47.9% ▲ +32.4%
Higher than 58% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 36.2%
- 2016: 40.6%
- 2021: 47.9%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Port Macquarie · Suburb / Locality
Education & Qualifications in Port Macquarie
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Education levels in Port Macquarie have shifted over time, though school completion remains low. Only 47.9% of residents finished Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. Despite this, nearly one in five adults holds a university degree, making it a more qualified area than many similar places.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Year 12 completion is far below the state and national figures at 47.9%. Among those who didn't finish high school, 27.8% of people left after Year 10.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Port Macquarie, Year 12 is the majority at 51%; Year 10 is next at 30%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
While 19.4% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher—higher than most similar areas—this is still well below the Australian average of 26.3%. The most common qualification is a Certificate III or IV, held by 32% of residents.
19.4% ▲ +54.2%
Higher than 66% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 12.6%
- 2016: 15.1%
- 2021: 19.4%
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 Port Macquarie, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 39%, followed by Bachelor degree (27%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (20%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most popular fields of study for qualified residents are management and commerce at 19.2%, followed by health at 13.5%. Engineering and society and culture both sit at 12.1%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Port Macquarie has 19 schools within 3km, which is more than about 89% of similar areas. These schools are larger than most, with an average size of 488 students and a higher advantage score than typical areas.
2.43
Lower than 65% of suburb / locality areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
19
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
Schools serving the area — within 3 km of small areas, or inside larger ones. A measure of access (catchments overlap, so don't add it across areas).
488
Higher than 70% of suburb / locality areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,022
Higher than 68% of suburb / locality areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Port Macquarie
19 schools — 9,264 students, average ICSEA 1,022.
By sector: Government 7 · Catholic 6 · Independent 6
By type: Primary 9 · Secondary 6 · Combined 4
| St Peter's Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 0.4 km | 534 | 1,075 |
| MacKillop College Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 0.7 km | 1,107 | 1,068 |
| Port Macquarie Adventist School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 1.0 km | 91 | 1,011 |
| St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 1.5 km | 1,221 | 1,116 |
| St Agnes' Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 2.2 km | 553 | 1,029 |
| The Nature School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 2.4 km | 171 | 1,054 |
| Hastings Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 2.5 km | 526 | 1,019 |
| Westport Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 2.5 km | 365 | 888 |
| Port Macquarie Steiner School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Primary | 2.7 km | 69 | 1,051 |
| Hastings Secondary College, Westport Campus, Port Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 2.8 km | 612 | 919 |
| Nautilus Senior College, Port Macquarie | Independent | Secondary | 3.3 km | 113 | 833 |
| Tacking Point Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 3.4 km | 594 | 1,054 |
| St Joseph's Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 3.4 km | 397 | 1,017 |
| Heritage Christian School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 3.6 km | 345 | 1,032 |
| Port Macquarie Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 3.9 km | 451 | 932 |
| North East Public School of Distance Education, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 3.9 km | 45 | 979 |
| Hastings Secondary College, Port Macquarie Campus, Port Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 3.9 km | 717 | 971 |
| Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 4.1 km | 327 | 996 |
| St Joseph's Regional College, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 5.9 km | 1,026 | 1,017 |
Sources
More for Port Macquarie
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Port Macquarie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL13258/port-macquarie/topic/education