6227.0 - Education and Work, Australia, May 2001  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 22/03/2002   
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MEDIA RELEASE

March 22, 2002
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
27/2002

Uni degrees double in decade: ABS

The proportion of people with a Bachelor degree or higher has almost doubled in the last decade, according to an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey released today.

In 2001, 17% of people aged 15-64 years had a Bachelor degree or higher (9% in 1991). However, almost a third of the population reported their highest level of education as being Year 10 and below (31%), and a further 20% reported Year 12 as their highest level of attainment.

Almost one in five (18%) Australians aged 15 to 64 years were enrolled in a course of study in May 2001.

Some 36% (841,800) of people enrolled in a course of study were attending a Higher Education Institution, 30% (700,800) were at school and 23% (536,700) were at a Technical and Further Education Institution (TAFE). Nearly half (45%) of people enrolled in a course of study were aged 15 to 19 years, while just under two-thirds (62%) of persons studying were attending full-time.

Nearly all (95%) of the 2.3 million people who were studying were enrolled in a course of study leading to a qualification. Of those enrolled for a qualification, one in four (27%) were studying for a Bachelor degree. Approximately 45% of those studying for a Bachelor degree were aged between 20 and 24 years, while a further 27% were aged between 15 and 19 years.

Further details are available in Education and Work, Australia, May 2001 (cat. no. 6227.0).