76.9% ▲ +11.4%
Higher than 96% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 69.0%
- 2016: 71.9%
- 2021: 76.9%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
South Melbourne · Suburb / Locality
Education & Qualifications in South Melbourne
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Over half of all adults in South Melbourne hold a university degree, making it one of the most highly qualified areas in the country. This high level of education is reflected across the board, with school completion rates far exceeding national figures. The area's academic profile is shaped by a strong concentration of professional qualifications and high-performing schools.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Year 12 completion is far above the national figure, with 76.9% of residents finishing their final year of school. This is 18 points higher than the Australian average of 58.8% and among the highest levels seen in similar areas.
Highest year of school
View on map →In South Melbourne, Year 12 is the majority at 83%; Year 11 is next at 6%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
A striking 50.2% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, which is far above the 26.3% seen across Australia. The most common top qualification is a bachelor degree at 41%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 18.8%.
50.2% ▲ +19.2%
Higher than 99% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 42.1%
- 2016: 45.3%
- 2021: 50.2%
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 South Melbourne, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 47%, followed by Postgraduate degree (22%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (14%).
Field of study
What people studied.
Most of these qualifications are in management and commerce, held by 25.7% of graduates. Other common fields include society and culture at 14.2% and engineering at 8.2%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Local schools are much larger than those in most areas, with an average size of 593 students. While there are fewer schools per 1,000 children than usual, the area has a very high average school advantage score and 36 schools within 3km.
2.24
Lower than 68% of suburb / locality areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
36
Higher than 89% 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).
593
Higher than 83% of suburb / locality areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,119
Higher than 95% of suburb / locality areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving South Melbourne
36 schools — 21,353 students, average ICSEA 1,119.
By sector: Government 21 · Independent 10 · Catholic 5
By type: Secondary 17 · Primary 12 · Combined 7
| Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School, South Melbourne | Catholic | Primary | 0.3 km | 369 | 1,154 |
| South Melbourne Primary School, Southbank | Government | Primary | 0.6 km | 502 | 1,144 |
| Montague School, South Melbourne | Government | Secondary | 0.7 km | 16 | 983 |
| South Melbourne Park Primary School, Albert Park | Government | Primary | 0.9 km | 402 | 1,105 |
| Albert Park Primary School, Albert Park | Government | Primary | 0.9 km | 430 | 1,156 |
| Youth2Industry College, South Melbourne | Independent | Secondary | 1.0 km | 64 | 1,033 |
| Victorian College Of The Arts Secondary School, Southbank | Government | Secondary | 1.0 km | 344 | 1,141 |
| Port Phillip Specialist School, Port Melbourne | Government | Combined | 1.3 km | 99 | 1,082 |
| Albert Park College, Albert Park | Government | Secondary | 1.4 km | 1,657 | 1,127 |
| MacRobertson Girls High School, Melbourne | Government | Secondary | 1.4 km | 1,195 | 1,186 |
| Middle Park Primary School, Middle Park | Government | Primary | 1.6 km | 393 | 1,150 |
| Melbourne Grammar School, Melbourne | Independent | Combined | 1.7 km | 1,905 | 1,177 |
| Port Melbourne Primary School, Port Melbourne | Government | Primary | 2.1 km | 697 | 1,134 |
| Port Melbourne Secondary College, Port Melbourne | Government | Secondary | 2.1 km | 416 | 1,101 |
| Christ Church Grammar School, South Yarra | Independent | Primary | 2.7 km | 287 | 1,213 |
| Docklands Primary School, Docklands | Government | Primary | 2.7 km | 616 | 1,133 |
| South Yarra Primary School, South Yarra | Government | Primary | 2.7 km | 435 | 1,152 |
| Wesley College, Melbourne | Independent | Combined | 2.8 km | 3,181 | 1,172 |
| Ozford College, Melbourne | Independent | Secondary | 2.8 km | 101 | 1,008 |
| Melbourne Girls Grammar, South Yarra | Independent | Combined | 2.9 km | 1,046 | 1,181 |
| Victorian College For The Deaf, Melbourne | Government | Combined | 2.9 km | 61 | 978 |
| Hester Hornbrook Academy, Melbourne | Independent | Secondary | 3.1 km | 701 | 943 |
| Simonds Catholic College, West Melbourne | Catholic | Secondary | 3.1 km | 359 | 1,053 |
| River Nile School, North Melbourne | Independent | Secondary | 3.2 km | 121 | 820 |
| St Kilda Park Primary School, St Kilda | Government | Primary | 3.3 km | 314 | 1,142 |
| Saints College - North Melbourne Campus, North Melbourne | Catholic | Secondary | 3.4 km | 1,524 | 935 |
| Melbourne High School, South Yarra | Government | Secondary | 3.5 km | 1,402 | 1,195 |
| Centre for Higher Education Studies, South Yarra | Government | Secondary | 3.5 km | 468 | 1,079 |
| Prahran High School, Windsor | Government | Secondary | 3.7 km | 564 | 1,080 |
| Kamaruka, South Yarra | Independent | Combined | 3.7 km | 35 | 1,094 |
| Academy of Mary Immaculate, Fitzroy | Catholic | Secondary | 3.7 km | 612 | 1,079 |
| Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, Richmond | Independent | Secondary | 3.8 km | 42 | 761 |
| Collingwood English Language School, Collingwood | Government | Combined | 3.8 km | 357 | 906 |
| Richmond Primary School, Richmond | Government | Primary | 3.9 km | 316 | 1,150 |
| Ignatius Learning Centre, Richmond | Catholic | Secondary | 3.9 km | 41 | — |
| Richmond West Primary School, Richmond | Government | Primary | 4.1 km | 281 | 1,075 |
Sources
More for South Melbourne
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in South Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL22310/south-melbourne/topic/education