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Townsville · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Townsville

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

Far fewer adults in Townsville have finished high school or earned a university degree compared to the state and national figures. While 51.0% of residents completed Year 12, this is well below the Australian average of 58.8%. However, schooling levels have improved over the last decade, with Year 12 completion rising by 7.0 percentage points since 2011.

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📍 Townsville, Region (SA4)

Where Townsville sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

16.4% ▲ +30.2%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Townsville — lower than 57% of areas.

Townsville16.4%
Rest of Qld 17.1%
Queensland 21.9%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Only about half of the population has completed Year 12, which is well below Queensland's 57.1%. The most common highest year of school completed is Year 12 at 51.0%, followed by Year 10 at 23.2%.

Completed Year 12

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51.0% ▲ +15.9%

Higher than 53% 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 Townsville, Year 12 is the majority at 56%; Year 10 is next at 26%.

Year 12 51.0% Year 10 23.2% Year 9 or below 9.2% Year 11 7.3%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 16.4% of the population, a figure well below the Australian average of 26.3%. The most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 35.7% of residents.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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16.4% ▲ +30.2%

Lower than 57% 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 Townsville, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 45%, followed by Bachelor degree (25%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (17%).

Certificate III / IV 35.7% Bachelor degree 19.8% Advanced diploma / diploma 13.2% Postgraduate degree 5.2% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.0% Certificate I / II 2.6%

Field of study

What people studied.

Qualifications in Townsville are most common in Engineering and related fields at 16.9%, followed by Management and commerce at 14.0% and Health at 11.7%.

Schools

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

Townsville has 112 schools and 43,756 enrolments, with 2.53 schools per 1,000 children, which is higher than most areas. Most students attend government schools (64.3%) and the majority of schools are primary schools (62.5%).

Average school ICSEA

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963

Lower than 86% 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 Townsville — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Townsville

112 schools — 43,756 students, average ICSEA 963.

