CensusAtlas

Townsville · Urban Area

Education & Qualifications in Townsville

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

More than half of Townsville residents have completed Year 12, marking a significant climb in school finishing rates. The area has seen a strong push toward higher learning, with the share of adults holding a university degree more than doubling since 2011 to reach 18.4%. These gains show a community increasingly focused on formal qualifications.

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📍 Townsville, Urban Area

Where Townsville sits — Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

18.4% ▲ +112.3%

All urban area areas, 2021. The marker is Townsville — higher than 68% of areas.

Townsville18.4%
4817, QLD 15.1%
Queensland 21.9%
Australia 26.3%

Schooling

Highest year of school completed.

Year 12 completion rose 22 percentage points since 2011 to 54.9%. While this is much higher than most similar areas, it remains a little below the Queensland figure and well below the national average.

Completed Year 12

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54.9% ▲ +65.1%

Higher than 85% 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 Townsville, Year 12 is the majority at 60%; Year 10 is next at 24%.

Year 12 54.9% Year 10 21.5% Year 9 or below 7.9% Year 11 7.1%

Qualifications

Post-school qualifications and degrees.

A bachelor degree or higher is held by 18.4% of adults, which is higher than most similar areas but well below the national figure. Certificate III or IV qualifications are the most common, held by 34.5% of the population.

Adults with a bachelor degree or higher

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18.4% ▲ +112.3%

Higher than 68% 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 Townsville, the largest group is Certificate III / IV at 42%, followed by Bachelor degree (26%) and Advanced diploma / diploma (17%).

Certificate III / IV 34.5% Bachelor degree 21.5% Advanced diploma / diploma 13.7% Postgraduate degree 5.9% Graduate diploma / certificate 3.3% Certificate I / II 2.6%

Field of study

What people studied.

Engineering and related fields are the most common qualifications at 15.8%. Management and commerce follow closely at 15.0%, while health and society and culture both sit at 12.6%.

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 Townsville [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sua/3017/townsville/topic/education