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Australian Capital Territory · Region (SA4)

Education & Qualifications in Australian Capital Territory

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

A massive jump in higher education has shaped the Australian Capital Territory since 2011, with university degrees rising by 9 points. This is now one of the most qualified areas in the country, where 43% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. This strong academic trend is seen in schooling too, as Year 12 completion rates climbed nearly 8 points over the last decade.

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📍 Australian Capital Territory, Region (SA4)

Where Australian Capital Territory sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

43.0% ▲ +26.5%

All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Australian Capital Territory — higher than 92% of areas.

Australian Capital Territory43.0%
Australian Capital Territory 43.0%
Australian Capital Territory 42.9%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Year 12 completion is far above the national figure, with 77.1% of people finishing their final year. This is much higher than most areas and is about the same as the rest of the territory.

Completed Year 12

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77.1% ▲ +11.5%

Higher than 96% 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 Australian Capital Territory, Year 12 is the majority at 81%; Year 10 is next at 11%.

Year 12 77.1% Year 10 10.5% Year 9 or below 4.2% Year 11 3.5%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

The typical resident is highly qualified, with 43% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far above the Australian figure of 26.3%, with postgraduate degrees making up nearly 20% of the total.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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43.0% ▲ +26.5%

Higher than 92% 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 Australian Capital Territory, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 38%, followed by Postgraduate degree (22%) and Certificate III / IV (17%).

Bachelor degree 33.9% Postgraduate degree 19.9% Certificate III / IV 15.0% Advanced diploma / diploma 13.0% Graduate diploma / certificate 6.3% Certificate I / II 1.3%

Field of study

What people studied.

Qualifications are spread mostly across society and culture as well as management and commerce, which each account for 20.1% of degrees. Health, engineering, and IT make up the next most common fields.

Schools

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

The territory has 138 schools with 77,842 enrolments, which is larger than about 80% of similar areas. Most students attend government schools (65.9%), and the average school size is much higher than in most other areas.

Average school ICSEA

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1,096

Higher than 84% 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 Australian Capital Territory — hover a marker for details. Open the full map →

Schools serving Australian Capital Territory

138 schools — 77,842 students, average ICSEA 1,096.