By sector: Government 72 · Catholic 24 · Independent 16

By type: Primary 70 · Secondary 25 · Combined 17
Charters Towers School of Distance Education, Millchester Government Combined — 2,395 948
Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan Catholic Combined — 2,019 1,020
Kirwan State High School, Kirwan Government Secondary — 1,922 919
St Anthony's Catholic College - Secondary Campus, Deeragun Catholic Secondary — 1,485 992
Southern Cross Catholic College, Annandale Catholic Combined — 1,479 1,048
Pimlico State High School, Gulliver Government Secondary — 1,465 987
Townsville Grammar School, North Ward Independent Secondary — 1,288 1,116
The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James, Mundingburra Independent Combined — 1,205 1,100
Calvary Christian College, Mount Louisa Independent Combined — 1,128 1,020
Ignatius Park College, Cranbrook Catholic Secondary — 959 1,018
Northern Beaches State High School, Deeragun Government Secondary — 920 925
The Willows State School, Kirwan Government Primary — 876 956
William Ross State High School, Annandale Government Secondary — 862 955
Townsville State High School, Railway Estate Government Secondary — 841 924
Weir State School, Thuringowa Central Government Primary — 747 838
Annandale State School, Annandale Government Primary — 722 1,019
Heatley Secondary College, Heatley Government Secondary — 715 862
St Clare's Catholic School, Burdell Catholic Primary — 714 1,022
St Margaret Mary's College, Hyde Park Catholic Secondary — 707 1,014
Kirwan State School, Kirwan Government Primary — 698 927
Annandale Christian College, Annandale Independent Combined — 687 1,069
Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook Catholic Primary — 686 1,010
North Shore State School, Burdell Government Primary — 672 988
St Patrick's College Townsville, Townsville Catholic Secondary — 663 1,024
Thuringowa State High School, Condon Government Secondary — 659 842
Hermit Park State School, Hyde Park Government Primary — 630 1,028
St Benedict's Catholic School, Shaw Catholic Primary — 613 1,014
Belgian Gardens State School, Belgian Gardens Government Primary — 595 1,055
Cranbrook State School, Cranbrook Government Primary — 592 910
Oonoonba State School, Idalia Government Primary — 525 995
Mundingburra State School, Mundingburra Government Primary — 506 965
East Ayr State School, Ayr Government Primary — 500 952
Ayr State High School, Ayr Government Secondary — 497 925
Bohlevale State School, Burdell Government Primary — 474 891
Townsville Christian College, Vincent Independent Combined — 442 871
All Souls St Gabriels School, Charters Towers Independent Combined — 431 952
Currajong State School, Gulliver Government Primary — 430 904
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers Catholic Secondary — 425 926
Heatley State School, Heatley Government Primary — 423 838
Ingham State High School, Ingham Government Secondary — 422 923
Burdekin Christian College, Ayr Independent Combined — 380 949
Blackheath and Thornburgh College, Charters Towers Independent Combined — 379 965
Tec-NQ, Douglas Independent Secondary — 375 972
Marian Catholic School, Currajong Catholic Primary — 374 1,042
Aitkenvale State School, Aitkenvale Government Primary — 366 870
Bluewater State School, Bluewater Government Primary — 362 950
St Joseph's Catholic School, Mundingburra Catholic Primary — 356 1,078
St Joseph's Catholic School, The Strand, North Ward Catholic Primary — 355 1,100
Rasmussen State School, Rasmussen Government Primary — 336 784
Ingham State School, Ingham Government Primary — 334 932
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Ingham Catholic Primary — 327 1,000
Bwgcolman Community School, Palm Island Government Combined — 315 675
Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham Catholic Secondary — 313 982
Charters Towers State High School, Charters Towers City Government Secondary — 303 879
Kelso State School, Kelso Government Primary — 303 828
Burdekin Catholic High School, Ayr Catholic Secondary — 293 989
Good Shepherd Catholic School, Rasmussen Catholic Primary — 276 928
Carinity Education - Shalom, Condon Independent Combined — 237 688
St Francis Catholic School, Ayr Catholic Primary — 222 1,007
Wulguru State School, Wulguru Government Primary — 212 827
Townsville Flexible School, West End Catholic Secondary — 204 842
Townsville Community Learning Centre - A State Special School, Mundingburra Government Combined — 198 930
Richmond Hill State School, Richmond Hill Government Primary — 191 854
Railway Estate State School, Railway Estate Government Primary — 179 916
Home Hill State High School, Home Hill Government Secondary — 165 891
Townsville Central State School, North Ward Government Primary — 144 930
Millchester State School, Millchester Government Primary — 132 855
Vincent State School, Vincent Government Primary — 132 772
Home Hill State School, Home Hill Government Primary — 128 875
Mary Help of Christians Catholic College, Shaw Catholic Secondary — 127 990
St Michael's Catholic School, Palm Island Catholic Primary — 127 646
Magnetic Island State School, Nelly Bay Government Primary — 123 1,027
St Colman's Catholic School, Home Hill Catholic Primary — 118 964
Charters Towers Central State School, Charters Towers City Government Primary — 113 859
Townsville West State School, West End Government Primary — 111 866
Cleveland Education and Training Centre, Rowes Bay Government Combined — 98 720
Townsville South State School, South Townsville Government Primary — 95 909
Garbutt State School, Garbutt Government Primary — 78 775
St Teresa's College, Abergowrie Catholic Secondary — 78 691
Rollingstone State School, Rollingstone Government Primary — 68 945
Riverside Adventist School, Aitkenvale Independent Primary — 61 1,011
Ayr State School, Ayr Government Primary — 60 763
Giru State School, Giru Government Primary — 60 925
Enkindle Village School, Douglas Independent Primary — 58 1,018
Mungalla Silver Lining School, Mutarnee Independent Secondary — 51 736
Jarvisfield State School, Jarvisfield Government Primary — 39 839
Woodstock State School, Woodstock Government Primary — 32 950
Eaton College, Mount Louisa Independent Combined — 27 967
Yallorin Yimba Silver Lining School, Cluden Independent Secondary — 26 791
Victoria Plantation State School, Victoria Plantation Government Primary — 25 908
St Peter's Catholic School, Halifax Catholic Primary — 21 879
Forrest Beach State School, Forrest Beach Government Primary — 20 910
Burdekin School, Ayr Government Combined — 19 945
Pentland State School, Pentland Government Primary — 19 887
Brandon State School, Brandon Government Primary — 18 834
Toobanna State School, Toobanna Government Primary — 18 798
Airville State School, Airville Government Primary — 17 988
Trebonne State School, Trebonne Government Primary — 16 894
Clare State School, Clare Government Primary — 15 958
Kalamia State School, Brandon Government Primary — 15 883
Greenvale State School, Greenvale Government Primary — 12 851
Maidavale State School, Airville Government Primary — 11 957
Macknade State School, Macknade Government Primary — 10 965
Abergowrie State School, Abergowrie Government Primary — 9 947
Osborne State School, Osborne Government Primary — 9 916
Hinchinbrook Christian School, Ingham Independent Combined — 7 960
Ravenswood State School, Ravenswood Government Primary — 7 916
Halifax State School, Halifax Government Primary — 6 758
Millaroo State School, Millaroo Government Primary — 6 —
Mount Fox State School, Mount Fox Government Primary — 6 954
Mutarnee State School, Mutarnee Government Primary — 6 1,017
Homestead State School, Homestead 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 Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/318/townsville/topic/education