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Warrnambool and South West · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Warrnambool and South West

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

Far fewer people in Warrnambool and South West finished Year 12 compared to the rest of the country, with only 42.9% doing so. This gap is seen across all levels of learning, though the number of adults with university degrees has risen since 2011.

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📍 Warrnambool and South West, Region (SA4)

Where Warrnambool and South West sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

15.7% ▲ +42.7%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Warrnambool and South West — lower than 61% of areas.

Warrnambool and South West15.7%
Rest of Vic. 18.2%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Only 42.9% of people completed Year 12, which is far below the figures for Victoria and Australia. While this is lower than most areas, the rate has risen 8.3 points since 2011.

Completed Year 12

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42.9% ▲ +23.8%

Lower than 67% 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 Warrnambool and South West, the largest group is Year 12 at 47%, followed by Year 10 (20%) and Year 11 (19%).

Year 12 42.9% Year 10 18.0% Year 11 17.1% Year 9 or below 13.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 15.7% of the population, which is far below the state and national figures. Certificate III or IV qualifications are the most common, held by 35.3% of residents.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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15.7% ▲ +42.7%

Lower than 61% 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 Warrnambool and South West, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 44%, followed by Bachelor degree (24%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (19%).

Certificate III / IV 35.3% Bachelor degree 19.1% Advanced diploma / diploma 15.3% Postgraduate degree 4.5% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.9% Certificate I / II 2.2%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of qualification are health at 12.7% and engineering and related fields at 12.5%, followed by management and commerce at 11.8%.

Schools

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

There are 94 schools across the region, which is a much higher number of schools per 1,000 children than in most areas. Most students attend government schools (71.3%) and primary schools (68.1%), though typical school sizes are much smaller than in other areas.

Average school ICSEA

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1,004

Lower 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 Warrnambool and South West — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Warrnambool and South West

94 schools — 18,930 students, average ICSEA 1,004.

