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Bendigo · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Bendigo

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

Fewer people in Bendigo have finished high school compared to the rest of the state, but university degrees are becoming more common. While only 49.1% of residents completed Year 12, the number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher rose 6.6 points since 2011 to reach 21.6%. This shows a shift toward higher qualifications over the last decade.

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📍 Bendigo, Region (SA4)

Where Bendigo sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

21.6% ▲ +44.3%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Bendigo — higher than 60% of areas.

Bendigo21.6%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Year 12 completion sits at 49.1%, which is well below the national figure of 58.8%. This is a steady improvement from 2011, when the rate was 40.0%.

Completed Year 12

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49.1% ▲ +22.9%

Lower than 51% 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 Bendigo, Year 12 is the majority at 53%; Year 10 is next at 19%.

Year 12 49.1% Year 10 17.3% Year 11 13.8% Year 9 or below 12.0%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

About 21.6% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, a figure that is higher than most similar areas but well below the Victorian average of 29.2%. The most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 30.4% of residents.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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21.6% ▲ +44.3%

Higher than 60% 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 Bendigo, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 37%, followed by Bachelor degree (27%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (18%).

Certificate III / IV 30.4% Bachelor degree 22.6% Advanced diploma / diploma 15.0% Postgraduate degree 7.1% Graduate diploma / certificate 5.4% Certificate I / II 2.0%

Field of study

What people studied.

Qualifications in Bendigo are spread across several fields, with Health (13.3%), Society and Culture (12.9%), and Management and Commerce (12.9%) being the most frequent.

Schools

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

There are 82 schools in the area, which is smaller than about 72% of similar regions. However, there are 2.73 schools per 1,000 children, a rate higher than most areas, and most students (73.2%) attend government schools.

Average school ICSEA

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1,022

Higher than 54% 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 Bendigo — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Bendigo

82 schools — 26,288 students, average ICSEA 1,022.

