63.4% ▲ +21.3%
Higher than 85% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 52.3%
- 2016: 58.7%
- 2021: 63.4%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
West Wollongong · Suburb / Locality
Education & Qualifications in West Wollongong
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Over 63% of residents in West Wollongong have completed Year 12, a figure well above both the state and national averages. This high level of school completion aligns with a strong presence of university-educated adults. The area stands out for its high proportion of degrees and a wide range of local school options.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
School completion is much higher here than in most areas, with 63.4% of people finishing Year 12. This is well above the New South Wales figure of 58.9% and the Australian average of 58.8%.
Highest year of school
View on map →In West Wollongong, Year 12 is the majority at 67%; Year 10 is next at 18%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 30.8% of the population, which is much higher than most areas. This is well above the national figure of 26.3% and a little above the state average.
30.8% ▲ +30.8%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 23.5%
- 2016: 26.7%
- 2021: 30.8%
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 West Wollongong, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 34%, followed by Certificate III / IV (29%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (16%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common qualifications are in management and commerce at 16.2%, followed by engineering and related fields at 15.4%. Other common areas of study include society and culture, education and health.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
The area has 29 schools within 3km, among the largest number at this level. These schools are typically larger than most areas, with a high average advantage score and a majority being government-run.
5.22
Higher than 60% of suburb / locality areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
29
Higher than 88% 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).
430
Higher than 63% of suburb / locality areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,076
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving West Wollongong
29 schools — 12,039 students, average ICSEA 1,076.
By sector: Government 20 · Independent 5 · Catholic 4
By type: Primary 18 · Secondary 7 · Combined 4
| St Therese Catholic Primary School, Mangerton | Catholic | Primary | 0.3 km | 368 | 1,090 |
| Wollongong West Public School, Wollongong | Government | Primary | 0.4 km | 243 | 991 |
| The Illawarra Grammar School, Wollongong West | Independent | Combined | 0.4 km | 970 | 1,159 |
| Edmund Rice College, West Wollongong | Independent | Secondary | 0.8 km | 1,054 | 1,083 |
| Lindsay Park Public School, Wollongong | Government | Primary | 0.8 km | 334 | 1,068 |
| Mount St Thomas Public School, Wollongong | Government | Primary | 1.3 km | 354 | 1,070 |
| Figtree Heights Public School, Figtree | Government | Primary | 1.3 km | 181 | 1,061 |
| Keiraville Public School, Keiraville | Government | Primary | 1.4 km | 297 | 1,103 |
| Gwynneville Public School, Gwynneville | Government | Primary | 1.4 km | 271 | 1,065 |
| Illawarra Hospital School, Wollongong | Government | Combined | 1.5 km | — | — |
| St Brigid's Catholic Primary School, Gwynneville | Catholic | Primary | 1.7 km | 175 | 1,083 |
| Figtree High School, Figtree | Government | Secondary | 1.8 km | 880 | 1,013 |
| Nareena Hills Public School, Figtree | Government | Primary | 1.8 km | 209 | 1,080 |
| Mount Keira Public School, Mount Keira | Government | Primary | 1.9 km | 91 | 1,072 |
| Novo Education Space, Wollongong | Independent | Secondary | 1.9 km | 44 | 983 |
| Figtree Public School, Figtree | Government | Primary | 2.1 km | 264 | 1,028 |
| Coniston Public School, Coniston | Government | Primary | 2.3 km | 181 | 990 |
| Para Meadows School, North Wollongong | Government | Combined | 2.5 km | 113 | 945 |
| Smiths Hill High School, Wollongong | Government | Secondary | 2.7 km | 736 | 1,186 |
| Wollongong Public School, Wollongong | Government | Primary | 2.7 km | 579 | 1,084 |
| Keira High School, Fairy Meadow | Government | Secondary | 2.8 km | 723 | 984 |
| Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, Fairy Meadow | Government | Secondary | 3.0 km | 1,169 | 1,075 |
| St Mary Star of the Sea College, Wollongong | Independent | Secondary | 3.2 km | 1,128 | 1,104 |
| Elonera Montessori School, Mount Ousley | Independent | Combined | 3.2 km | 187 | 1,108 |
| Pleasant Heights Public School, Mount Pleasant | Government | Primary | 3.3 km | 241 | 1,126 |
| Mount Ousley Public School, Fairy Meadow | Government | Primary | 3.5 km | 193 | 1,079 |
| Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School, Fairy Meadow | Catholic | Primary | 3.7 km | 335 | 1,081 |
| Unanderra Public School, Cordeaux Heights | Government | Primary | 3.8 km | 348 | 992 |
| St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Unanderra | Catholic | Primary | 3.8 km | 371 | 1,066 |
Sources
More for West Wollongong
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in West Wollongong [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL14272/west-wollongong/topic/education