This variable shows a person’s highest level of education, from either school or non‑school qualifications. It helps build a picture of education levels across Australia and can be used to:
compare results with previous Censuses to understand changes in educational achievement over time
show the general level of education in Australia and in different groups
explore how education levels relate to employment, income and other socioeconomic factors
Scope
Persons aged 15 years and over
Categories
Categories for level of highest educational attainment (HEAP)
1
Postgraduate Degree Level
10
Postgraduate Degree Level, nfd
100
Postgraduate Degree Level, nfd
11
Doctoral Degree Level
110
Doctoral Degree Level, nfd
111
Higher Doctorate
114
Professional Specialist Qualification, Doctoral Degree Level
12
Master Degree Level
120
Master Degree Level, nfd
2
Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level
20
Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level, nfd
200
Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level, nfd
What is the highest year of primary or secondary school the person has completed?
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: What is the highest year of primary or secondary school Person 1 has completed?
Underneath the question text, the instructional text states: For people currently at school, select the highest year of schooling they have completed, not the year they are currently undertaking.
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: Select ‘Year 12 or equivalent’ if the person has completed: Year 13; 6th form; Matriculation; Highest year of school available. If the highest year of schooling the person has completed was in primary school, select ‘Year 8 or below’. For persons who left school and then returned after a break, select the highest year of schooling they have completed irrespective of when it was completed. Include school level education undertaken at other institutions (e.g. at a TAFE).
The response options are: Year 12 or equivalent; Year 11 or equivalent; Year 10 or equivalent; Year 9 or equivalent; Year 8 or below; Did not go to school.
Has the person completed any educational qualification?
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: Has Person 1 completed any educational qualification?
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: If the person completed any vocational qualifications as part of their secondary schooling, select ‘Yes, other qualification’. If the person has completed any other qualifications, select the appropriate ‘Yes’ response. Non-school or higher education qualifications include Certificates I-IV; Trade Certificates; Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas; Bachelor Degrees; Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas; and higher degrees such as a Masters or Doctorate.
The response options are: No; No, still studying for first qualification; Yes, trade certificate/apprenticeship; Yes, other qualification (certificate, diploma or degree).
What is the level of the highest qualification the person has completed?
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: What is the level of the highest qualification Person 1 has completed?
Underneath the text, the instructional text states: For example: Trade Certificate, Bachelor Degree, Associate Diploma, Certificate II, Advanced Diploma.
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: If the person has two or more qualifications, only state the highest qualification obtained. For example, if the person has a Graduate Diploma of Education and a Bachelor Degree in Economics, the Graduate Diploma should be reported as the higher qualification. Qualification levels listed from highest to lowest: Doctorate; Master Degree; Graduate Diploma; Graduate Certificate; Bachelor Degree with Honours; Bachelor Degree; Associate Degree; Advanced Diploma; Diploma; Associate Diploma; Advanced Certificate; Certificate IV (or Post-trade); Certificate III (or Trade); Certificate II; Certificate I.
The response option is: Level of qualification, followed by a free text field.
What is the main field of study for the person’s highest qualification completed?
Image
Description
This image shows a question from the 2026 Census online form. This question asks: What is the main field of study for Person 1’s highest qualification completed?
Underneath the question text, the instruction text states: For example: Plumbing, Primary school teaching, Accounting, Hairdressing, Psychology, Hospitality.
Underneath the instructional text, is a clickable More Information header. Once clicked, the More Information is shown, and states: The main field of study is in relation to the highest qualification entered in the previous question. If the person has two or more qualifications and they are at the same level, provide the field of the one obtained most recently. If the person has two qualifications of the same level, completed at the same time (for example, double degrees), select the qualification considered the most important to them.
The response option is: Field of study, followed by a free text field.
How this variable is created
This variable is derived using two other Census variables:
The process identifies which attainment (school or non-school) is higher. In most cases, this is clear, but some Certificate levels rank below certain secondary education levels. The following decision table is used to resolve these cases.
Table 1. Derivation of level of highest educational attainment decision table
Questions about educational qualifications have been asked in every Census since 1911. The combined measure of school and non-school education, called level of highest educational attainment, was first reported in 2006.
In 2011, people were given a level of attainment based on their highest year of school completed if they had finished ‘Year 8 or below’ through to ‘Year 12’, or if their certificate was ‘Not further defined’.
In 2016, people with a highest year of school completed from Year 8 or below to Year 12 and a certificate not further defined were coded as ‘Inadequately described’.
In 2021, undergraduate certificates were added as a new qualification type. These are coded to ‘Diploma level, nfd’. In earlier Censuses, nothing was coded to this category.
In 2026, the question about whether a qualification was achieved before 1998 was removed from the paper form, however, where relevant was asked on the online form. While it is still used to derive this variable, the change may lead to a small increase in responses coded to ‘Advanced diploma, diploma level nfd’ and ‘Certificate level nfd’.
