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AustraliaCommunity profile

Regional NSW

Education institution attending

In 2021, 86,231 people in Regional NSW were attending university. This represents 3.0% of the population, compared to 1.4% in Regional WA.

The share of Regional NSW's population attending educational institutions reflects the age structure of the population, as it is influenced by the number of children attending school; proximity to tertiary education, which can mean young adults leaving home to be nearer to educational facilities and; the degree to which people are seeking out educational opportunities in adulthood, especially in their late teens and early twenties.

This data is often combined with Age Structure to identify areas with significant university student populations.

Learn more about planning education provision here.

Q:

Derived from the Census question:

'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'

Education institution attending
Regional NSW - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%Regional WA %Number%Regional WA %2016 to 2021
Pre-school58,6132.11.648,0721.81.2+10,541
Primary school223,2897.98.2215,4828.28.7+7,807
Primary - Government153,6045.45.9151,0365.76.4+2,568
Primary - Catholic46,7511.71.444,6911.71.5+2,060
Primary - Independent22,9340.80.919,7550.70.9+3,179
Secondary school172,5876.16.1162,9136.26.0+9,674
Secondary - Government106,3763.84.1103,5513.94.1+2,825
Secondary - Catholic40,3301.41.237,6031.41.1+2,727
Secondary - Independent25,8810.90.921,7590.80.8+4,122
TAFE/Vocational69,6422.52.051,1031.91.6+18,539
University86,2313.01.481,6453.11.4+4,586
Other15,4700.50.613,2910.50.5+2,179
Not attending2,011,60371.169.51,853,15270.169.5+158,451
Not stated192,2086.810.6217,8828.211.1-25,674
Total2,829,643100.0100.02,643,540100.0100.0+186,103
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

Analysis of the share of the population attending educational institutions in Regional NSW in 2021 compared to Regional WA shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a higher proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 7.9% of the population were attending primary school, 6.1% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 5.5% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.2%, 6.1% and 3.4% respectively for Regional WA.

The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Regional NSW and Regional WA were:

  • A larger percentage of persons not attending (71.1% compared to 69.5%)
  • A larger percentage of persons attending University (3.0% compared to 1.4%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Regional NSW's population increased by 186,103 people (+7.0%). This represents an average annual change of 1.37% per year over the period.

The largest changes in the number of persons attending education institutions in Regional NSW, between 2016 and 2021 were in those who nominated:

  • TAFE/Vocational (+18,539 persons)
  • Pre-school (+10,541 persons)
  • Secondary school (+9,674 persons)
  • Primary school (+7,807 persons)

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