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West and North West · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in West and North West

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

Fewer people have finished high school or university in West and North West than in most other parts of the country. While the number of people with a bachelor degree or higher has risen to 12.8%, this remains far below the national figure.

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📍 West and North West, Region (SA4)

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

12.8% ▲ +50.6%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is West and North West — lower than 78% of areas.

West and North West12.8%
Rest of Tas. 16.2%
Tasmania 21.9%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Only 34.3% of residents have completed Year 12, which is far below the 58.8% national figure. This is a significant gap, although the rate has risen by 8.9 percentage points since 2011.

Completed Year 12

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34.3% ▲ +35.2%

Lower than 90% 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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West and North West splits fairly evenly between Year 10 (39%) and Year 12 (37%), with Year 9 or below at 14%.

Year 10 35.9% Year 12 34.3% Year 9 or below 13.1% Year 11 9.2%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

University qualifications are uncommon here, with the usual highest level of study being a Certificate III or IV at 39.6%. Those with a bachelor degree or higher make up 12.8% of adults, which is well below the Tasmanian average.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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12.8% ▲ +50.6%

Lower than 78% 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 West and North West, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 50%, followed by Bachelor degree (20%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (17%).

Certificate III / IV 39.6% Bachelor degree 16.2% Advanced diploma / diploma 13.4% Postgraduate degree 4.3% Certificate I / II 3.5% Graduate diploma / certificate 2.6%

Field of study

What people studied.

The most common qualifications in the area are in Engineering and related fields at 16.3%, followed by Management and Commerce at 14.3% and Society and Culture at 12.1%.

Schools

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

There are 68 schools across the region, which is smaller than about 84% of similar areas. Despite this, there are 3.49 schools per 1,000 children, a rate much higher than most other areas.

Average school ICSEA

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948

Lower than 88% 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 West and North West — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving West and North West

68 schools — 17,641 students, average ICSEA 948.

By sector: Government 51 · Catholic 10 · Independent 7

By type: Primary 43 · Secondary 14 · Combined 11
Marist Regional College, Burnie Catholic Secondary — 889 1,006
Penguin District School, Penguin Government Combined — 676 960
Don College, Devonport Government Secondary — 672 959
Hellyer College, Shorewell Park Government Secondary — 656 938
Leighland Christian School, Ulverstone Independent Secondary — 636 1,011
St Brendan-Shaw College, Devonport Catholic Secondary — 566 1,014
Latrobe High School, Latrobe Government Secondary — 555 956
Reece High School, Devonport Government Secondary — 520 921
Ulverstone Secondary College, Ulverstone Government Secondary — 504 915
Burnie High School, Cooee Government Secondary — 502 951
Parklands High School, Romaine Government Secondary — 408 885
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Devonport Catholic Primary — 385 1,014
Stella Maris Catholic School, Burnie Catholic Primary — 382 1,024
Devonport Christian School, Don Independent Primary — 377 1,009
Somerset Primary School, Somerset Government Primary — 370 926
Sheffield School, Sheffield Government Combined — 365 921
Devonport High School, Devonport Government Secondary — 342 939
Romaine Park Primary School, Romaine Government Primary — 331 873
Burnie Primary School, Park Grove Government Primary — 330 984
Ulverstone Primary School, Ulverstone Government Primary — 328 943
Miandetta Primary School, Miandetta Government Primary — 322 950
Nixon Street Primary School, Devonport Government Primary — 320 921
Indie School - Devonport, Devonport Independent Secondary — 312 906
Latrobe Primary School, Latrobe Government Primary — 304 931
Spreyton Primary School, Spreyton Government Primary — 304 946
Table Cape Primary School, Wynyard Government Primary — 299 921
Geneva Christian College, Latrobe Independent Combined — 297 1,011
Smithton High School, Smithton Government Secondary — 283 849
Port Sorell Primary School, Port Sorell Government Primary — 279 994
Montello Primary School, Montello Government Primary — 270 885
Circular Head Christian School, Smithton Independent Combined — 265 903
Sacred Heart Catholic School, Ulverstone Catholic Primary — 246 1,003
East Ulverstone Primary School, Ulverstone Government Primary — 241 945
Devonport Primary School, Devonport Government Primary — 240 914
Boat Harbour Primary School, Boat Harbour Government Primary — 234 981
Wynyard High School, Wynyard Government Secondary — 222 922
Forth Primary School, Forth Government Primary — 213 1,025
Hillcrest Primary School, Devonport Government Primary — 211 912
Smithton Primary School, Smithton Government Primary — 210 847
Mountain Heights School, Queenstown Government Combined — 199 893
East Devonport Primary School, East Devonport Government Primary — 198 834
St Brigid's Catholic School, Wynyard Catholic Primary — 187 983
Andrews Creek Primary School, Wesley Vale Government Primary — 176 972
Cooee Primary School, Cooee Government Primary — 174 984
King Island District High School, Currie Government Combined — 170 950
St Patrick's Catholic School, Latrobe Catholic Primary — 158 975
North West Support School, Acton Government Combined — 132 938
St Peter Chanel Catholic School, Smithton Catholic Primary — 125 889
North West Christian School, Penguin Independent Combined — 123 985
West Ulverstone Primary School, West Ulverstone Government Primary — 117 835
Havenview Primary School, Havenview Government Primary — 110 866
Ridgley Primary School, Ridgley Government Primary — 110 911
Yolla District School, Yolla Government Combined — 110 880
Forest Primary School, Forest Government Primary — 99 903
Riana Primary School, Riana Government Primary — 86 960
Rosebery District School, Rosebery Government Combined — 63 845
St Joseph's Catholic School, Queenstown Catholic Primary — 59 902
Stanley Primary School, Stanley Government Primary — 54 976
St Joseph's Catholic School, Rosebery Catholic Primary — 47 969
Strahan Primary School, Strahan Government Primary — 47 935
Zeehan Primary School, Zeehan Government Primary — 43 919
Sassafras Primary School, Sassafras Government Primary — 33 876
Redpa Primary School, Redpa Government Primary — 32 984
Sprent Primary School, Sprent Government Primary — 31 914
Australian Christian College - Burnie, Somerset Independent Combined — 28 979
Natone Primary School, Natone Government Primary — 27 922
Edith Creek Primary School, Edith Creek Government Primary — 23 923
Wilmot Primary School, Wilmot Government Primary — 14 927

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 West and North West [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/604/west-and-north-west/topic/education