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LEARN MORE ABOUT .idIn 2021, 283,873 people in Greater Melbourne were attending university. This represents 5.8% of the population, compared to 1.4% in Regional WA.
The share of Greater Melbourne'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.
Q:
Derived from the Census question:
'What type of educational institution is the person attending?'
| Education institution attending | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Melbourne - Total persons (Usual residence) | 2021 | 2006 | Change | ||||
| Type of institution | Number | % | Regional WA % | Number | % | Regional WA % | 2006 to 2021 |
| Pre-school | 107,797 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 58,340 | 1.6 | 1.6 | +49,457 |
| Primary school | 396,459 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 286,401 | 7.9 | 9.7 | +110,058 |
| Primary - Government | 273,337 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 190,001 | 5.2 | 7.4 | +83,336 |
| Primary - Catholic | 75,677 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 64,505 | 1.8 | 1.6 | +11,172 |
| Primary - Independent | 47,445 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 31,894 | 0.9 | 0.7 | +15,551 |
| Secondary school | 314,328 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 238,755 | 6.5 | 5.6 | +75,573 |
| Secondary - Government | 176,329 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 132,541 | 3.6 | 4.1 | +43,788 |
| Secondary - Catholic | 69,238 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 54,620 | 1.5 | 0.9 | +14,618 |
| Secondary - Independent | 68,761 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 51,593 | 1.4 | 0.6 | +17,168 |
| TAFE/Vocational | 121,479 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 77,189 | 2.1 | 1.9 | +44,290 |
| University | 283,873 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 172,384 | 4.7 | 1.2 | +111,489 |
| Other | 58,929 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 29,269 | 0.8 | 0.4 | +29,660 |
| Not attending | 3,402,734 | 69.2 | 69.5 | 2,485,104 | 68.2 | 69.1 | +917,630 |
| Not stated | 232,149 | 4.7 | 10.6 | 297,785 | 8.2 | 10.6 | -65,636 |
| Total | 4,917,748 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 3,645,227 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +1,272,521 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the share of the population attending educational institutions in Greater Melbourne 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, 8.1% of the population were attending primary school, 6.4% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 8.2% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.2%, 6.1% and 3.4% respectively for Regional WA.
The major difference between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Greater Melbourne and Regional WA was:
- A larger percentage of persons attending University (5.8% compared to 1.4%)
Emerging groups
From 2006 to 2021, Greater Melbourne's population increased by 1,272,523 people (+34.9%). This represents an average annual change of 2.02% per year over the period.
The largest changes in the number of persons attending education institutions in Greater Melbourne, between 2006 and 2021 were in those who nominated:
- University (+111,489 persons)
- Primary school (+110,058 persons)
- Primary - Government (+83,336 persons)
- Secondary school (+75,573 persons)
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