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LEARN MORE ABOUT .id13.8% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia have a tertiary qualification.
Highest qualification achieved shows the level of qualification, school or non-school, which is the highest that a person has achieved. This topic is useful for looking at the education and work prospects of the First Nations community, how many have completed schooling, and how many have gone on to University or TAFE qualifications.
This is an important indicator of the socio-economic status of the First Nations community in the area, and should be viewed in conjunction with the more detailed Highest Level of Schooling and Education Institute Attending variables, as well as Employment Status.
Q:
Derived from the Census questions:
'What is the level of the highest qualification the person has completed?' and 'What is the highest year of primary or secondary school the person has completed?'
| Highest qualification achieved | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - Australia | 2021 | 2016 | Change | ||||
| Qualification level | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | Number | % | Greater Capital Cities % | 2016 to 2021 |
| Bachelor degree level or higher | 40,560 | 7.4 | 10.3 | 24,918 | 5.8 | 8.6 | +15,642 |
| Advanced diploma or diploma | 34,687 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 23,800 | 5.6 | 7.0 | +10,887 |
| Certificate III & IV Level | 108,321 | 19.8 | 21.0 | 70,934 | 16.5 | 18.2 | +37,387 |
| Year 10 and above | 229,036 | 41.9 | 0.2 | 171,887 | 40.1 | 0.2 | +57,149 |
| Certificate I & II Level | 1,520 | 0.3 | 41.1 | 1,474 | 0.3 | 40.1 | +46 |
| Year 9 and below | 75,320 | 13.8 | 11.2 | 64,604 | 15.1 | 12.2 | +10,716 |
| No educational attainment | 5,245 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 4,262 | 1.0 | 0.7 | +983 |
| Not stated | 52,501 | 9.6 | 7.6 | 66,920 | 15.6 | 13.1 | -14,419 |
| Total people age 15+ | 547,190 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 428,799 | 100.0 | 100.0 | +118,391 |
Dominant groups
Analysis of the qualifications of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia in 2021 compared to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Greater Capital Cities shows that there was a lower proportion of people holding formal qualifications (Bachelor or higher degree; Advanced Diploma or Diploma; or Vocational qualifications), and a similar proportion of people with no formal qualifications.
Overall, 33.5% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 and over held educational qualifications, and 1.0% had no qualifications, compared with 39.0% and 0.8% respectively for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Greater Capital Cities.
The major differences between highest educational attainment held by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of Australia and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in Greater Capital Cities were:
- A larger percentage of people Year 10 and above (41.9% compared to 0.2%)
- A larger percentage of people who completed year 10 or below (13.8% compared to 11.2%)
- A smaller percentage of people who completed year 11 or 12 (0.3% compared to 41.1%)
- A smaller percentage of people who completed a bachelor degree level or higher (7.4% compared to 10.3%)
Emerging groups
The largest changes in highest educational attainment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia between 2016 and 2021 were in those with:
- Year 10 and above (+57,149 people)
- who completed vocational qualification (+37,387 people)
- who completed a bachelor degree level or higher (+15,642 people)
- Not stated (-14,419 people)
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