Wollongong's most educated suburbs

Austinmer tops the ranking, where 63.2% of residents aged 15 and over hold a bachelor degree or higher (1,067 people). Gwynneville and North Wollongong follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 47 eligible Wollongong suburbs.

This page ranks Wollongong suburbs by the share of residents aged 15 and over who hold a bachelor degree or higher in the 2021 Census — the metro's most university-qualified neighbourhoods. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.

Shares are the count of Wollongong residents aged 15+ whose highest qualification is a bachelor degree, graduate diploma or certificate, or postgraduate degree, divided by all residents aged 15 and over — the ABS non-school-qualification universe, so children aren't counted in the base. The figures come from the 2021 Census. Percentile ranks are computed within Wollongong's pool, so the list reflects concentration relative to other metro suburbs. This is descriptive demographic information, not a recommendation.

Wollongong's most educated suburbs

Ranked by the share of residents aged 15 and over who hold a bachelor degree or higher in the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents — where the most university-qualified residents are concentrated.

1

Austinmer

NSW 2515 · 2,725 residents

63.2% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,067 graduates

B 100.0
2

Gwynneville

NSW 2500 · 3,139 residents

60.2% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,089 graduates

B 97.8
3

North Wollongong

NSW 2500 · 2,299 residents

53.8% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 751 graduates

C 95.7
4

Thirroul

NSW 2515 · 6,348 residents

53.1% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,975 graduates

B 93.5
5

Mangerton

NSW 2500 · 2,862 residents

51.6% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 862 graduates

B 91.3
6

Wollongong

NSW 2500 · 20,446 residents

51.5% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 6,725 graduates

B 89.1
7

Keiraville

NSW 2500 · 4,001 residents

51.3% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,146 graduates

B 87.0
8

West Wollongong

NSW 2500 · 5,223 residents

46.6% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,312 graduates

B 84.8
9

Bulli

NSW 2516 · 6,798 residents

46.3% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,690 graduates

C 82.6
10

Cordeaux Heights

NSW 2526 · 4,460 residents

43.7% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,084 graduates

A 80.4
11

Balgownie

NSW 2519 · 5,722 residents

43.2% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,325 graduates

B 78.3
12

Kiama

NSW 2533 · 7,904 residents

42.3% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 2,047 graduates

B 76.1
13

Figtree

NSW 2525 · 12,335 residents

42.1% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 2,776 graduates

B 73.9
14

Woonona

NSW 2517 · 12,374 residents

39.4% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 2,628 graduates

B 71.7
15

Kiama Downs

NSW 2533 · 5,087 residents

39.0% hold a bachelor degree or higher · 1,139 graduates

A 69.6

Ranked from 47 qualifying suburbs.

How we ranked these

100% share of residents aged 15 and over who hold a bachelor degree or higher in the 2021 Census (bachelor, graduate diploma/certificate and postgraduate totals divided by all residents aged 15+), percentile-ranked within Wollongong's candidate pool. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of graduates breaks ties. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.

Common questions about this ranking

What are Wollongong's most educated suburbs?

Austinmer tops the ranking, where 63.2% of residents aged 15 and over hold a bachelor degree or higher (1,067 people). Gwynneville and North Wollongong follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 47 eligible Wollongong suburbs.

How is this ranking put together?

Each Wollongong suburb is ranked by the share of its residents aged 15 and over who hold a bachelor degree or higher in the 2021 Census — that count divided by all residents aged 15+. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Wollongong's pool, so the list reflects concentration relative to other metro suburbs.

What counts as a bachelor degree or higher?

The Census non-school-qualification levels at bachelor and above: a bachelor degree, a graduate diploma or graduate certificate, and a postgraduate degree. It's measured against residents aged 15 and over — the group the Census asks about qualifications — so children aren't counted in the base and the share isn't diluted.

Where does the data come from?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census question on non-school qualifications. Nothing is estimated or inferred about any individual, and this is a factual demographic snapshot rather than a judgement about any suburb.

How current is it?

The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.

Same list in other cities

Related

Rankings last computed 28 September 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.

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