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AustraliaCommunity profile

Canberra

Education institution attending

In 2021, 20,035 females in Canberra were attending university. This represents 8.7% of the population, compared to 5.4% in Australia.

The share of Canberra'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
Canberra - Total females (Usual residence)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%Australia %Number%Australia %2016 to 2021
Pre-school4,2361.81.82,7941.41.4+1,442
Primary school18,5218.17.815,8667.97.9+2,655
Primary - Government12,0455.25.39,9975.05.4+2,048
Primary - Catholic4,2121.81.53,9041.91.6+308
Primary - Independent2,2641.01.01,9651.01.0+299
Secondary school13,5545.96.211,9195.96.0+1,635
Secondary - Government7,6903.33.56,6993.33.4+991
Secondary - Catholic3,4611.51.43,0751.51.4+386
Secondary - Independent2,4031.01.32,1451.11.2+258
TAFE/Vocational5,9922.62.54,3192.12.0+1,673
University20,0358.75.418,2349.15.5+1,801
Other3,0621.31.11,9441.01.0+1,118
Not attending155,86167.869.8135,04967.069.1+20,812
Not stated8,6103.75.411,3005.67.1-2,690
Total229,871100.0100.0201,425100.0100.0+28,446
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 female population attending educational institutions in Canberra in 2021 compared to Australia 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 female population were attending primary school, 5.9% of the female population were attending secondary institutions, and 11.3% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 7.8%, 6.2% and 7.9% respectively for Australia.

The major differences between the share of the female population attending learning institutions in Canberra and Australia were:

  • A larger percentage of females attending University (8.7% compared to 5.4%)
  • A smaller percentage of females not attending (67.8% compared to 69.8%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Canberra's female population increased by 28,446 people (+14.1%). This represents an average annual change of 2.68% per year over the period.

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

  • Primary school (+2,655 females)
  • Primary - Government (+2,048 females)
  • University (+1,801 females)
  • TAFE/Vocational (+1,673 females)

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