CensusAtlas

Queensland - Outback · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Queensland - Outback

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

More people have finished school and earned degrees in Queensland - Outback since 2011, though levels remain far below the national average. Just over 41% of residents completed Year 12, while only 10.7% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Open map →
📍 Queensland - Outback, Region (SA4)

Where Queensland - Outback sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

10.7% ▲ +23.8%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Queensland - Outback — lower than 90% of areas.

Queensland - Outback10.7%
Rest of Qld 17.1%
Queensland 21.9%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Year 12 completion rose 6.4 points since 2011 to reach 41.4%, which is far below the 58.8% national figure. About a quarter of people finished Year 10, and 12.2% left school in Year 9 or earlier.

Completed Year 12

View on map →

41.4% ▲ +18.1%

Lower than 72% 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 Queensland - Outback, the largest group is Year 12 at 48%, followed by Year 10 (29%) and Year 9 or below (14%).

Year 12 41.4% Year 10 24.8% Year 9 or below 12.2% Year 11 7.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 10.7% of the population, a figure far below both the state and national averages. Certificate III or IV qualifications are the most common, held by 36% of residents.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

View on map →

10.7% ▲ +23.8%

Lower than 90% 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 →

In Queensland - Outback, Certificate III / IV is the majority at 52%; Bachelor degree is next at 20%.

Certificate III / IV 36.0% Bachelor degree 14.3% Advanced diploma / diploma 10.6% Certificate I / II 3.7% Postgraduate degree 2.9% Graduate diploma / certificate 2.3%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common fields of qualification are Engineering and related subjects at 17%, followed by Management and commerce at 10.9% and Health at 8.9%.

Schools

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

The region has 96 schools with a very high rate of 5.43 schools per 1,000 children, though typical school sizes are among the lowest. Government schools make up 79.2% of the sector, and most are primary or combined schools.

Average school ICSEA

View on map →

836

Lower than 99% 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 Queensland - Outback — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Queensland - Outback

96 schools — 12,945 students, average ICSEA 836.