By sector: Government 60 · Catholic 18 · Independent 4

By type: Primary 61 · Combined 11 · Secondary 10
Bendigo Senior Secondary College, Bendigo Government Secondary — 1,918 1,003
Catherine McAuley College, Bendigo Catholic Secondary — 1,567 1,055
Marist College Bendigo, Maiden Gully Catholic Combined — 1,203 1,040
Girton Grammar School, Bendigo Independent Combined — 1,195 1,148
Bendigo South East 7-10 Secondary College, Bendigo Government Secondary — 1,030 1,016
Crusoe 7-10 Secondary College, Kangaroo Flat Government Secondary — 925 966
Victory Christian College, Strathdale Independent Combined — 900 1,077
Sacred Heart College, Kyneton Catholic Secondary — 888 1,070
Weeroona College Bendigo, Bendigo Government Secondary — 812 940
Castlemaine Secondary College, Castlemaine Government Secondary — 695 1,040
Kyneton High School, Kyneton Government Secondary — 627 1,008
St Francis of the Fields School, Strathfieldsaye Catholic Primary — 614 1,093
White Hills Primary School, White Hills Government Primary — 586 977
Kennington Primary School, Kennington Government Primary — 581 979
Eaglehawk Secondary College, Eaglehawk Government Secondary — 561 922
Maiden Gully Primary School, Maiden Gully Government Primary — 551 1,009
Strathfieldsaye Primary School, Strathfieldsaye Government Primary — 538 1,038
St Therese's School, Kennington Catholic Primary — 460 1,076
Creek Street Christian College, Bendigo Independent Combined — 457 1,063
Spring Gully Primary School, Bendigo Government Primary — 426 1,056
Epsom Primary School, Epsom Government Primary — 425 967
Woodend Primary School, Woodend Government Primary — 378 1,091
Huntly Primary School, Huntly Government Primary — 324 975
Quarry Hill Primary School, Quarry Hill Government Primary — 324 1,037
Kangaroo Flat Primary School, Kangaroo Flat Government Primary — 313 908
Kyneton Primary School, Kyneton Government Primary — 307 1,048
Holy Rosary School, White Hills Catholic Primary — 295 1,052
Our Lady of the Rosary, Kyneton Catholic Primary — 286 1,081
St Monica's School, Kangaroo Flat Catholic Primary — 284 1,032
Castlemaine North Primary School, Castlemaine Government Primary — 278 1,117
Eaglehawk North Primary School, Eaglehawk Government Primary — 269 958
St Kilian's School, Bendigo Catholic Primary — 268 1,059
Golden Square Primary School, Golden Square Government Primary — 262 967
St Liborius' School, Eaglehawk Catholic Primary — 258 1,018
East Loddon P-12 College, Dingee Government Combined — 256 977
Camp Hill Primary School, Bendigo Government Primary — 251 1,040
Marong Primary School, Marong Government Primary — 235 994
Specimen Hill Primary School, Golden Square Government Primary — 234 934
St Joseph's School, Quarry Hill Catholic Primary — 234 1,064
St Ambrose's School, Woodend Catholic Primary — 225 1,109
Big Hill Primary School, Big Hill Government Primary — 221 980
Kalianna School, Bendigo Government Combined — 221 895
Wedderburn College, Wedderburn Government Combined — 205 926
Bendigo Primary School, Bendigo Government Primary — 196 1,005
Boort District P-12 School, Boort Government Combined — 184 997
California Gully Primary School, California Gully Government Primary — 181 913
Castlemaine Primary School, Castlemaine Government Primary — 178 1,054
Campbells Creek Primary School, Campbells Creek Government Primary — 174 1,011
Bendigo Special Developmental School, Kangaroo Flat Government Combined — 167 940
Lightning Reef Primary School, Bendigo Government Primary — 165 858
Eaglehawk Primary School, Eaglehawk Government Primary — 159 869
Heathcote Primary School, Heathcote Government Primary — 150 961
Castlemaine Steiner School & Kindergarten, Muckleford Independent Combined — 135 1,105
St Peter's School, North Bendigo Catholic Primary — 132 979
Tylden Primary School, Tylden Government Primary — 125 1,078
Winters Flat Primary School, Castlemaine Government Primary — 115 1,078
Pyramid Hill College, Pyramid Hill Government Combined — 104 982
Axedale Primary School, Axedale Government Primary — 101 1,018
Lockwood Primary School, Lockwood Government Primary — 99 989
Maldon Primary School, Maldon Government Primary — 90 1,034
Holy Rosary School, Heathcote Catholic Primary — 82 1,004
Newstead Primary School, Newstead Government Primary — 82 1,041
Taradale Primary School, Taradale Government Primary — 74 1,075
Harcourt Valley Primary School, Harcourt Government Primary — 73 1,015
Malmsbury Primary School, Malmsbury Government Primary — 69 1,074
St Mary's School, Castlemaine Catholic Primary — 64 1,033
Chewton Primary School, Chewton Government Primary — 54 1,119
Inglewood Primary School, Inglewood Government Primary — 50 960
Newham Primary School, Newham Government Primary — 50 1,079
Eppalock Primary School, Axe Creek Government Primary — 49 1,043
DOXA School Bendigo, Bendigo Catholic Secondary — 47 961
Goornong Primary School, Goornong Government Primary — 46 995
Lockwood South Primary School, Lockwood South Government Primary — 38 1,020
Elmore Primary School, Elmore Government Primary — 30 959
Elphinstone Primary School, Elphinstone Government Primary — 29 1,036
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Primary, Elmore Catholic Primary — 26 1,010
Tarnagulla Primary School, Tarnagulla Government Primary — 21 967
St Mary's School, Inglewood Catholic Primary — 18 1,000
Raywood Primary School, Raywood Government Primary — 17 945
Bridgewater Primary School, Bridgewater On Loddon Government Primary — 13 941
Redesdale Mia Mia Primary School, Redesdale Government Primary — 12 981
Langley Primary School, Langley Government Primary — 2 —

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 Bendigo [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/202/bendigo/topic/education