idc-logo
svg rectangle color
Penrith City CouncilCommunity profile

Penrith City

Education institution attending

In 2021, 7,658 people in Penrith City were attending university. This represents 3.5% of the population, compared to 5.5% in Greater Sydney.

The share of Penrith City'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
Penrith City - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%Greater Sydney %Number%Greater Sydney %2016 to 2021
Pre-school5,2112.42.13,9872.01.7+1,224
Primary school19,8689.18.217,8449.18.1+2,024
Primary - Government14,2056.55.612,3576.35.5+1,848
Primary - Catholic3,6001.71.53,6631.91.6-63
Primary - Independent2,0630.91.01,8240.91.0+239
Secondary school14,5776.76.513,1926.76.3+1,385
Secondary - Government8,1173.73.57,1283.63.4+989
Secondary - Catholic4,4982.11.64,3642.21.7+134
Secondary - Independent1,9620.91.31,7000.91.2+262
TAFE/Vocational5,7732.72.64,0992.11.9+1,674
University7,6583.55.56,9043.56.1+754
Other1,5050.71.11,2500.61.0+255
Not attending149,69868.868.8135,73169.268.3+13,967
Not stated13,3826.15.213,0616.76.5+321
Total217,672100.0100.0196,068100.0100.0+21,604
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 Penrith City in 2021 compared to Greater Sydney shows that there was a higher proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a lower proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 9.1% of the population were attending primary school, 6.7% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 6.2% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 8.2%, 6.5% and 8.2% respectively for Greater Sydney.

The major difference between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Penrith City and Greater Sydney was:

  • A smaller percentage of persons attending University (3.5% compared to 5.5%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Penrith City's population increased by 21,604 people (+11.0%). This represents an average annual change of 2.11% per year over the period.

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

  • Primary school (+2,024 persons)
  • Primary - Government (+1,848 persons)
  • TAFE/Vocational (+1,674 persons)
  • Secondary school (+1,385 persons)

DISCLAIMER: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.

Please view our Privacy Policy, Terms of use and Legal notices.

ABS Data and the copyright in the ABS Data remains the property of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The copyright in the way .id has modified, transformed or reconfigured the ABS Data as published on this website remains the property of .id. ABS Data can be accessed from the Australian Bureau of Statistics at www.abs.gov.au. ABS data can be used under license - terms published on ABS website. intermediary.management@abs.gov.au if you have any queries or wish to distribute any ABS data.