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Illawarra · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Illawarra

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

A significant 10 percentage point rise in Year 12 completions since 2011 highlights a growing trend toward higher education in Illawarra. While more people are finishing school and university than a decade ago, the region still trails behind state and national figures for top qualifications.

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📍 Illawarra, Region (SA4)

Where Illawarra sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

22.3% ▲ +46.9%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Illawarra — higher than 62% of areas.

Illawarra22.3%
Rest of NSW 17.8%
New South Wales 27.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

About 50.9% of residents finished Year 12, which is well below the New South Wales figure of 58.9%. The most common highest year of school reached is Year 12, followed by Year 10 at 26.5%.

Completed Year 12

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50.9% ▲ +25.3%

Higher than 52% of region (sa4) areas.

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

Highest year of school

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In Illawarra, Year 12 is the majority at 54%; Year 10 is next at 28%.

Year 12 50.9% Year 10 26.5% Year 9 or below 11.1% Year 11 5.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Higher education is becoming more common, with the share of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher rising 7.1 points to 22.3% since 2011. Despite this growth, this figure remains well below the Australian average of 26.3%.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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22.3% ▲ +46.9%

Higher than 62% of region (sa4) 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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In Illawarra, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 38%, followed by Bachelor degree (27%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (18%).

Certificate III / IV 32.0% Bachelor degree 23.1% Advanced diploma / diploma 15.1% Postgraduate degree 8.8% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.5% Certificate I / II 2.1%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common qualifications in the area are in management and commerce at 17.7%, followed closely by engineering and related fields at 16.8%.

Schools

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

Illawarra has 120 schools, which is more than about 64% of similar areas. Most students attend government schools (73.3%), with the majority of the 47,260 enrolments being in primary schools.

Average school ICSEA

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1,027

Higher than 56% of region (sa4) areas.

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

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

Schools serving Illawarra

120 schools — 47,260 students, average ICSEA 1,027.

