CensusAtlas

Geelong · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Geelong

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

Higher proportions of people hold degrees and finish school in Geelong than in most similar areas. While the typical resident is still less likely to have a university degree than the national figure, the area has seen a significant jump in education levels over the last decade.

Open map →
📍 Geelong, Region (SA4)

Where Geelong sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

25.1% ▲ +52.3%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Geelong — higher than 69% of areas.

Geelong25.1%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

More than half of residents (56.1%) have finished Year 12, a figure that rose 12 points since 2011. Despite this growth, the rate remains well below the Victorian average of 61.8%.

Completed Year 12

View on map →

56.1% ▲ +27.0%

Higher than 63% of region (sa4) areas.

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

Highest year of school

View on map →

In Geelong, Year 12 is the majority at 60%; Year 10 is next at 15%.

Year 12 56.1% Year 10 14.1% Year 11 13.7% Year 9 or below 9.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

About one in four adults (25.1%) holds a bachelor degree or higher, which is higher than most similar areas. This is an increase of 8.6 points since 2011, though it is still a little below the national figure.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

View on map →

25.1% ▲ +52.3%

Higher than 69% 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

View on map →

Geelong splits fairly evenly between Certificate III / IV (33%) and Bachelor degree (30%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 19%.

Certificate III / IV 28.4% Bachelor degree 26.1% Advanced diploma / diploma 16.4% Postgraduate degree 8.3% Graduate diploma / certificate 4.9% Certificate I / II 1.6%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common qualifications are in management and commerce at 15.4%, followed closely by engineering and health, each around 13%.

Schools

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

Geelong has 109 schools with a total of 54,442 enrolments, which is more than 70% of similar areas. The schools here are larger than usual and have a school advantage score much higher than most areas.

Average school ICSEA

View on map →

1,054

Higher than 73% 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 Geelong — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Geelong

109 schools — 54,442 students, average ICSEA 1,054.

By sector: Government 75 · Catholic 25 · Independent 9

By type: Primary 78 · Secondary 16 · Combined 15
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
Saint Ignatius College Geelong, Drysdale Catholic Secondary — 1,442 1,075
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
Bellarine Secondary College, Drysdale Government Secondary — 1,147 1,006
Oberon High School, Armstrong Creek Government Secondary — 1,074 1,023
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
Armstrong Creek School, Armstrong Creek Government Primary — 905 1,023
Lara Lake Primary School, Lara Lake Government Primary — 888 1,025
Surf Coast Secondary College, Torquay Government Secondary — 879 1,060
Leopold Primary School, Leopold Government Primary — 873 1,016
Bannockburn P-12 College, Bannockburn Government Combined — 799 989
Covenant College, Bell Post Hill Independent Combined — 735 1,070
Grovedale College, Grovedale Government Secondary — 693 996
Torquay Coast Primary School, Torquay Government Primary — 678 1,099
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
Ocean Grove Primary School, Ocean Grove Government Primary — 619 1,105
Torquay P-6 College, Torquay Government Primary — 617 1,092
Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, Geelong Government Secondary — 614 1,046
Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Ocean Grove Catholic Primary — 593 1,092
Montpellier Primary School, Highton Government Primary — 563 1,101
Surfside Primary School, Ocean Grove Government Primary — 545 1,075
Newcomb Secondary College, Newcomb Government Secondary — 515 950
St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School, Armstrong Creek Catholic Primary — 504 1,070
Bellbrae Primary School, Bellbrae Government Primary — 492 1,119
St Anthony's School, Lara Catholic Primary — 477 1,040
Clifton Springs Primary School, Clifton Springs Government Primary — 472 1,003
Manifold Heights Primary School, Manifold Heights Government Primary — 469 1,082
Lara Primary School, Lara Government Primary — 439 993
St Thomas Primary School, Drysdale Catholic Primary — 428 1,051
St Patrick's School, Geelong West Catholic Primary — 418 1,107
Barwon Heads Primary School, Barwon Heads Government Primary — 416 1,120
Chilwell Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 408 1,139
Fyans Park Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 405 1,131
St Mary MacKillop Catholic Primary School, Bannockburn Catholic Primary — 392 1,047
Drysdale Primary School, Drysdale Government Primary — 388 1,016
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
Lisieux Catholic Primary School, Torquay Catholic Primary — 333 1,106
St Therese School, Torquay Catholic Primary — 332 1,119
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
Teesdale Primary School, Teesdale Government Primary — 250 1,019
Roslyn Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 249 1,082
St Margaret's School, East Geelong Catholic Primary — 241 1,063
Moriac Primary School, Moriac Government Primary — 232 1,041
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
Inverleigh Primary School, Inverleigh Government Primary — 194 1,048
Newtown Primary School, Newtown Government Primary — 193 1,076
St Francis Xavier School, Corio Catholic Primary — 177 937
St Leonards Primary School, St Leonards Government Primary — 173 970
Lorne P-12 College, Lorne Government Combined — 167 1,038
Queenscliff Primary School, Queenscliff Government Primary — 165 1,120
Tate Street Primary School Geelong, Geelong East Government Primary — 164 1,029
Anglesea Primary School, Anglesea Government Primary — 162 1,099
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
Portarlington Primary School, Portarlington Government Primary — 150 1,010
St Thomas Aquinas School, Norlane Catholic Primary — 149 941
Geelong East Primary School, Geelong East Government Primary — 147 948
Freshwater Creek Steiner School, Freshwater Creek Independent Primary — 144 1,094
Newcomb Primary School, Newcomb Government Primary — 142 960
Winchelsea Primary School, Winchelsea Government Primary — 141 978
Wallington Primary School, Wallington Government Primary — 137 1,031
Point Lonsdale Primary School, Point Lonsdale Government Primary — 125 1,115
Ceres Primary School, Ceres Government Primary — 124 1,069
Lethbridge Primary School, Lethbridge Government Primary — 112 1,002
St Aloysius' School, Queenscliff Catholic Primary — 112 1,081
Wangala Primary School, Belmont Government Primary — 99 986
Geelong English Language School (interim name), Belmont Government Combined — 95 884
Aireys Inlet Primary School, Aireys Inlet Government Primary — 73 1,112
Woodline Primary, Ceres Independent Primary — 73 1,100
Meredith Primary School, Meredith Government Primary — 71 987
Anakie Primary School, Anakie Government Primary — 69 988
Deans Marsh Primary School, Deans Marsh Government Primary — 52 1,045
Rokewood Primary School, Rokewood Government Primary — 42 959
Shelford Primary School, Shelford Government Primary — 13 1,013

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).

More for Geelong

Full area profile →

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/sa4/203/geelong/topic/education