By sector: Government 91 · Catholic 29 · Independent 18

By type: Primary 85 · Secondary 34 · Combined 19
Canberra Grammar School, Red Hill Independent Secondary — 2,116 1,187
Radford College, Bruce Independent Combined — 2,091 1,203
St Mary MacKillop College, Isabella Plains Catholic Secondary — 2,088 1,068
Marist College Canberra, Pearce Independent Combined — 1,852 1,142
Burgmann Anglican School, Gungahlin Independent Combined — 1,755 1,165
Amaroo School, Amaroo Government Combined — 1,638 1,070
Telopea Park School, Barton Government Combined — 1,586 1,153
Daramalan College, Dickson Independent Secondary — 1,498 1,127
Harrison School, Harrison Government Combined — 1,365 1,058
St Francis Xavier College, Florey Catholic Secondary — 1,323 1,070
Gold Creek School, Nicholls Government Combined — 1,261 1,052
Canberra Girls Grammar School, Deakin Independent Secondary — 1,203 1,177
The Canberra College, Phillip Government Secondary — 1,174 1,087
Trinity Christian School, Wanniassa Independent Combined — 1,073 1,150
Gungahlin College, Gungahlin Government Secondary — 1,070 1,061
Lyneham High School, Lyneham Government Secondary — 1,034 1,132
Merici College, Braddon Catholic Secondary — 992 1,138
Narrabundah College, Narrabundah Government Secondary — 977 1,131
Melba Copland Secondary School Copland Campus Years 10 - 12, Melba Government Secondary — 953 1,041
St Edmund's College Canberra, Griffith Independent Combined — 935 1,080
Brindabella Christian College, Lyneham Independent Combined — 929 1,154
Dickson College, Dickson Government Secondary — 899 1,101
Canberra High School, Macquarie Government Secondary — 898 1,100
St Clare's College, Griffith Catholic Secondary — 887 1,087
Alfred Deakin High School, Deakin Government Secondary — 881 1,132
St John Paul II College, Nicholls Catholic Secondary — 880 1,089
Erindale College, Wanniassa Government Secondary — 871 1,041
Mount Stromlo High School, Waramanga Government Secondary — 846 1,085
University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra, Belconnen Government Secondary — 781 1,066
Melrose High School, Pearce Government Secondary — 776 1,079
Good Shepherd Primary School, Amaroo Catholic Primary — 762 1,095
Kingsford Smith School, Holt Government Combined — 742 991
Holy Spirit Primary School, Nicholls Catholic Primary — 733 1,085
Red Hill Primary School, Red Hill Government Primary — 720 1,133
Evelyn Scott School, Denman Prospect Government Combined — 717 1,107
Mother Teresa School, Harrison Catholic Primary — 716 1,102
Garran Primary School, Garran Government Primary — 676 1,159
Majura Primary School, Watson Government Primary — 675 1,135
Holy Family Primary School, Gowrie Catholic Primary — 641 1,076
Palmerston District Primary School, Palmerston Government Primary — 640 1,077
Belconnen High School, Hawker Government Secondary — 636 1,066
Margaret Hendry School, Taylor Government Primary — 626 1,054
Lake Tuggeranong College, Greenway Government Secondary — 620 1,023
Ngunnawal Primary School, Ngunnawal Government Primary — 620 1,049
Neville Bonner Primary School, Bonner Government Primary — 606 1,058
Hawker College, Hawker Government Secondary — 605 1,073
Emmaus Christian School, Dickson Independent Combined — 590 1,138
Macgregor Primary School, Macgregor Government Primary — 590 1,050
Namadgi School, Kambah Government Combined — 578 978
Caroline Chisholm School, Chisholm Government Secondary — 571 989
University of Canberra High School Kaleen, Kaleen Government Secondary — 571 1,056
Mawson Primary School, Mawson Government Primary — 542 1,139
Wanniassa School, Wanniassa Government Secondary — 538 991
North Ainslie Primary School, Ainslie Government Primary — 527 1,145
Lanyon High School, Conder Government Secondary — 524 1,005
Aranda Primary School, Aranda Government Primary — 517 1,159
St Francis of Assisi Primary School, Calwell Catholic Primary — 516 1,055
Charles Weston School, Coombs Government Primary — 511 1,099
Chapman Primary School, Chapman Government Primary — 502 1,106
Lyneham Primary School, Lyneham Government Primary — 498 1,135
Maribyrnong Primary School, Kaleen Government Primary — 483 1,100
St Clare of Assisi Primary School, Conder Catholic Primary — 483 1,044
Forrest Primary School, Forrest Government Primary — 479 1,145
Franklin School, Franklin Government Primary — 477 1,098
Arawang Primary School, Waramanga Government Primary — 469 1,113
Fraser Primary School, Fraser Government Primary — 462 1,042
Mount Rogers Primary School, Melba Government Primary — 461 1,056
Hughes Primary School, Hughes Government Primary — 457 1,157
Islamic School of Canberra, Weston Independent Combined — 455 1,073
