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

Education & Qualifications in Western Australia - Outback (South)

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

Much lower rates of formal schooling and degrees mark the Western Australia - Outback (South) region compared to most other areas. Only 40% of residents finished Year 12, which is far below the state and national figures. While university degrees are rare, a large proportion of adults hold trade certificates.

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📍 Western Australia - Outback (South), Region (SA4)

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

11.7% —

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Western Australia - Outback (South) — lower than 86% of areas.

Western Australia - Outback (South)11.7%
Rest of WA 13.5%
Western Australia 23.8%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Just 40% of people here completed Year 12, a figure far below the 58.8% national average. This rate has risen slightly by 2.4 points since 2016, though 25.3% of residents still list Year 10 as their highest level of schooling.

Completed Year 12

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40.0% —

Lower than 77% 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 Western Australia - Outback (South), the largest group is Year 12 at 47%, followed by Year 10 (29%) and Year 11 (14%).

Year 12 40.0% Year 10 25.3% Year 11 11.6% Year 9 or below 8.9%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 11.7% of the population, which is far below the Western Australian figure of 23.8%. Instead, the most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 35.4% of adults.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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11.7% —

Lower than 86% 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 Western Australia - Outback (South), Certificate III / IV is the majority at 50%; Bachelor degree is next at 21%.

Certificate III / IV 35.4% Bachelor degree 14.7% Advanced diploma / diploma 11.4% Certificate I / II 3.6% Postgraduate degree 3.1% Graduate diploma / certificate 2.3%

Field of study

What people studied.

Among those with qualifications, the most common field is Engineering and related subjects at 19.7%. Management and commerce follow at 11.5%, while Health and Education both sit around 8% to 8.5%.

Schools

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

There are 102 schools serving 21,588 students, with 4.41 schools per 1,000 children, which is much higher than most areas. These schools are typically small, averaging 212 students, and the majority are government run at 77.5%.

Average school ICSEA

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932

Lower than 90% 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 (South) — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Western Australia - Outback (South)

102 schools — 21,588 students, average ICSEA 932.

