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Canberra Region Joint Organisation areaCommunity profile

Canberra Region

Education institution attending

In 2021, 7,599 people in Canberra Region were attending university. This represents 2.5% of the population, compared to 3.0% in Regional NSW.

The share of Canberra Region'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 Region - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%Regional NSW %Number%Regional NSW %2016 to 2021
Pre-school5,6861.92.14,4521.61.8+1,234
Primary school23,5237.77.922,4438.08.2+1,080
Primary - Government16,0465.25.415,7475.65.7+299
Primary - Catholic4,9961.61.74,7801.71.7+216
Primary - Independent2,4810.80.81,9160.70.7+565
Secondary school18,4296.06.117,5006.26.2+929
Secondary - Government10,5583.43.810,2203.63.9+338
Secondary - Catholic4,9151.61.44,9711.81.4-56
Secondary - Independent2,9561.00.92,3090.80.8+647
TAFE/Vocational7,3392.42.54,9901.81.9+2,349
University7,5992.53.06,4482.33.1+1,151
Other1,8770.60.51,4610.50.5+416
Not attending221,68872.471.1199,13070.970.1+22,558
Not stated20,1136.66.824,5028.78.2-4,389
Total306,254100.0100.0280,926100.0100.0+25,328
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 Canberra Region in 2021 compared to Regional NSW shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a lower proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 7.7% of the population were attending primary school, 6.0% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 4.9% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 7.9%, 6.1% and 5.5% respectively for Regional NSW.

The major difference between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Canberra Region and Regional NSW was:

  • A larger percentage of persons not attending (72.4% compared to 71.1%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Canberra Region's population increased by 25,328 people (+9.0%). This represents an average annual change of 1.74% per year over the period.

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

  • TAFE/Vocational (+2,349 persons)
  • Pre-school (+1,234 persons)
  • University (+1,151 persons)
  • Primary school (+1,080 persons)

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