By sector: Government 76 · Catholic 17 · Independent 3

By type: Primary 60 · Combined 30 · Secondary 6
Tagai State College, Thursday Island Government Combined — 1,261 742
Western Cape College, Rocky Point Government Combined — 1,010 820
Spinifex State College - Mount Isa Education and Training Precinct, Parkside Government Secondary — 926 866
Northern Peninsula Area State College, Bamaga Government Combined — 563 681
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mount Isa Catholic Secondary — 434 978
Happy Valley State School, Happy Valley Government Primary — 387 927
Cooktown State School, Cooktown Government Combined — 376 838
Doomadgee State School, Doomadgee Government Combined — 353 666
St Joseph's Catholic School, Mount Isa Catholic Primary — 313 1,010
Cloncurry State School P-12, Cloncurry Government Combined — 289 802
Barkly Highway State School, Soldiers Hill Government Primary — 266 935
Sunset State School, Sunset Government Primary — 257 727
Aurukun State School, Aurukun Government Combined — 227 694
Healy State School, Healy Government Primary — 217 887
Barcaldine Prep-12 State School, Barcaldine Government Combined — 216 921
Charleville State High School, Charleville Government Secondary — 216 847
Mount Isa Central State School, Mount Isa Government Primary — 211 791
Townview State School, Townview Government Primary — 209 776
Longreach State High School, Longreach Government Secondary — 205 932
Longreach School of Distance Education, Longreach Government Combined — 198 977
St Joseph's Catholic School, Cloncurry Catholic Combined — 188 979
Mornington Island State School, Wellesley Islands Government Combined — 181 660
Mount Isa School of the Air, Pioneer Government Combined — 175 1,009
Charleville School of Distance Education, Charleville Government Combined — 172 957
Endeavour Christian College, Cooktown Independent Combined — 166 991
Kowanyama State School, Kowanyama Government Combined — 163 687
St Joseph's Parish School, Weipa Catholic Primary — 161 949
St Mary's School, Charleville Catholic Primary — 157 968
Normanton State School, Normanton Government Combined — 149 702
Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy, Hope Vale Government Primary — 146 707
Lockhart State School, Lockhart River Government Combined — 141 635
St Kieran's Catholic School, Mount Isa Catholic Primary — 140 858
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Waiben, Thursday Island Catholic Primary — 131 918
Cunnamulla P-12 State School, Cunnamulla Government Combined — 129 697
Charleville State School, Charleville Government Primary — 126 836
Longreach State School, Longreach Government Primary — 126 956
Holy Spirit College, Cooktown Catholic Secondary — 122 811
Dimbulah State School, Dimbulah Government Combined — 121 869
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Longreach Catholic Primary — 117 978
Hughenden State School, Hughenden Government Combined — 115 891
Gulf Christian College, Normanton Independent Combined — 111 707
Richmond State School, Richmond Government Combined — 111 885
Blackall State School, Blackall Government Combined — 90 892
Sacred Heart Primary School, Cunnamulla Catholic Primary — 75 873
Biboohra State School, Biboohra Government Primary — 72 949
Winton State School, Winton Government Combined — 70 893
Pormpuraaw State School, Pormpuraaw Government Primary — 68 602
Bloomfield River State School, Bloomfield Government Primary — 67 661
Julatten State School, Julatten Government Primary — 59 969
Alpha State School, Alpha Government Combined — 54 879
Tambo State School, Tambo Government Combined — 54 929
Mount Isa Flexible School, Sunset Catholic Secondary — 53 736
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Blackall Catholic Primary — 53 972
Quilpie State College, Quilpie Government Combined — 50 782
St Anthony's School, Dimbulah Catholic Primary — 50 998
Boulia State School, Boulia Government Primary — 47 867
Georgetown State School, Georgetown Government Primary — 47 930
St Patrick's Catholic School, Winton Catholic Primary — 47 928
Aramac State School, Aramac Government Combined — 45 881
Kluthuthu Christian College, Napranum Independent Combined — 42 634
Julia Creek State School, Julia Creek Government Primary — 38 919
Mount Molloy State School, Mount Molloy Government Primary — 37 923
Augathella State School, Augathella Government Primary — 36 912
Mount Isa Special School, Pioneer Government Combined — 35 877
Camooweal State School, Camooweal Government Primary — 32 723
St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden Catholic Primary — 32 993
St Finbarr's School, Quilpie Catholic Primary — 31 932
Burketown State School, Burketown Government Primary — 29 729
Croydon State School, Croydon Government Primary — 29 787
Rossville State School, Rossville Government Primary — 25 893
Jericho State School, Jericho Government Primary — 21 858
Morven State School, Morven Government Primary — 20 950
Thargomindah State School, Thargomindah Government Primary — 20 877
Laura State School, Laura Government Primary — 19 623
Muttaburra State School, Muttaburra Government Primary — 17 —
Dajarra State School, Dajarra Government Primary — 16 632
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Barcaldine Catholic Primary — 16 992
Karumba State School, Karumba Government Primary — 15 885
Mount Surprise State School, Mount Surprise Government Primary — 15 862
Isisford State School, Isisford Government Primary — 14 899
Prairie State School, Prairie Government Primary — 13 1,017
Stonehenge State School, Stonehenge Government Primary — 13 932
Lakeland State School, Lakeland Government Primary — 12 949
Cameron Downs State School, Tangorin Government Primary — 10 1,010
Chillagoe State School, Chillagoe Government Primary — 10 827
Irvinebank State School, Irvinebank Government Primary — 10 941
Ilfracombe State School, Ilfracombe Government Primary — 9 892
Jundah State School, Jundah Government Primary — 9 905
Eromanga State School, Eromanga Government Primary — 8 —
Windorah State School, Windorah Government Primary — 7 829
Bedourie State School, Bedourie Government Primary — 4 —
Birdsville State School, Birdsville Government Primary — 4 —
Forsayth State School, Forsayth Government Primary — 4 —
Wyandra State School, Wyandra Government Primary — 4 —
Eulo State School, Eulo Government Primary — 3 —
Mutchilba State School, Mutchilba 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).

More for Queensland - Outback

Full area profile →

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Queensland - Outback [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/315/queensland-outback/topic/education