By sector: Government 88 · Catholic 18 · Independent 14

By type: Primary 83 · Secondary 25 · Combined 12
Holy Spirit College, Bellambi Catholic Secondary — 1,249 1,069
Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, Fairy Meadow Government Secondary — 1,169 1,075
St Mary Star of the Sea College, Wollongong Independent Secondary — 1,128 1,104
Corpus Christi Catholic High School, Oak Flats Catholic Secondary — 1,126 1,045
Edmund Rice College, West Wollongong Independent Secondary — 1,054 1,083
Warilla High School, Barrack Heights Government Secondary — 1,020 968
Dapto High School, Dapto Government Secondary — 988 968
Shellharbour Anglican College, Dunmore Independent Combined — 981 1,099
Bulli High School, Bulli Government Secondary — 979 1,058
The Illawarra Grammar School, Wollongong West Independent Combined — 970 1,159
Illawarra Sports High School, Berkeley Government Secondary — 926 937
Albion Park High School, Albion Park Government Secondary — 900 964
Figtree High School, Figtree Government Secondary — 880 1,013
Illawarra Christian School, Cordeaux Heights Independent Combined — 800 1,091
Dapto Public School, Horsley Government Primary — 790 1,006
Woonona High School, Woonona Government Secondary — 767 1,030
Kiama High School, Kiama Government Secondary — 761 1,036
Smiths Hill High School, Wollongong Government Secondary — 736 1,186
St Joseph's Catholic High School, Albion Park Catholic Secondary — 736 1,029
Keira High School, Fairy Meadow Government Secondary — 723 984
Cedars Christian College, Unanderra Independent Combined — 661 1,067
Oak Flats High School, Oak Flats Government Secondary — 648 932
Mount Terry Public School, Albion Park Government Primary — 635 982
St John's Catholic Primary School, Dapto Catholic Primary — 623 1,038
Hayes Park Public School, Kanahooka Government Primary — 601 972
Warrawong High School, Warrawong Government Secondary — 591 905
Kanahooka High School, Kanahooka Government Secondary — 581 912
Wollongong Public School, Wollongong Government Primary — 579 1,084
Corrimal High School, Corrimal Government Secondary — 569 940
Lake Illawarra High School, Lake Illawarra Government Secondary — 542 894
Woonona Public School, Woonona Government Primary — 519 1,070
Flinders Public School, Flinders Government Primary — 518 1,004
Albion Park Public School, Albion Park Government Primary — 516 972
Calderwood Christian School, Albion Park Independent Combined — 504 1,056
Tullimbar Public School, Tullimbar Government Primary — 483 1,005
Minnamurra Public School, Minnamurra Government Primary — 464 1,068
Shell Cove Public School, Shell Cove Government Primary — 463 1,049
Helensburgh Public School, Helensburgh Government Primary — 460 1,057
Oak Flats Public School, Oak Flats Government Primary — 416 959
Nazareth Catholic Primary School, Shellharbour City Catholic Primary — 413 1,052
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bulli Catholic Primary — 412 1,121
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Shellharbour Catholic Primary — 405 1,050
St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Albion Park Catholic Primary — 399 1,037
Gerringong Public School, Gerringong Government Primary — 378 1,091
St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Unanderra Catholic Primary — 371 1,066
Lakelands Public School, Dapto Government Primary — 370 952
Shellharbour Public School, Shellharbour Government Primary — 368 999
St Therese Catholic Primary School, Mangerton Catholic Primary — 368 1,090
Thirroul Public School, Thirroul Government Primary — 367 1,119
Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School, Kiama Catholic Primary — 363 1,104
Mount St Thomas Public School, Wollongong Government Primary — 354 1,070
Unanderra Public School, Cordeaux Heights Government Primary — 348 992
Kiama Public School, Kiama Government Primary — 347 1,064
Albion Park Rail Public School, Albion Park Government Primary — 346 894
Mount Brown Public School, Dapto Government Primary — 346 975
Fairy Meadow Public School, Fairy Meadow Government Primary — 342 1,002
St Columbkille's Catholic Primary School, Corrimal Catholic Primary — 339 1,073
Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School, Fairy Meadow Catholic Primary — 335 1,081
Lindsay Park Public School, Wollongong Government Primary — 334 1,068
Balgownie Public School, Balgownie Government Primary — 329 1,076
Bulli Public School, Bulli Government Primary — 318 1,069
Corrimal East Public School, Corrimal Government Primary — 297 1,046
Keiraville Public School, Keiraville Government Primary — 297 1,103
Five Islands Secondary College, Port Kembla Government Secondary — 293 983
Warilla Public School, Warilla Government Primary — 279 937
Port Kembla Public School, Port Kembla Government Primary — 278 1,014
Warrawong Public School, Warrawong Government Primary — 276 891
Gwynneville Public School, Gwynneville Government Primary — 271 1,065
Balarang Public School, Oak Flats Government Primary — 268 974
Figtree Public School, Figtree Government Primary — 264 1,028
Waniora Public School, Bulli Government Primary — 264 1,077
Russell Vale Public School, Russell Vale Government Primary — 262 1,040
Berkeley Public School, Berkeley Government Primary — 259 926
Wollongong West Public School, Wollongong Government Primary — 243 991
Pleasant Heights Public School, Mount Pleasant Government Primary — 241 1,126
Austinmer Public School, Austinmer Government Primary — 227 1,132
Corrimal Public School, Corrimal Government Primary — 227 1,013
Farmborough Road Public School, Unanderra Government Primary — 226 961
Nareena Hills Public School, Figtree Government Primary — 209 1,080
Windang Public School, Windang Government Primary — 203 988
Woonona East Public School, Woonona Government Primary — 200 1,037
Mount Ousley Public School, Fairy Meadow Government Primary — 193 1,079
Barrack Heights Public School, Barrack Heights Government Primary — 192 873
Koonawarra Public School, Dapto Government Primary — 192 838
Elonera Montessori School, Mount Ousley Independent Combined — 187 1,108
Mount Warrigal Public School, Warilla Government Primary — 185 885
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Helensburgh Catholic Primary — 184 1,071
St Michael's Catholic Primary School, Thirroul Catholic Primary — 183 1,130
Bellambi Public School, Bellambi Government Primary — 182 807
Coniston Public School, Coniston Government Primary — 181 990
Figtree Heights Public School, Figtree Government Primary — 181 1,061
Lake Illawarra South Public School, Lake Illawarra Government Primary — 177 954
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Port Kembla Catholic Primary — 177 1,058
St Brigid's Catholic Primary School, Gwynneville Catholic Primary — 175 1,083
Warilla North Public School, Warilla Government Primary — 167 872
Tarrawanna Public School, Tarrawanna Government Primary — 164 982
Cringila Public School, Cringila Government Primary — 163 936
Mount Kembla Public School, Mount Kembla Government Primary — 159 1,050
OneSchool Global NSW - Illawarra, Maddens Plains Independent Combined — 159 973
Berkeley West Public School, Berkeley Government Primary — 157 868
Kemblawarra Public School, Port Kembla Government Primary — 153 892
Stanwell Park Public School, Stanwell Park Government Primary — 150 1,112
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, Warrawong Catholic Primary — 149 1,013
Lake Heights Public School, Lake Heights Government Primary — 147 941
Coledale Public School, Coledale Government Primary — 135 1,118
Towradgi Public School, Fairy Meadow Government Primary — 134 1,031
Jamberoo Public School, Jamberoo Government Primary — 131 1,045
Aspect South Coast School, Corrimal Independent Primary — 129 1,017
Peterborough School, Warilla Government Combined — 115 938
Para Meadows School, North Wollongong Government Combined — 113 945
Mount Keira Public School, Mount Keira Government Primary — 91 1,072
Primbee Public School, Primbee Government Primary — 88 943
Wollongong Flexible School, Towradgi Independent Secondary — 71 895
Scarborough Public School, Scarborough Government Primary — 54 1,080
Otford Public School, Otford Government Primary — 48 1,104
Craig Davis College, Cordeaux Heights Independent Secondary — 45 825
Novo Education Space, Wollongong Independent Secondary — 44 983
Cedars Christian College - Aspire, Unanderra Independent Combined — 13 1,094
Illawarra Environmental Education Centre, Dunmore Government Combined — — —
Illawarra Hospital School, Wollongong Government Combined — — —

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 Illawarra [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/107/illawarra/topic/education