Charles Conder Primary School, Conder Government Primary — 431 1,002
St Jude's Primary School, Holder Catholic Primary — 425 1,131
St Anthony's Parish Primary School, Wanniassa Catholic Primary — 421 1,067
Campbell High School, Campbell Government Secondary — 420 1,120
Monash Primary School, Monash Government Primary — 414 1,063
Orana Steiner School, Weston Independent Combined — 413 1,136
St Monica's Primary School, Evatt Catholic Primary — 412 1,080
Curtin Primary School, Curtin Government Primary — 408 1,146
Gordon Primary School, Gordon Government Primary — 407 1,005
Taqwa School, Moncrieff Independent Combined — 407 1,099
Weetangera Primary School, Weetangera Government Primary — 404 1,117
Kaleen Primary School, Kaleen Government Primary — 400 1,075
Florey Primary School, Florey Government Primary — 397 1,042
Miles Franklin Primary School, Evatt Government Primary — 394 1,077
Torrens Primary School, Torrens Government Primary — 394 1,079
Holy Trinity Primary School, Curtin Catholic Primary — 387 1,145
Duffy Primary School, Duffy Government Primary — 374 1,088
St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, Charnwood Catholic Primary — 374 1,045
Calwell High School, Calwell Government Secondary — 371 972
Rosary Primary School, Watson Catholic Primary — 369 1,121
St John the Apostle Primary School, Florey Catholic Primary — 368 1,077
Ainslie School, Braddon Government Primary — 351 1,130
Bonython Primary School, Bonython Government Primary — 341 1,034
Wanniassa Hills Primary School, Wanniassa Government Primary — 340 1,061
St Joseph's Primary School, O'Connor Catholic Primary — 334 1,130
St Matthew's Primary School, Page Catholic Primary — 332 1,085
Hawker Primary School, Hawker Government Primary — 331 1,129
St Thomas the Apostle Primary School, Kambah Catholic Primary — 325 1,082
Covenant Christian School, Gordon Independent Combined — 320 1,090
Turner School, Turner Government Primary — 318 1,141
Throsby School, Throsby Government Primary — 316 1,096
Yarralumla Primary School, Yarralumla Government Primary — 313 1,142
Charnwood-Dunlop School, Charnwood Government Primary — 308 987
Sts Peter and Paul Primary School, Garran Catholic Primary — 299 1,130
Latham Primary School, Latham Government Primary — 298 1,038
Macquarie Primary School, Macquarie Government Primary — 291 1,070
Taylor Primary School, Kambah Government Primary — 286 1,043
Evatt Primary School, Evatt Government Primary — 281 1,047
Giralang Primary School, Giralang Government Primary — 268 1,070
Campbell Primary School, Campbell Government Primary — 267 1,136
St Bede's Primary School, Red Hill Catholic Primary — 261 1,117
Farrer Primary School, Farrer Government Primary — 252 1,098
Fadden Primary School, Fadden Government Primary — 229 1,076
Canberra Christian School, Mawson Independent Primary — 228 1,087
Gowrie Primary School, Gowrie Government Primary — 228 1,043
Sacred Heart Primary School, Pearce Catholic Primary — 210 1,131
Shirley Smith High School, Kenny Government Secondary — 210 1,078
Theodore Primary School, Theodore Government Primary — 206 974
Calwell Primary School, Calwell Government Primary — 201 1,010
St Vincent's Primary School, Aranda Catholic Primary — 195 1,117
St Thomas More's Primary School, Campbell Catholic Primary — 179 1,145
St Michael's Primary School, Kaleen Catholic Primary — 171 1,094
Blue Gum Community School, Hackett Independent Combined — 167 1,164
St Benedict's Primary School, Narrabundah Catholic Primary — 165 1,061
St John Vianney's Primary School, Waramanga Catholic Primary — 159 1,094
Richardson Primary School, Richardson Government Primary — 142 952
Communities@Work Galilee School, Kambah Independent Secondary — 120 1,004
Southern Cross Early Childhood School, Scullin Government Primary — 115 1,088
Gilmore Primary School, Gilmore Government Primary — 113 981
Black Mountain School, O'Connor Government Secondary — 108 1,030
Canberra Montessori School, Holder Independent Primary — 96 1,128
The Woden School, Deakin Government Secondary — 93 1,046
Lyons Early Childhood School, Lyons Government Primary — 91 1,116
Cranleigh School, Holt Government Primary — 88 1,036
Aunty Agnes Shea High School, Taylor Government Secondary — 83 1,051
Malkara School, Garran Government Primary — 73 1,021
Isabella Plains Early Childhood School, Isabella Plains Government Primary — 69 1,052
O'Connor Cooperative School, O'Connor Government Primary — 60 1,141
Narrabundah Early Childhood School, Narrabundah Government Primary — 53 990

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 Australian Capital Territory [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/801/australian-capital-territory/topic/education