39.7% ▲ +18.0%
Lower than 86% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 33.6%
- 2016: 35.1%
- 2021: 39.7%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Port Stephens · State Electorate
Education & Qualifications in Port Stephens
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Far fewer people in Port Stephens have finished high school compared to the rest of the state. Only 39.7% of residents completed Year 12, which is 19 percentage points below the New South Wales and national figures. While school completion and university degrees have both risen since 2011, the area still trails behind most other regions in formal education.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Year 12 completion is far below the state and national average, though it rose 6 points since 2011. About 33.5% of people listed Year 10 as their highest level of schooling.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Port Stephens, the largest group is Year 12 at 43%, followed by Year 10 (36%) and Year 9 or below (14%).
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is much lower than in most areas, sitting at 13.5%. This is far below the New South Wales figure of 27.8%, although the share of degrees rose slightly since 2011.
13.5% ▲ +19.1%
Lower than 79% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 11.4%
- 2016: 11.0%
- 2021: 13.5%
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 Stephens, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 49%, followed by Advanced diploma / diploma (20%) and Bachelor degree (20%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common qualifications held by residents are in engineering and related fields at 19.4%, followed by management and commerce at 17.6%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
There are more schools per 1,000 children here than in most areas, with 27 schools located within 3 km of residents. Most students attend government schools, which make up 77.8% of the sector.
2.16
Higher than 60% of state electorate areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
27
Higher than 71% 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).
9,560
Higher than 51% of state electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
354
Lower than 73% of state electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
969
Lower than 79% 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 Stephens
27 schools — 9,560 students, average ICSEA 969.
By sector: Government 21 · Independent 3 · Catholic 3
By type: Primary 21 · Secondary 4 · Combined 2
| Karuah Public School, Karuah | Government | Primary | 3.0 km | 157 | 875 |
| Tanilba Bay Public School, Tanilba Bay | Government | Primary | 6.6 km | 354 | 901 |
| Soldiers Point Public School, Soldiers Point | Government | Primary | 9.9 km | 267 | 992 |
| Bobs Farm Public School, Bobs Farm | Government | Primary | 10.5 km | 30 | 979 |
| Wirreanda Public School, Medowie | Government | Primary | 10.8 km | 530 | 988 |
| Medowie Public School, Medowie | Government | Primary | 12.2 km | 382 | 994 |
| Medowie Christian School, Medowie | Independent | Combined | 12.5 km | 554 | 1,038 |
| Catherine McAuley Catholic College, Medowie | Catholic | Secondary | 13.1 km | 884 | 1,019 |
| Salt Ash Public School, Salt Ash | Government | Primary | 13.2 km | 142 | 904 |
| St Philip's Christian College - Port Stephens, Salamander Bay | Independent | Combined | 15.0 km | 821 | 1,072 |
| St Philip's Christian College Gilibaa, Salamander Bay | Independent | Primary | 15.0 km | 30 | 763 |
| Tomaree High School, Salamander Bay | Government | Secondary | 15.1 km | 986 | 970 |
| Tomaree Public School, Salamander Bay | Government | Primary | 15.2 km | 310 | 981 |
| Anna Bay Public School, Anna Bay | Government | Primary | 15.8 km | 309 | 962 |
| St Michael's Primary School, Nelson Bay | Catholic | Primary | 16.6 km | 269 | 1,040 |
| Tea Gardens Public School, Tea Gardens | Government | Primary | 18.1 km | 130 | 934 |
| Grahamstown Public School, Raymond Terrace | Government | Primary | 19.8 km | 253 | 912 |
| Shoal Bay Public School, Shoal Bay | Government | Primary | 20.3 km | 237 | 962 |
| Irrawang High School, Raymond Terrace | Government | Secondary | 20.6 km | 810 | 916 |
| Irrawang Public School, Raymond Terrace | Government | Primary | 21.3 km | 304 | 863 |
| Seaham Public School, Seaham | Government | Primary | 22.2 km | 156 | 990 |
| St Brigid's Primary School, Raymond Terrace | Catholic | Primary | 22.5 km | 377 | 1,012 |
| Raymond Terrace Public School, Raymond Terrace | Government | Primary | 23.1 km | 322 | 864 |
| Hunter River High School, Heatherbrae | Government | Secondary | 24.4 km | 762 | 899 |
| Mount Kanwary Public School, Osterley | Government | Primary | 25.3 km | 38 | 888 |
| Hinton Public School, Hinton | Government | Primary | 29.7 km | 99 | 1,009 |
| Iona Public School, Woodville | Government | Primary | 33.8 km | 47 | 992 |
Sources
More for Port Stephens
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Port Stephens [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sed/SED10069/port-stephens/topic/education