43.3% ▼ -36.3%
Lower than 79% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 68.0%
- 2016: 71.6%
- 2021: 43.3%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Cook · State Electorate
Education & Qualifications in Cook
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Far fewer people in Cook have finished high school or university than in most other areas. Only 43.3% of residents completed Year 12, a figure that has fallen sharply since 2011. This creates a local landscape where higher education is much less common than across Queensland or the rest of Australia.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Only 43.3% of people here completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure of 58.8%. This is a significant drop from 2011, when 68% of the population had finished school.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Cook, Year 12 is the majority at 50%; Year 10 is next at 26%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up just 11.4% of the population, which is far below the Queensland average of 21.9%. The most common qualification held is a Certificate III or IV at 34.8%.
11.4% ▼ -63.8%
Lower than 88% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 31.5%
- 2016: 35.5%
- 2021: 11.4%
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 Cook, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 50%, followed by Bachelor degree (20%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (17%).
Field of study
What people studied.
The most common fields of study for those with qualifications are Engineering and related subjects at 14.6%, followed by Management and commerce at 11.9%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Cook has a high number of schools per 1,000 children, though the typical school is much smaller than in most areas. Most students attend government schools, which account for 76.5% of the sector.
3.04
Higher than 78% 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).
8,866
Lower than 55% of state electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
261
Lower than 84% of state electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
850
Lower than 99% of state electorate areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Cook
34 schools — 8,866 students, average ICSEA 850.
By sector: Government 26 · Catholic 6 · Independent 2
By type: Primary 21 · Combined 9 · Secondary 4
| Lockhart State School, Lockhart River | Government | Combined | 87.9 km | 141 | 635 |
| Aurukun State School, Aurukun | Government | Combined | 196.0 km | 227 | 694 |
| Kluthuthu Christian College, Napranum | Independent | Combined | 202.2 km | 42 | 634 |
| St Joseph's Parish School, Weipa | Catholic | Primary | 206.0 km | 161 | 949 |
| Western Cape College, Rocky Point | Government | Combined | 206.4 km | 1,010 | 820 |
| Laura State School, Laura | Government | Primary | 243.6 km | 19 | 623 |
| Pormpuraaw State School, Pormpuraaw | Government | Primary | 254.2 km | 68 | 602 |
| Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy, Hope Vale | Government | Primary | 257.6 km | 146 | 707 |
| Cooktown State School, Cooktown | Government | Combined | 283.3 km | 376 | 838 |
| Holy Spirit College, Cooktown | Catholic | Secondary | 283.3 km | 122 | 811 |
| Endeavour Christian College, Cooktown | Independent | Combined | 283.6 km | 166 | 991 |
| Kowanyama State School, Kowanyama | Government | Combined | 287.0 km | 163 | 687 |
| Lakeland State School, Lakeland | Government | Primary | 293.1 km | 12 | 949 |
| Rossville State School, Rossville | Government | Primary | 308.7 km | 25 | 893 |
| Northern Peninsula Area State College, Bamaga | Government | Combined | 320.8 km | 563 | 681 |
| Bloomfield River State School, Bloomfield | Government | Primary | 328.6 km | 67 | 661 |
| Daintree State School, Daintree | Government | Primary | 356.1 km | 13 | 964 |
| Alexandra Bay State School, Diwan | Government | Primary | 358.8 km | 8 | — |
| Tagai State College, Thursday Island | Government | Combined | 359.9 km | 1,261 | 742 |
| Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Waiben, Thursday Island | Catholic | Primary | 360.0 km | 131 | 918 |
| Wonga Beach State School, Wonga Beach | Government | Primary | 370.1 km | 79 | 907 |
| Miallo State School, Miallo | Government | Primary | 372.3 km | 176 | 996 |
| St Augustine's School, Mossman | Catholic | Primary | 378.8 km | 109 | 1,002 |
| Mossman State School, Mossman | Government | Primary | 379.1 km | 321 | 879 |
| Mossman State High School, Mossman | Government | Secondary | 379.3 km | 553 | 938 |
| Port Douglas State School, Port Douglas | Government | Primary | 389.9 km | 230 | 1,012 |
| Julatten State School, Julatten | Government | Primary | 391.3 km | 59 | 969 |
| Mount Molloy State School, Mount Molloy | Government | Primary | 397.2 km | 37 | 923 |
| Chillagoe State School, Chillagoe | Government | Primary | 414.2 km | 10 | 827 |
| Biboohra State School, Biboohra | Government | Primary | 425.1 km | 72 | 949 |
| Mareeba State High School, Mareeba | Government | Secondary | 432.8 km | 721 | 886 |
| Mareeba State School, Mareeba | Government | Primary | 432.8 km | 695 | 855 |
| St Thomas' School, Mareeba | Catholic | Primary | 433.1 km | 431 | 1,002 |
| St Stephen's Catholic College, Mareeba | Catholic | Secondary | 435.2 km | 652 | 1,041 |
Sources
More for Cook
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Cook [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sed/SED30021/cook/topic/education