Wollongong Schools and Education Guide: Public, Private, and University

Wollongong's education landscape is anchored by the University of Wollongong (one of Australia's most internationally oriented universities and one of the fastest-rising in international rankings), the strong TAFE NSW Illawarra Institute network, and a government and independent school sector that has improved significantly alongside Wollongong's urban renewal and population growth. The University of Wollongong's significant international student population (it is one of the most internationally oriented of Australia's mid-tier universities) has also added considerable diversity and vitality to the Wollongong educational environment.

Government Schools in the Illawarra — the NSW Department of Education operates approximately 150 government schools in the Wollongong and Illawarra region. The Wollongong area's most regarded government high schools include Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts (a specialist creative arts selective high school, one of Wollongong's most distinctive educational institutions), Illawarra Sports High School (a specialist sports selective high school), and the strong academic comprehensive high schools in the inner suburbs (Figtree High School and Warrawong High School). The selective high school system means that the most academically motivated Wollongong students often travel to Sydney for places at the state's selective schools, while the local selective programs provide excellent options for those who prefer to remain in the Illawarra.

Independent Schools in the Illawarra — Wollongong's independent school sector includes several well-established institutions: Edmund Rice College (Wollongong, a Catholic boys' secondary school with strong academic and sporting programs), the Wollongong Christian College, St Brigid's Catholic Primary Schools, and the Aspect Autism South Coast School (for students on the autism spectrum) provide a range of independent education options. The dominant Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong network operates the largest number of non-government schools in the region.

University of Wollongong — the University of Wollongong (UOW, Northfields Avenue, Keiraville, 3km west of the Wollongong CBD) is one of Australia's most rapidly rising universities in international rankings and is consistently ranked in the world's top 200 universities: UOW's particular strengths are in engineering and information sciences (the SMART Infrastructure Facility and the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials are internationally significant research centres), business (the UOW Sydney Business School is one of Australia's most internationally connected), and education. The Innovation Campus (the technology and business park adjacent to the main UOW campus) houses major research facilities and industry partnerships including BlueScope Steel, Tata Consultancy, and the Commonwealth Department of Defence.

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