46.4% ▼ -6.1%
Lower than 72% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 49.4%
- 2016: 55.0%
- 2021: 46.4%
Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.
Mackay · State Electorate
Education & Qualifications in Mackay
How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.
Fewer than half of residents in Mackay have completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure. This trend reflects a local workforce that relies more on trade certificates than university degrees. Only 13.6% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, a figure that has fallen since 2011.
Schooling
Highest year of school completed.
Just 46.4% of people finished Year 12, which is far below the Queensland rate of 57.1%. This figure has dropped by 3 percentage points since 2011, and about 25.7% of residents listed Year 10 as their highest school year.
Highest year of school
View on map →In Mackay, Year 12 is the majority at 52%; Year 10 is next at 29%.
Qualifications
Post-school qualifications and degrees.
The proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is much lower than in most areas at 13.6%. Most qualified residents hold a Certificate III or IV, which is the most common qualification at 39.6%.
13.6% ▼ -18.1%
Lower than 79% of state electorate areas.
- 2011: 16.6%
- 2016: 20.0%
- 2021: 13.6%
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 Mackay, Certificate III / IV is the majority at 51%; Bachelor degree is next at 22%.
Field of study
What people studied.
Engineering and related fields are the most common areas of study at 21.6%. This is followed by management and commerce at 14.1% and health at 10.2%.
Schools
Schools in the area and how many children they serve (ACARA).
Mackay has a high number of schools, with 26 located within 3km of the centre. There are 14,839 total enrolments across the area, with government schools making up 53.8% of the sector.
2.51
Higher than 69% of state electorate areas.
Schools per 1,000 children aged under 15.
26
Higher than 69% 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).
14,839
Higher than 86% of state electorate areas.
Total students enrolled across the area's schools.
571
Higher than 67% of state electorate areas.
Average enrolment per school in the area.
984
Lower than 71% of state electorate areas.
Enrolment-weighted average ICSEA — an index of socio-educational advantage, centred near 1000 (context, not a quality ranking).
Schools serving Mackay
26 schools — 14,839 students, average ICSEA 984.
By sector: Government 14 · Catholic 8 · Independent 4
By type: Primary 15 · Secondary 7 · Combined 4
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, North Mackay | Catholic | Primary | 0.7 km | 349 | 1,016 |
| Mackay North State School, North Mackay | Government | Primary | 1.0 km | 401 | 933 |
| Mackay Christian College, North Mackay | Independent | Combined | 1.4 km | 879 | 1,000 |
| St Patrick's College, Mackay | Catholic | Secondary | 2.1 km | 1,394 | 1,009 |
| Mackay North State High School, North Mackay | Government | Secondary | 2.2 km | 1,253 | 958 |
| Fitzgerald State School, North Mackay | Government | Primary | 2.7 km | 632 | 955 |
| Mackay Central State School, Mackay | Government | Primary | 2.9 km | 216 | 908 |
| Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School, Mackay | Independent | Secondary | 2.9 km | 75 | 811 |
| Victoria Park State School, East Mackay | Government | Primary | 3.0 km | 602 | 927 |
| Whitsunday Anglican School, Beaconsfield | Independent | Combined | 3.1 km | 1,151 | 1,102 |
| Pioneer State High School, Andergrove | Government | Secondary | 3.2 km | 536 | 875 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Mackay South | Catholic | Primary | 3.7 km | 384 | 1,050 |
| Carlisle Adventist College, Beaconsfield | Independent | Combined | 3.8 km | 281 | 990 |
| Mackay District Special School, Beaconsfield | Government | Combined | 3.8 km | 82 | 949 |
| Mackay State High School, South Mackay | Government | Secondary | 3.9 km | 1,254 | 936 |
| Beaconsfield State School, Beaconsfield | Government | Primary | 3.9 km | 481 | 924 |
| Holy Spirit College, Mount Pleasant | Catholic | Secondary | 4.0 km | 1,139 | 1,023 |
| Andergrove State School, Andergrove | Government | Primary | 4.0 km | 270 | 887 |
| Emmanuel Catholic Primary School, Mount Pleasant | Catholic | Primary | 4.0 km | 597 | 1,025 |
| MacKillop Catholic Primary School, Andergrove | Catholic | Primary | 4.5 km | 149 | 990 |
| Northview State School, Mount Pleasant | Government | Primary | 4.6 km | 331 | 991 |
| Glenella State School, Glenella | Government | Primary | 4.6 km | 234 | 977 |
| St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School, Mackay West | Catholic | Primary | 4.7 km | 569 | 1,031 |
| Mackay West State School, West Mackay | Government | Primary | 4.8 km | 770 | 980 |
| Slade Point State School, Slade Point | Government | Primary | 5.7 km | 204 | 850 |
| Catherine McAuley College, Mackay | Catholic | Secondary | 5.8 km | 606 | 1,026 |
Sources
More for Mackay
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Mackay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sed/SED30047/mackay/topic/education