Factsheet
Schooling in Australia
Australia’s school system educates around 4 million students each year across government, Catholic and independent schools. Schooling is compulsory in Australia from around age 5 to 17, and most students now complete Year 12 or its equivalent. The majority of students in Australia (62.8%) currently attend government schools.
Key Figures
85.3 / 77.6%
retention rates for female and male students respectively
80.7%
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are enrolled in government schools
12.8
average number of students per teacher across all schools
72 / 28%
proportion of female and male teachers in Australia respectively
4.16 million
students were enrolled in Australian schools in 2025
Student Enrolments by School Affiliation
Student enrolments by school affiliation, 2006 to 2025 (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025, March). Schools. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/education/schools/latest-release
