32.1% ▲ +33.0%
Lower than 97% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 24.2%
- 2016: 26.8%
- 2021: 32.1%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
West Coast · Sub-region (SA3)
Education & Qualifications in West Coast
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Far fewer residents have finished high school or university in West Coast compared to most other areas. Only 32.1% of people here completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. While these levels are among the lowest in the region, the proportion of people finishing school has risen since 2011.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
The typical highest year of school completed is Year 10 for 34.8% of residents. Those finishing Year 12 are far below the figures for both Tasmania and Australia, though the rate rose by 8.0 percentage points over the last decade.
Highest year of school
View on map →West Coast splits fairly evenly between Year 10 (39%) and Year 12 (36%), with Year 9 or below at 14%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Only 11.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is much lower than most areas. Certificate III or IV is the most common qualification at 38.8%, and the share of university degrees has risen slightly since 2011.
11.3% ▲ +51.8%
Lower than 86% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
- 2011: 7.5%
- 2016: 8.2%
- 2021: 11.3%
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 West Coast, Certificate III / IV is the majority at 52%; Bachelor degree is next at 19%.
Field of study
What people studied.
Among those with qualifications, Engineering and related fields are the most common at 17.3%. Management and commerce follow at 12.6%, while society and culture account for 10.0%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
The area has 17 schools with 2,063 total enrolments, which are among the smallest for similar areas. However, there are 5.35 schools per 1,000 children, which is much higher than most places, and most students attend government schools.
17
Lower than 71% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Number of schools in the area.
5.35
Higher than 89% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
2,063
Lower than 93% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
121
Lower than 96% of sub-region (sa3) areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
904
Lower than 90% 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 West Coast
17 schools — 2,063 students, average ICSEA 904.
By sector: Government 13 · Catholic 3 · Independent 1
By type: Primary 11 · Combined 5 · Secondary 1
| Smithton High School, Smithton | Government | Secondary | — | 283 | 849 |
| Circular Head Christian School, Smithton | Independent | Combined | — | 265 | 903 |
| Boat Harbour Primary School, Boat Harbour | Government | Primary | — | 234 | 981 |
| Smithton Primary School, Smithton | Government | Primary | — | 210 | 847 |
| Mountain Heights School, Queenstown | Government | Combined | — | 199 | 893 |
| King Island District High School, Currie | Government | Combined | — | 170 | 950 |
| St Peter Chanel Catholic School, Smithton | Catholic | Primary | — | 125 | 889 |
| Yolla District School, Yolla | Government | Combined | — | 110 | 880 |
| Forest Primary School, Forest | Government | Primary | — | 99 | 903 |
| Rosebery District School, Rosebery | Government | Combined | — | 63 | 845 |
| St Joseph's Catholic School, Queenstown | Catholic | Primary | — | 59 | 902 |
| Stanley Primary School, Stanley | Government | Primary | — | 54 | 976 |
| St Joseph's Catholic School, Rosebery | Catholic | Primary | — | 47 | 969 |
| Strahan Primary School, Strahan | Government | Primary | — | 47 | 935 |
| Zeehan Primary School, Zeehan | Government | Primary | — | 43 | 919 |
| Redpa Primary School, Redpa | Government | Primary | — | 32 | 984 |
| Edith Creek Primary School, Edith Creek | Government | Primary | — | 23 | 923 |
Sources
More for West Coast
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in West Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa3/60403/west-coast/topic/education