CensusAtlas

Western Australia - Outback (North) · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Western Australia - Outback (North)

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

A gap of 15 percentage points separates Western Australia - Outback (North) from the rest of the state in Year 12 completion rates. Only 43.4% of residents finished high school, and the area has a much lower proportion of university degrees than the national figure. While qualifications are rising slowly, this region remains far below the state and national averages for education.

Open map →
📍 Western Australia - Outback (North), Region (SA4)

Where Western Australia - Outback (North) sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

14.0% —

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Western Australia - Outback (North) — lower than 70% of areas.

Western Australia - Outback (North)14.0%
Rest of WA 13.5%
Western Australia 23.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Only 43.4% of people here completed Year 12, which is far below the 58% seen across Western Australia. This figure has risen slightly by 2.1 percentage points since 2016, though nearly one in five residents still lists Year 10 as their highest level of schooling.

Completed Year 12

View on map →

43.4% —

Lower than 66% 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 Western Australia - Outback (North), Year 12 is the majority at 54%; Year 10 is next at 24%.

Year 12 43.4% Year 10 19.5% Year 11 11.1% Year 9 or below 6.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

University degrees are less common here, with only 14% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is well below the state's 23.8%, though the most typical qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 31.8% of people.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

View on map →

14.0% —

Lower than 70% 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 Western Australia - Outback (North), the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 48%, followed by Bachelor degree (23%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (16%).

Certificate III / IV 31.8% Bachelor degree 15.3% Advanced diploma / diploma 10.4% Postgraduate degree 3.6% Certificate I / II 3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate 2.5%

Field of study

What people studied.

Qualifications in the region are most often in engineering and related fields, making up 19.8% of all degrees. Management and commerce follow at 11.4%, with health, society, and education each accounting for around 7%.

Schools

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

The region has 80 schools with a total of 18,038 enrolments. These schools are much smaller than most areas, but there are 3.8 schools per 1,000 children, which is much higher than most other regions.

Average school ICSEA

View on map →

876

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 Western Australia - Outback (North) — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Western Australia - Outback (North)

80 schools — 18,038 students, average ICSEA 876.

