44.0% ▼ -27.0%
Lower than 77% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 60.2%
- 2016: 37.4%
- 2021: 44.0%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Port Macquarie · State Electorate
Education & Qualifications in Port Macquarie
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Certificate III or IV qualifications are the most common achievement in Port Macquarie, held by 35% of adults. This area has seen a notable drop in formal schooling levels over the last decade, with fewer people finishing Year 12 and university degrees than in the past. The local education profile now sits well below both state and national figures.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Only 44% of residents have finished Year 12, which is far below the New South Wales and Australian figures of around 59%. This represents a steep decline for Port Macquarie, as the rate fell 16 points since 2011.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Port Macquarie, the largest group is Year 12 at 47%, followed by Year 10 (33%) and Year 9 or below (13%).
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 17.4%, which is well below the national figure. This figure has also trended downwards, falling 7.2 points since 2011.
17.4% ▼ -29.4%
Lower than 63% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 24.6%
- 2016: 13.6%
- 2021: 17.4%
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 43%, followed by Bachelor degree (24%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (19%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of study for those with qualifications are management and commerce at 17.9%, followed by engineering and related fields at 14%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Port Macquarie has a high number of schools for its population, with 2.79 schools per 1,000 children. While the typical school size is smaller than most areas, there are 11,772 total enrolments across the region.
2.79
Higher than 74% of state electorate areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
34
Higher than 83% of state electorate 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).
11,772
Higher than 71% of state electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
346
Lower than 74% of state electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
1,011
Lower than 56% of state electorate areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Port Macquarie
34 schools — 11,772 students, average ICSEA 1,011.
By sector: Government 21 · Catholic 7 · Independent 6
By type: Primary 22 · Secondary 7 · Combined 5
| Tacking Point Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 268.9 km | 594 | 1,054 |
| Hastings Secondary College, Port Macquarie Campus, Port Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 269.8 km | 717 | 971 |
| Hastings Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 269.8 km | 526 | 1,019 |
| Port Macquarie Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 270.4 km | 451 | 932 |
| North East Public School of Distance Education, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 270.4 km | 45 | 979 |
| Port Macquarie Steiner School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Primary | 271.3 km | 69 | 1,051 |
| Port Macquarie Adventist School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 271.5 km | 91 | 1,011 |
| MacKillop College Port Macquarie, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 271.8 km | 1,107 | 1,068 |
| St Agnes' Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 271.9 km | 553 | 1,029 |
| Hastings Secondary College, Westport Campus, Port Macquarie | Government | Secondary | 272.1 km | 612 | 919 |
| St Joseph's Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 272.2 km | 397 | 1,017 |
| St Peter's Primary School, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Primary | 272.3 km | 534 | 1,075 |
| Westport Public School, Port Macquarie | Government | Primary | 272.4 km | 365 | 888 |
| Nautilus Senior College, Port Macquarie | Independent | Secondary | 272.8 km | 113 | 833 |
| St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 273.5 km | 1,221 | 1,116 |
| Heritage Christian School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 273.6 km | 345 | 1,032 |
| The Nature School, Port Macquarie | Independent | Combined | 274.0 km | 171 | 1,054 |
| Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 274.3 km | 327 | 996 |
| Lake Cathie Public School, Lake Cathie | Government | Primary | 277.9 km | 395 | 1,007 |
| St Joseph's Regional College, Port Macquarie | Catholic | Secondary | 278.1 km | 1,026 | 1,017 |
| North Haven Public School, North Haven | Government | Primary | 278.5 km | 232 | 997 |
| Laurieton Public School, Laurieton | Government | Primary | 280.7 km | 151 | 991 |
| St Joseph's Primary School, Laurieton | Catholic | Primary | 281.2 km | 181 | 1,011 |
| Telegraph Point Public School, Telegraph Point | Government | Primary | 282.8 km | 126 | 968 |
| Camden Haven High School, Laurieton | Government | Secondary | 286.5 km | 896 | 962 |
| Herons Creek Public School, Herons Creek | Government | Primary | 287.1 km | 25 | 919 |
| Kendall Public School, Kendall | Government | Primary | 289.6 km | 206 | 936 |
| Harrington Public School, Harrington | Government | Primary | 292.2 km | 83 | 949 |
| Moorland Public School, Moorland | Government | Primary | 294.9 km | 31 | 825 |
| Coopernook Public School, Coopernook | Government | Primary | 299.4 km | 60 | 925 |
| Hannam Vale Public School, Hannam Vale | Government | Primary | 300.1 km | 36 | 1,033 |
| Lansdowne Public School, Lansdowne | Government | Primary | 306.3 km | 38 | 907 |
| Upper Lansdowne Public School, Upper Lansdowne | Government | Primary | 312.0 km | 13 | 979 |
| Lord Howe Island Central School, Lord Howe Island | Government | Combined | 313.5 km | 35 | 1,009 |
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/sed/SED10068/port-macquarie/topic/education