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City of DarebinCommunity profile

Preston

Education institution attending

In 2021, 2,311 people in Preston were attending university. This represents 6.8% of the population, compared to 8.1% in Preston Activity Area.

The share of Preston'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
Preston - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%Preston Activity Area %Number%Preston Activity Area %2016 to 2021
Pre-school6622.01.74481.31.2+213
Primary school2,1896.55.52,2116.65.8-23
Primary - Government1,6714.94.51,6264.94.6+44
Primary - Catholic3621.10.94541.41.0-92
Primary - Independent1560.50.11300.40.2+25
Secondary school1,6514.93.21,5134.53.8+137
Secondary - Government1,0553.12.39242.82.3+131
Secondary - Catholic4451.30.54441.31.30
Secondary - Independent1510.40.41440.40.2+7
TAFE/Vocational9412.84.27282.23.2+212
University2,3116.88.12,6227.99.6-312
Other3371.01.83981.21.9-61
Not attending24,25171.871.722,70168.167.6+1,550
Not stated1,4214.23.92,7178.26.8-1,297
Total33,763100.0100.033,342100.0100.0+421
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 Preston in 2021 compared to Preston Activity Area shows that there was a higher proportion attending primary school, a higher proportion attending secondary school, and a lower proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 6.5% of the population were attending primary school, 4.9% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 9.6% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 5.5%, 3.2% and 12.3% respectively for Preston Activity Area.

The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Preston and Preston Activity Area were:

  • A larger percentage of persons attending a secondary school (any type) (4.9% compared to 3.2%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons attending TAFE/Vocational (2.8% compared to 4.2%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons attending University (6.8% compared to 8.1%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Preston's population increased by 427 people (+1.3%). This represents an average annual change of 0.25% per year over the period.

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

  • University (-312 persons)
  • Pre-school (+213 persons)
  • TAFE/Vocational (+212 persons)
  • Secondary school (+137 persons)

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