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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 5.1% in South East Queensland.

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)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%South East Queensland %Number%South East Queensland %2016 to 2021
Pre-school5,4901.61.83,3011.11.3+2,189
Primary school26,9027.98.324,6788.48.4+2,224
Primary - Government19,0085.55.717,3005.95.8+1,708
Primary - Catholic3,2190.91.42,8041.01.4+415
Primary - Independent4,6751.41.24,5741.61.2+101
Secondary school22,8916.76.918,8296.46.3+4,062
Secondary - Government14,0164.14.011,6364.03.6+2,380
Secondary - Catholic3,2240.91.32,6640.91.3+560
Secondary - Independent5,6511.61.54,5291.51.4+1,122
TAFE/Vocational6,5271.92.34,3441.51.7+2,183
University13,1643.85.111,2763.85.4+1,888
Other2,8860.81.02,0000.70.9+886
Not attending246,39971.969.5210,87071.669.2+35,529
Not stated18,2905.35.319,0756.56.8-785
Total342,549100.0100.0294,373100.0100.0+48,176
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 Sunshine Coast in 2021 compared to South East Queensland 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 8.3%, 6.9% and 7.4% respectively for South East Queensland.

The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Sunshine Coast and South East Queensland were:

  • A larger percentage of persons not attending (71.9% compared to 69.5%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons attending University (3.8% compared to 5.1%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Sunshine Coast's population increased by 48,176 people (+16.4%). This represents an average annual change of 3.08% per year over the period.

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

  • Secondary school (+4,062 persons)
  • Secondary - Government (+2,380 persons)
  • Primary school (+2,224 persons)
  • Pre-school (+2,189 persons)

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