By sector: Government 67 · Catholic 21 · Independent 6

By type: Primary 64 · Combined 17 · Secondary 13
Emmanuel College Warrnambool - McAuley Campus, Warrnambool Catholic Secondary — 1,340 1,064
Warrnambool College, Warrnambool Government Secondary — 1,070 979
Brauer Secondary College, Warrnambool Government Secondary — 866 982
Trinity College Colac, Colac Catholic Secondary — 744 1,015
St Joseph's School, Warrnambool Catholic Primary — 622 1,068
Monivae College, Hamilton Catholic Secondary — 583 1,033
Portland Secondary College, Portland Government Secondary — 505 946
Timboon P-12 School, Timboon Government Combined — 504 1,006
Warrnambool East Primary School, Warrnambool Government Primary — 496 994
Colac Secondary College, Colac Government Secondary — 476 955
Our Lady Help of Christians School, Warrnambool Catholic Primary — 470 1,084
The Hamilton and Alexandra College, Hamilton Independent Combined — 409 1,107
Sacred Heart School, Elliminyt Catholic Primary — 398 1,025
Camperdown College, Camperdown Government Combined — 381 983
Warrnambool Primary School, Warrnambool Government Primary — 370 963
Mercy Regional College, Camperdown Catholic Secondary — 341 1,026
Apollo Bay P-12 College, Apollo Bay Government Combined — 340 1,043
Baimbridge College, Hamilton Government Secondary — 333 949
Hamilton (Gray Street) Primary School, Hamilton Government Primary — 294 983
Bayview College, Portland Independent Secondary — 291 1,009
King's College, Warrnambool Independent Combined — 276 1,083
St John's School, Dennington Catholic Primary — 273 1,009
St Mary's School, Colac Catholic Primary — 266 1,025
All Saints Parish School, Portland Catholic Primary — 260 1,003
St Mary's School, Hamilton Catholic Primary — 257 1,040
Portland Primary School, Portland Government Primary — 256 981
St Pius X School, Warrnambool Catholic Primary — 246 1,002
Terang College, Terang Government Combined — 246 983
Elliminyt Primary School, Elliminyt Government Primary — 229 996
St Patrick's School, Camperdown Catholic Primary — 213 1,035
Good Shepherd College - Senior Campus, Hamilton Independent Combined — 193 1,028
Mortlake P-12 College, Mortlake Government Combined — 191 957
Merri River School, Warrnambool Government Combined — 189 921
Merrivale Primary School, Warrnambool Government Primary — 184 1,018
St Patrick's School, Port Fairy Catholic Primary — 180 1,070
Hawkesdale P12 College, Hawkesdale Government Combined — 174 947
Koroit And District Primary School, Koroit Government Primary — 174 988
Hamilton North Primary School, Hamilton Government Primary — 167 970
Colac Primary School, Colac Government Primary — 164 946
Allansford and District Primary School, Allansford Government Primary — 160 1,006
Woodford Primary School, Woodford Government Primary — 156 1,056
Port Fairy Consolidated School, Port Fairy Government Primary — 152 1,055
Portland South Primary School, Portland Government Primary — 142 958
Warrnambool West Primary School, Warrnambool Government Primary — 138 902
Portland North Primary School, Portland North Government Primary — 133 971
Colac South West Primary School, Colac Government Primary — 129 948
Cobden Technical School, Cobden Government Secondary — 126 919
Cobden Primary School, Cobden Government Primary — 123 978
St Thomas' School, Terang Catholic Primary — 122 1,046
Birregurra Primary School, Birregurra Government Primary — 115 1,052
St John's Lutheran School, Portland Independent Primary — 112 1,007
St Patrick's School, Koroit Catholic Primary — 109 1,040
Casterton Secondary College, Casterton Government Secondary — 106 960
Tarrington Lutheran School, Tarrington Independent Primary — 106 1,063
Heywood Consolidated School, Heywood Government Primary — 105 899
Casterton Primary School, Casterton Government Primary — 100 969
Grasmere Primary School, Grasmere Government Primary — 96 970
Woolsthorpe Primary School, Woolsthorpe Government Primary — 91 979
Balmoral K-12 Community College, Balmoral Government Combined — 86 986
Bundarra Primary School, Portland Government Primary — 86 897
Lake Colac School, Colac Government Combined — 82 933
Alvie Primary School, Alvie Government Primary — 78 968
Dunkeld Consolidated School, Dunkeld Government Primary — 77 1,046
Portland Bay School, Portland Government Combined — 74 898
Derrinallum P-12 College, Derrinallum Government Combined — 72 987
Heywood District Secondary College, Heywood Government Secondary — 72 898
Narrawong District Primary School, Narrawong Government Primary — 69 1,038
George Street Primary School - Hamilton, Hamilton Government Primary — 67 877
Hampden P-12 School, Cobden Government Combined — 67 898
Skipton Primary School, Skipton Government Primary — 66 1,012
Colac West Primary School, Colac Government Primary — 62 899
Nullawarre and District Primary School, Nullawarre Government Primary — 59 954
Lavers Hill K-12 College, Lavers Hill Government Combined — 57 935
Simpson Primary School, Simpson Government Primary — 53 980
Sacred Heart School, Casterton Catholic Primary — 41 995
St Colman's School, Mortlake Catholic Primary — 39 1,026
St Brendan's School, Coragulac Catholic Primary — 37 977
Bolwarra Primary School, Bolwarra Government Primary — 36 979
Hamilton Parklands School, Hamilton Government Combined — 34 850
St Joseph's School, Coleraine Catholic Primary — 34 1,003
Cavendish Primary School, Cavendish Government Primary — 32 992
Coleraine Primary School, Coleraine Government Primary — 32 975
Forrest Primary School, Forrest Government Primary — 30 1,009
Lismore Primary School, Lismore Government Primary — 26 957
Beeac Primary School, Beeac Government Primary — 25 927
Noorat Primary School, Noorat Government Primary — 25 968
Macarthur Primary School, Macarthur Government Primary — 24 988
Cudgee Primary School, Cudgee Government Primary — 23 1,052
Dartmoor Primary School, Dartmoor Government Primary — 17 993
St Joseph's School, Penshurst Catholic Primary — 16 973
Penshurst Primary School, Penshurst Government Primary — 15 977
Merino Consolidated School, Merino Government Primary — 11 959
Branxholme-Wallacedale Community School, Branxholme Government Primary — 10 964
Carlisle River Primary School, Carlisle River Government Primary — 4 —

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 Warrnambool and South West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/217/warrnambool-and-south-west/topic/education