By sector: Government 52 · Catholic 16 · Independent 12

By type: Combined 35 · Primary 34 · Secondary 11
Karratha Senior High School, Karratha Government Secondary — 1,253 918
Hedland Senior High School, South Hedland Government Secondary — 1,138 886
East Kimberley College, Kununurra Government Combined — 1,010 857
Baynton West Primary School, Baynton Government Primary — 830 992
Broome Senior High School, Broome Government Secondary — 825 924
St Mary's College, Broome Catholic Secondary — 741 844
Tambrey Primary School, Karratha Government Primary — 683 930
Derby District High School, Derby Government Combined — 606 714
St Luke's College, Karratha Catholic Secondary — 594 1,010
Baler Primary School, South Hedland Government Primary — 592 902
Port Hedland Primary School, Port Hedland Government Primary — 478 989
Cassia Primary School, South Hedland Government Primary — 444 867
South Newman Primary School, Newman Government Primary — 426 879
Broome North Primary School, Broome Government Primary — 396 998
Newman Senior High School, Newman Government Secondary — 357 901
Wickham Primary School, Wickham Government Primary — 355 905
Roebuck Primary School, Broome Government Primary — 339 1,006
St Paul's Primary School, Karratha Catholic Primary — 339 1,019
Broome Primary School, Broome Government Primary — 335 856
Tom Price Senior High School, Tom Price Government Secondary — 311 896
Halls Creek District High School, Halls Creek Government Combined — 306 661
Millars Well Primary School, Karratha Government Primary — 301 925
Cable Beach Primary School, Broome Government Primary — 299 836
North Tom Price Primary School, Tom Price Government Primary — 275 910
Tom Price Primary School, Tom Price Government Primary — 272 912
Fitzroy Valley District High School, Fitzroy Crossing Government Combined — 269 714
Karratha Primary School, Karratha Government Primary — 268 912
Newman Primary School, Newman Government Primary — 265 930
South Hedland Primary School, South Hedland Government Primary — 265 815
Pegs Creek Primary School, Karratha Government Primary — 234 899
La Grange Remote Community School, Bidyadanga Government Combined — 201 695
Dampier Primary School, Dampier Government Primary — 193 984
Paraburdoo Primary School, Paraburdoo Government Primary — 185 888
Pannawonica School, Pannawonica Government Combined — 169 923
Onslow School, Onslow Government Combined — 166 884
St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School, Port Hedland Catholic Primary — 157 923
Roebourne District High School, Roebourne Government Combined — 141 686
Looma Remote Community School, Looma Government Combined — 117 662
St Joseph's School, Kununurra Catholic Primary — 115 788
Kalumburu Remote Community School, Kalumburu Government Combined — 114 —
One Arm Point Remote Community School, Dampier Peninsula Government Combined — 114 687
Wyndham District High School, Wyndham Government Combined — 112 660
Holy Rosary School, Derby Catholic Primary — 92 868
Jigalong Remote Community School, Newman Government Combined — 86 —
Bayulu Remote Community School, Fitzroy Crossing Government Combined — 82 642
Kulkarriya Community School, Fitzroy Crossing Independent Combined — 68 675
Wangkatjungka Remote Community School, Christmas Creek Government Combined — 64 591
Luurnpa Catholic School, Halls Creek Catholic Combined — 63 676
Kimberley School Of The Air, Derby Government Primary — 62 958
Rawa Community School, Via Newman Independent Combined — 60 707
Sacred Heart School, Broome Catholic Combined — 58 635
Strelley Community School, Port Hedland Independent Combined — 53 656
Yiyili Aboriginal Community School, Halls Creek Independent Combined — 51 655
Manjali Studio School, King Leopold Ranges Independent Secondary — 50 712
Cassia Education Support Centre, South Hedland Government Primary — 42 828
Yiramalay Studio School, Fitzroy Crossing Independent Secondary — 41 707
Christ the King Catholic School, Broome Catholic Combined — 38 704
Ngalangangpum School, Kununurra Catholic Combined — 37 632
Wananami Remote Community School, Derby Government Combined — 36 683
Nullagine Primary School, Nullagine Government Combined — 35 708
Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School, Kununurra Independent Combined — 35 669
St Joseph's School, Wyndham Catholic Primary — 35 747
Warlawurru Catholic School, Halls Creek Catholic Primary — 33 662
Kururrungku Catholic Education Centre, Halls Creek Catholic Combined — 29 —
Muludja Remote Community School, Fitzroy Crossing Government Primary — 29 565
Port Hedland School Of The Air, Port Hedland Government Primary — 28 943
Birlirr Ngawiyiwu Catholic School, Halls Creek Catholic Primary — 27 651
Alta-1 Kimberley College, Kununurra Independent Secondary — 26 668
Yandeyarra Remote Community School, Yandeyarra Community Government Combined — 26 578
Marble Bar Primary School, Marble Bar Government Combined — 23 630
John Pujajangka Piyirn School, Halls Creek Catholic Combined — 22 532
Nyikina Mangala Community School, Derby Independent Combined — 22 742
Yakanarra Community School, Fitzroy Crossing Independent Combined — 18 650
Wulungarra Community School, Fitzroy Crossing Independent Combined — 17 625
St Martin de Porres School, Broome Catholic Secondary — 13 871
Parnngurr Community School, Newman Independent Combined — 12 498
Jungdranung Remote Community School, Glen Hill Station Government Primary — 11 —
Djugerari Remote Community School, Djugerari Community Government Primary — 10 638
Dawul Remote Community School, Kununurra Government Primary — 8 —
Ngalapita Remote Community School, Fitzroy Crossing Government Combined — 6 —

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 Western Australia - Outback (North)

Full area profile →

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Western Australia - Outback (North) [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/510/western-australia-outback/topic/education