By sector: Government 79 · Catholic 12 · Independent 11

By type: Primary 55 · Combined 33 · Secondary 14
Nagle Catholic College, Geraldton Catholic Secondary — 1,209 1,017
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community High School, Kalgoorlie Government Secondary — 854 890
Champion Bay Senior High School, Geraldton Government Secondary — 847 914
Geraldton Senior High School, Geraldton Government Secondary — 786 883
Esperance Senior High School, Esperance Government Secondary — 761 946
O'Connor Primary School, Kalgoorlie Government Primary — 761 922
John Paul College, Kalgoorlie Catholic Secondary — 699 1,010
Geraldton Grammar School, Geraldton Independent Combined — 693 1,073
St Lawrence's Primary School, Geraldton Catholic Primary — 563 990
Exmouth District High School, Exmouth Government Combined — 536 987
Kalgoorlie Primary School, Kalgoorlie Government Primary — 496 980
Castletown Primary School, Esperance Government Primary — 488 957
Eastern Goldfields College, Kalgoorlie Government Secondary — 485 954
North Kalgoorlie Primary School, Kalgoorlie Government Primary — 481 960
Geraldton Christian College, Strathalbyn Independent Combined — 475 985
Esperance Primary School, Esperance Government Primary — 453 1,010
Wandina Primary School, Wandina Government Primary — 449 978
Carnarvon Community College, East Carnarvon Government Combined — 447 769
Geraldton Primary School, Geraldton Government Primary — 397 990
Waggrakine Primary School, Waggrakine Government Primary — 395 875
St Francis Xavier Primary School, Geraldton Catholic Primary — 394 1,008
Mount Tarcoola Primary School, Geraldton Government Primary — 390 938
St Mary's Primary School, Kalgoorlie Catholic Primary — 382 1,030
Allendale Primary School, Geraldton Government Primary — 363 893
South Kalgoorlie Primary School, Kalgoorlie Government Primary — 350 909
Hannans Primary School, Kalgoorlie Government Primary — 343 978
Dongara District High School, Dongara Government Combined — 342 945
St Mary Star of the Sea College, Carnarvon Catholic Combined — 321 951
Esperance Anglican Community School, Esperance Independent Secondary — 308 1,004
Ngaanyatjarra Lands School, Ngaanyatjarra-Giles Government Combined — 298 —
Kambalda West District High School, Kambalda West Government Combined — 292 857
Boulder Primary School, Boulder Government Primary — 263 869
Rangeway Primary School, Rangeway Government Primary — 261 712
Goldfields Baptist College, Somerville Independent Combined — 239 1,017
Bluff Point Primary School, Bluff Point Government Primary — 218 797
Morawa District High School, Morawa Government Combined — 209 902
Kalbarri District High School, Kalbarri Government Combined — 208 981
Nulsen Primary School, Esperance Government Primary — 193 833
St Joseph's School, Boulder Catholic Primary — 193 994
St John's School, Geraldton Catholic Primary — 180 921
East Kalgoorlie Primary School, Kalgoorlie Government Primary — 158 648
Beachlands Primary School, Geraldton Government Primary — 154 801
Northampton District High School, Northampton Government Combined — 138 884
Kambalda Primary School, Kambalda East Government Primary — 119 884
Mount Magnet District High School, Mount Magnet Government Combined — 114 717
Leaning Tree Steiner School, Glenfield Independent Combined — 111 982
Geraldton Flexible School, Geraldton Catholic Secondary — 106 763
Meekatharra District High School, Meekatharra Government Combined — 104 672
Ravensthorpe District High School, Ravensthorpe Government Combined — 103 978
Laverton School, Laverton Government Combined — 100 738
Leonora District High School, Leonora Government Combined — 100 746
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Esperance Catholic Primary — 99 1,011
Wiluna Remote Community School, Wiluna Government Combined — 93 599
Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed School, Coolgardie Independent Combined — 91 684
Norseman District High School, Norseman Government Combined — 91 —
Hopetoun Primary School, Hopetoun Government Primary — 90 945
Shark Bay School, Denham Government Combined — 85 901
Mingenew Primary School, Mingenew Government Primary — 83 1,029
Mullewa District High School, Mullewa Government Combined — 83 692
Carnarvon Christian School, Carnarvon Independent Primary — 71 967
Holland Street School, Geraldton Government Combined — 70 920
Kalgoorlie School Of The Air, Boulder Government Primary — 68 1,029
Walkaway Primary School, Walkaway Government Primary — 65 977
Wongutha Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed School, Gibson Independent Secondary — 62 677
Leinster Community School, Leinster Government Combined — 61 926
Meekatharra School Of The Air, Bluff Point Government Primary — 61 975
Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed School Kurrawang, Kalgoorlie Independent Primary — 59 753
Carnamah District High School, Carnamah Government Combined — 58 892
St Mary's School, Northampton Catholic Primary — 56 979
Burringurrah Remote Community School, Mount James Government Combined — 55 —
Three Springs Primary School, Three Springs Government Primary — 55 908
Condingup Primary School, Condingup Government Primary — 53 970
O'Connor Education Support Centre, Boulder Government Primary — 52 920
Coolgardie Primary School, Coolgardie Government Primary — 47 843
Eastern Goldfields Education Support Centre, Kalgoorlie Government Secondary — 47 879
Western Australian College Of Agriculture - Morawa, Morawa Government Secondary — 47 —
Scaddan Primary School, Scaddan Government Primary — 43 1,024
Carnarvon School Of The Air, Carnarvon Government Primary — 42 1,047
Esperance Christian School, Esperance Independent Primary — 41 858
Karalundi College, Via Meekatharra Independent Secondary — 41 528
Coorow Primary School, Coorow Government Primary — 40 966
Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Mullewa Catholic Primary — 35 872
Eneabba Primary School, Eneabba Government Primary — 30 953
Perenjori Primary School, Perenjori Government Primary — 27 933
Leeman Primary School, Leeman Government Primary — 25 923
Cascade Primary School, Cascade Government Primary — 24 1,023
Cue Primary School, Cue Government Combined — 23 677
Yalgoo Primary School, Yalgoo Government Primary — 22 —
Useless Loop Primary School, Useless Loop Government Primary — 21 887
Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School, Great Victoria Desert Government Combined — 19 —
Salmon Gums Primary School, Salmon Gums Government Primary — 17 1,023
Esperance Education Support Centre, Esperance Government Secondary — 14 912
Menzies Community School, Menzies Government Combined — 13 659
Munglinup Primary School, Munglinup Government Primary — 11 962
Pia Wadjarri Remote Community School, Murchison Government Combined — 11 594
Yuna Primary School, Yuna Government Primary — 11 1,087
Binnu Primary School, Binnu Government Primary — 10 894
Mount Margaret Remote Community School, Mount Margaret Government Primary — 10 —
Yulga Jinna Remote Community School, Yulga Jinna Remote Community Government Combined — 9 568
Chapman Valley Primary School, Nabawa Government Primary — 7 915
Gascoyne Junction Remote Community School, Gascoyne Junction Government Combined — 6 —
Jerdacuttup Primary School, Ravensthorpe Government Primary — 5 1,003

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 Western Australia - Outback (South) [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/511/western-australia-outback/topic/education