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Sunshine Coast CouncilCommunity profile

Sunshine Coast

Education institution attending

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In 2021, 13,164 people in Sunshine Coast were attending university. This represents 3.8% of the population, compared to 4.6% in Gold Coast City.

The share of Sunshine Coast'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
Sunshine Coast - Total persons (Usual residence)20212001Change
Type of institutionNumber%Gold Coast City %Number%Gold Coast City %2001 to 2021
Pre-school5,4901.61.82,7901.41.4+2,700
Primary school26,9027.97.818,9999.88.8+7,903
Primary - Government19,0085.55.114,8827.76.0+4,126
Primary - Catholic3,2190.91.11,4480.81.1+1,771
Primary - Independent4,6751.41.62,6691.41.6+2,006
Secondary school22,8916.76.513,1016.85.6+9,790
Secondary - Government14,0164.13.89,3304.83.4+4,686
Secondary - Catholic3,2240.90.89990.50.6+2,225
Secondary - Independent5,6511.61.92,7721.41.6+2,879
TAFE/Vocational6,5271.92.63,8722.01.8+2,655
University13,1643.84.64,4122.33.4+8,752
Other2,8860.81.01,2630.70.8+1,623
Not attending246,39971.969.6141,53373.372.6+104,866
Not stated18,2905.36.17,0933.75.8+11,197
Total342,549100.0100.0193,063100.0100.0+149,486
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2001 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 Sunshine Coast in 2021 compared to Gold Coast City 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, 7.9% of the population were attending primary school, 6.7% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 5.7% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 7.8%, 6.5% and 7.2% respectively for Gold Coast City.

The major difference between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast City was:

  • A larger percentage of persons not attending (71.9% compared to 69.6%)

Emerging groups

From 2001 to 2021, Sunshine Coast's population increased by 149,486 people (+77.4%). This represents an average annual change of 2.91% per year over the period.

The largest changes in the number of persons attending education institutions in Sunshine Coast, between 2001 and 2021 were in those who nominated:

  • Secondary school (+9,790 persons)
  • University (+8,752 persons)
  • Primary school (+7,903 persons)
  • Secondary - Government (+4,686 persons)

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