61.6% ▲ +20.1%
Higher than 82% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 51.3%
- 2016: 56.8%
- 2021: 61.6%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Whitfield · Suburb / Locality
Education & Qualifications in Whitfield
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Education levels in Whitfield have climbed steadily since 2011, creating a highly qualified local population. Nearly 30% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is well above the national figure.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Schooling outcomes are strong here, with 61.6% of people completing Year 12. This is well above the Queensland rate of 57.1%.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Whitfield, Year 12 is the majority at 65%; Year 10 is next at 21%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
High academic achievement is common, as 29.9% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher. This is much higher than most similar areas and well above the Australian average of 26.3%.
29.9% ▲ +43.1%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 20.9%
- 2016: 23.2%
- 2021: 29.9%
Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).
Highest qualification level
View on map →Whitfield splits fairly evenly between Bachelor degree (33%) and Certificate III / IV (30%), with Advanced diploma / diploma at 17%.
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of study for residents are Health at 18.2%, followed by Management and Commerce at 16.5% and Engineering at 13.5%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
While there are 15 schools within 3km, the number of schools per 1,000 children is much lower than in most areas. The schools here are among the largest at their level, with two-thirds being government run.
1.41
Lower than 84% of suburb / locality areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
15
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).
1,108
Higher than 99% of suburb / locality areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
994
Higher than 52% of suburb / locality areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Whitfield
15 schools — 16,626 students, average ICSEA 994.
By sector: Government 10 · Catholic 3 · Independent 2
By type: Primary 8 · Combined 4 · Secondary 3
| Edge Hill State School, Edge Hill | Government | Primary | 1.2 km | 864 | 1,016 |
| Whitfield State School, Whitfield | Government | Primary | 1.9 km | 774 | 974 |
| Mother of Good Counsel School, Cairns North | Catholic | Primary | 2.2 km | 354 | 1,091 |
| Freshwater State School, Freshwater | Government | Primary | 2.9 km | 594 | 1,064 |
| Freshwater Christian College, Brinsmead | Independent | Combined | 2.9 km | 562 | 1,041 |
| St Francis Xavier's School, Manunda | Catholic | Primary | 3.1 km | 382 | 953 |
| Cairns West State School, Manunda | Government | Primary | 3.2 km | 481 | 784 |
| Cairns School of Distance Education, Manunda | Government | Combined | 3.4 km | 3,692 | 1,024 |
| Trinity Bay State High School, Manunda | Government | Secondary | 3.4 km | 1,784 | 908 |
| The BUSY School, Cairns | Independent | Secondary | 3.5 km | 1,780 | 975 |
| St Andrew's Catholic College Redlynch Valley, Redlynch | Catholic | Combined | 4.1 km | 1,373 | 1,067 |
| Cairns State High School, Cairns North | Government | Secondary | 4.1 km | 1,636 | 1,019 |
| Redlynch State College, Redlynch | Government | Combined | 4.5 km | 1,834 | 1,007 |
| Balaclava State School, Mooroobool | Government | Primary | 4.6 km | 381 | 797 |
| Machans Beach State School, Machans Beach | Government | Primary | 4.9 km | 135 | 944 |
Sources
More for Whitfield
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Whitfield [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL33065/whitfield/topic/education