CensusAtlas

North West · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in North West

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

A gap of 23 percentage points separates North West from Victoria in Year 12 completion rates. This region trails far below both the state and national figures for school and university qualifications, though the number of people finishing high school has risen since 2011.

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📍 North West, Region (SA4)

Where North West sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

12.2% ▲ +36.2%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is North West — lower than 83% of areas.

North West12.2%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Only 38.6% of residents finished Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. While this is much lower than most areas, the rate did rise by 8.0 percentage points since 2011.

Completed Year 12

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38.6% ▲ +25.9%

Lower than 83% 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 North West, the largest group is Year 12 at 43%, followed by Year 10 (21%) and Year 11 (18%).

Year 12 38.6% Year 10 19.2% Year 11 16.2% Year 9 or below 16.0%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

University degrees are uncommon here, with only 12.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the Victorian average of 29.2%, though the figure grew slightly to 12.2% from 9.0% in 2011.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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12.2% ▲ +36.2%

Lower than 83% 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 North West, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 47%, followed by Bachelor degree (22%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (20%).

Certificate III / IV 35.6% Bachelor degree 16.3% Advanced diploma / diploma 14.9% Postgraduate degree 3.3% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.3% Certificate I / II 2.4%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common qualifications in the area are in engineering and related fields at 12.6%, followed by management and commerce at 12.2% and health at 11.3%.

Schools

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

North West has more schools than 65% of similar areas, with 4.48 schools per 1,000 children being among the highest rates. However, these 121 schools are typically much smaller and have much lower advantage scores than most areas.

Average school ICSEA

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971

Lower than 78% 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 North West — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving North West

121 schools — 23,694 students, average ICSEA 971.

