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Wollongong City CouncilCommunity profile

Wollongong City

Education institution attending

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In 2021, 12,670 people in Wollongong City were attending university. This represents 5.9% of the population, compared to 3.0% in Regional NSW.

The share of Wollongong 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
Wollongong City - Total persons (Usual residence)20212016Change
Type of institutionNumber%Regional NSW %Number%Regional NSW %2016 to 2021
Pre-school4,9372.32.14,0372.01.8+900
Primary school16,7267.87.916,4118.18.2+315
Primary - Government12,2175.75.411,7115.85.7+506
Primary - Catholic3,2231.51.73,4201.71.7-197
Primary - Independent1,2860.60.81,2800.60.7+6
Secondary school13,4936.36.112,7076.26.2+786
Secondary - Government8,5304.03.87,8933.93.9+637
Secondary - Catholic3,5931.71.43,5721.81.4+21
Secondary - Independent1,3700.60.91,2420.60.8+128
TAFE/Vocational5,8722.72.54,0282.01.9+1,844
University12,6705.93.013,7586.83.1-1,088
Other1,2550.60.51,2330.60.5+22
Not attending149,87669.971.1139,50968.570.1+10,367
Not stated9,7384.56.811,9625.98.2-2,224
Total214,567100.0100.0203,645100.0100.0+10,922
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 Wollongong City in 2021 compared to Regional NSW shows that there was a similar proportion attending primary school, a similar proportion attending secondary school, and a higher proportion engaged in tertiary level education.

Overall, 7.8% of the population were attending primary school, 6.3% of the population were attending secondary institutions, and 8.6% were learning at a tertiary level, compared with 7.9%, 6.1% and 5.5% respectively for Regional NSW.

The major differences between the share of the population attending learning institutions in Wollongong City and Regional NSW were:

  • A larger percentage of persons attending University (5.9% compared to 3.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of persons not attending (69.9% compared to 71.1%)

Emerging groups

From 2016 to 2021, Wollongong City's population increased by 10,922 people (+5.4%). This represents an average annual change of 1.05% per year over the period.

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

  • TAFE/Vocational (+1,844 persons)
  • University (-1,088 persons)
  • Pre-school (+900 persons)
  • Secondary school (+786 persons)

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