597 | 1,025 |
| St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Mackay West | Catholic | Primary | — | 569 | 1,031 |
| Pioneer State High School, Andergrove | Government | Secondary | — | 536 | 875 |
| Beaconsfield State School, Beaconsfield | Government | Primary | — | 481 | 924 |
| Bucasia State School, Bucasia | Government | Primary | — | 476 | 962 |
| Marian State School, Marian | Government | Primary | — | 449 | 977 |
| St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, Mackay | Catholic | Primary | — | 439 | 1,018 |
| Mackay North State School, North Mackay | Government | Primary | — | 401 | 933 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Mackay South | Catholic | Primary | — | 384 | 1,050 |
| Sarina State School, Sarina | Government | Primary | — | 359 | 890 |
| St John's Catholic Primary School, Walkerston | Catholic | Primary | — | 349 | 1,003 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Mackay | Catholic | Primary | — | 349 | 1,016 |
| Northview State School, Mount Pleasant | Government | Primary | — | 331 | 991 |
| Walkerston State School, Walkerston | Government | Primary | — | 306 | 949 |
| Alligator Creek State School, Alligator Creek | Government | Primary | — | 287 | 955 |
| Carlisle Adventist College, Beaconsfield | Independent | Combined | — | 281 | 990 |
| Mirani State School, Mirani | Government | Primary | — | 280 | 947 |
| Andergrove State School, Andergrove | Government | Primary | — | 270 | 887 |
| Glenella State School, Glenella | Government | Primary | — | 234 | 977 |
| Mackay Central State School, Mackay | Government | Primary | — | 216 | 908 |
| Slade Point State School, Slade Point | Government | Primary | — | 204 | 850 |
| Calen District State College, Calen | Government | Combined | — | 179 | 926 |
| St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Sarina | Catholic | Primary | — | 162 | 962 |
| MacKillop Catholic Primary School, Andergrove | Catholic | Primary | — | 149 | 990 |
| Dundula State School, Bakers Creek | Government | Primary | — | 117 | 921 |
| Swayneville State School, Sarina | Government | Primary | — | 114 | 918 |
| Chelona State School, Chelona | Government | Primary | — | 102 | 949 |
| Koumala State School, Koumala | Government | Primary | — | 100 | 948 |
| Hampden State School, Hampden | Government | Primary | — | 84 | 963 |
| Mackay District Special School, Beaconsfield | Government | Combined | — | 82 | 949 |
| Seaforth State School, Seaforth | Government | Primary | — | 80 | 951 |
| Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School, Mackay | Independent | Secondary | — | 75 | 811 |
| Coningsby State School, Farleigh | Government | Primary | — | 71 | 944 |
| Bloomsbury State School, Bloomsbury | Government | Primary | — | 44 | 942 |
| Homebush State School, Homebush | Government | Primary | — | 37 | 962 |
| Eton State School, Eton | Government | Primary | — | 36 | 931 |
| Gargett State School, Gargett | Government | Primary | — | 36 | 947 |
| Farleigh State School, Farleigh | Government | Primary | — | 32 | 935 |
| Finch Hatton State School, Finch Hatton | Government | Primary | — | 32 | 931 |
| North Eton State School, North Eton | Government | Primary | — | 29 | 957 |
| Pindi Pindi State School, Pindi Pindi | Government | Primary | — | 25 | 958 |
| Eungella State School, Eungella | Government | Primary | — | 19 | 951 |
| Pinnacle State School, Pinnacle | Government | Primary | — | 11 | 914 |
| Oakenden State School, Oakenden | Government | Primary | — | 8 | 926 |
Sources
More for Mackay
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Mackay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/31202/mackay/topic/education