By sector: Government 91 · Catholic 24 · Independent 6

By type: Primary 74 · Combined 29 · Secondary 18
Mildura Senior College, Mildura Government Secondary — 1,027 977
Horsham College, Horsham Government Secondary — 1,010 965
St Joseph's College Mildura, Mildura Catholic Secondary — 860 1,022
Swan Hill College, Swan Hill Government Secondary — 747 944
Chaffey Secondary College, Mildura Government Secondary — 722 878
Wimmera Lutheran College - Nhill Lutheran School, Nhill Independent Combined — 647 1,038
Merbein P-10 College, Merbein Government Combined — 644 944
Irymple Secondary College, Irymple Government Secondary — 630 1,003
Horsham West and Haven Primary School, Horsham Government Primary — 603 986
St Mary's School, Swan Hill Catholic Primary — 603 1,036
St Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill Catholic Secondary — 540 1,023
Swan Hill Primary School, Swan Hill Government Primary — 516 942
Trinity Lutheran College, Mildura Independent Combined — 505 1,077
Horsham Primary School, Horsham Government Primary — 499 953
Mildura South Primary School, Mildura South Government Primary — 457 939
Mildura West Primary School, Mildura Government Primary — 450 975
Ranfurly Primary School, Mildura Government Primary — 418 906
Nichols Point Primary School, Nichols Point Government Primary — 382 995
Marian College, Ararat Catholic Secondary — 369 1,017
Irymple South Primary School, Irymple Government Primary — 366 999
Red Cliffs Secondary College, Red Cliffs Government Secondary — 348 906
Mildura Primary School, Mildura Government Primary — 338 797
Stawell Secondary College, Stawell Government Secondary — 333 959
Ararat Secondary College, Ararat Government Secondary — 332 940
Irymple Primary School, Irymple Government Primary — 330 959
Sacred Heart School, Mildura Catholic Primary — 323 1,055
St Paul's Primary School, Mildura Catholic Primary — 314 1,006
St Michael and John's Primary School, Horsham Catholic Primary — 311 1,043
St Mary's School, Robinvale Catholic Combined — 290 962
The Lake Primary School, Cabarita Government Primary — 267 986
Stawell Primary School, Stawell Government Primary — 259 983
Ararat West Primary School, Ararat Government Primary — 257 984
Robinvale College, Robinvale Government Combined — 257 819
Murtoa College, Murtoa Government Combined — 255 959
Kerang Technical High School, Kerang Government Secondary — 244 948
Nhill College, Nhill Government Combined — 239 940
Henderson College, Irymple Independent Combined — 229 981
St Brigid's College, Horsham Catholic Secondary — 227 1,007
Ararat Primary School, Ararat Government Primary — 223 971
Ouyen P-12 College, Ouyen Government Combined — 196 956
Cohuna Secondary College, Cohuna Government Secondary — 188 971
Swan Hill North Primary School, Swan Hill Government Primary — 184 926
Mildura Specialist School, Mildura Government Combined — 177 881
Warracknabeal Secondary College, Warracknabeal Government Secondary — 175 964
St Arnaud Secondary College, St Arnaud Government Secondary — 168 975
Birchip P-12 School, Birchip Government Combined — 162 989
Cohuna Consolidated School, Cohuna Government Primary — 156 992
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Merbein Catholic Primary — 153 1,006
St Patrick's School, Stawell Catholic Primary — 150 1,026
St Joseph's School, Kerang Catholic Primary — 142 1,019
Red Cliffs Primary School, Red Cliffs Government Primary — 138 958
Kaniva College, Kaniva Government Combined — 134 989
Edenhope College, Edenhope Government Combined — 128 977
Red Cliffs East Primary School, Red Cliffs Government Primary — 126 944
Tyrrell College, Sea Lake Government Combined — 126 963
Dimboola Memorial Secondary College, Dimboola Government Secondary — 124 956
Charlton College, Charlton Government Combined — 123 995
Kerang Christian College, Kerang Independent Combined — 121 1,003
St Mary's School, Ararat Catholic Primary — 121 1,038
Mildura Christian College, Irymple Independent Combined — 113 1,018
Warracknabeal Primary School, Warracknabeal Government Primary — 111 903
St Arnaud Primary School, St Arnaud Government Primary — 110 958
Rainbow P-12 College, Rainbow Government Combined — 109 980
Horsham Special School, Horsham Government Combined — 106 903
Kerang South Primary School, Kerang Government Primary — 106 958
St Patrick's School, St Arnaud Catholic Primary — 102 1,011
Cardross Primary School, Cardross Government Primary — 100 974
Koondrook Primary School, Koondrook Government Primary — 94 977
Donald High School, Donald Government Secondary — 93 968
Stawell West Primary School, Stawell Government Primary — 93 878
Lake Bolac College, Lake Bolac Government Combined — 92 936
St Mary's School, Cohuna Catholic Primary — 92 997
Wycheproof P-12 College, Wycheproof Government Combined — 90 992
St Joseph's School, Red Cliffs Catholic Primary — 87 985
Dimboola Primary School, Dimboola Government Primary — 85 989
Swan Hill Specialist School, Swan Hill Government Combined — 85 908
Donald Primary School, Donald Government Primary — 81 964
Woorinen District Primary School, Woorinen South Government Primary — 75 931
Goroke P-12 College, Goroke Government Combined — 74 963
St Mary's School, Warracknabeal Catholic Primary — 74 1,026
Hopetoun P-12 College, Hopetoun Government Combined — 73 948
Murrayville Community College, Murrayville Government Combined — 66 997
St Malachy's School, Edenhope Catholic Primary — 65 1,027
Lake Boga Primary School, Lake Boga Government Primary — 62 988
Koorlong Primary School, Koorlong Government Primary — 59 983
Manangatang P-12 College, Manangatang Government Combined — 58 972
Kerang Primary School, Kerang Government Primary — 57 856
St Patrick's School, Nhill Catholic Primary — 56 952
Skene Street Specialist School, Stawell Government Combined — 50 878
Ararat North Primary School, Ararat Government Primary — 49 862
Nyah District Primary School, Nyah West Government Primary — 42 893
St Mary's School, Sea Lake Catholic Primary — 39 993
St Joseph's School, Charlton Catholic Primary — 38 1,009
Nangiloc Colignan and District Primary School, Nangiloc Government Primary — 37 941
St Joseph's School, Hopetoun Catholic Primary — 37 994
Halls Gap Primary School, Halls Gap Government Primary — 33 1,017
Beverford District Primary School, Beverford Government Primary — 32 939
Moyston Primary School, Moyston Government Primary — 31 983
Natimuk Primary School, Natimuk Government Primary — 31 1,044
Werrimull P-12 School, Werrimull Government Combined — 30 860
Concongella Primary School, Concongella Government Primary — 29 949
Swan Hill Christian School, Swan Hill Independent Primary — 29 1,017
Warracknabeal Special Developmental School, Warracknabeal Government Combined — 29 951
St Mary's School, Donald Catholic Primary — 28 1,001
Beulah Primary School, Beulah Government Primary — 27 1,005
Apsley Primary School, Apsley Government Primary — 25 929
Minyip Primary School, Minyip Government Primary — 25 893
Murrabit Group School, Murrabit Government Primary — 25 915
Rupanyup Primary School, Rupanyup Government Primary — 25 975
Maroona Primary School, Maroona Government Primary — 22 1,064
Pomonal Primary School, Pomonal Government Primary — 22 977
Great Western Primary School, Great Western Government Primary — 18 953
Buangor Primary School, Buangor Government Primary — 16 1,028
Tempy Primary School, Tempy Government Primary — 16 1,025
Underbool Primary School, Underbool Government Primary — 16 970
Jeparit Primary School, Jeparit Government Primary — 14 936
Willaura Primary School, Willaura Government Primary — 13 1,034
Navarre Primary School, Navarre Government Primary — 12 971
Leitchville Primary School, Leitchville Government Primary — 11 946
Our Lady Help of Christians School, Murtoa Catholic Primary — 9 1,020
Marnoo Primary School, Marnoo Government Primary — 3 —

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 North West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/215/north-west/topic/education