CensusAtlas

Melbourne · Urban Area

Education & Qualifications in Melbourne

How far people went at school, the qualifications they hold and what they studied.

A high level of schooling and university degrees shapes daily life in Melbourne, where 33% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. This standing is among the highest for similar areas, reflecting a workforce that is well-qualified both locally and nationally.

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📍 Melbourne, Urban Area

Where Melbourne sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

33.0% ▲ +37.4%

All urban area areas, 2021. The marker is Melbourne — higher than 99% of areas.

Melbourne33.0%
3156, VIC 24.3%
Victoria 29.2%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

High school completion is common here, with 67.2% of people finishing Year 12. This figure is well above the national average and has climbed by 10 percentage points since 2011.

Completed Year 12

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67.2% ▲ +17.4%

Higher than 99% of urban area areas.

Share of people whose highest year of school is Year 12 or equivalent.

Highest year of school

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In Melbourne, Year 12 is the majority at 71%; Year 10 is next at 10%.

Year 12 67.2% Year 10 9.4% Year 9 or below 9.3% Year 11 8.5%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

University education is very prevalent in Melbourne, where 33% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher. This is well above the 26.3% national figure and has risen by 9 percentage points over the last decade.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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33.0% ▲ +37.4%

Higher than 99% of urban area areas.

Share of people aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree or above (incl. graduate and postgraduate).

Highest qualification level

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In Melbourne, the largest group is Bachelor degree at 38%, followed by Certificate III / IV (22%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (18%).

Bachelor degree 32.6% Certificate III / IV 19.0% Advanced diploma / diploma 15.3% Postgraduate degree 13.7% Graduate diploma / certificate 4.6% Certificate I / II 1.3%

Field of study

What people studied.

Most qualifications in the area are in management and commerce (21%), followed by society and culture (12.5%) and engineering (12.3%).

Sources

  • Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).

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Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Education & Qualifications in Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/2011/melbourne/topic/education