# List of prime ministers of Australia by education

The prime ministers of Australia have attended a variety of different educational institutions.
Until relatively recently, it was uncommon for prime ministers in Australia to hold a university degree. Out of the first ten prime ministers, only three attended university and only two held degrees. However, nine out of the most recent ten prime ministers have been university graduates. The University of Sydney (eight), the University of Oxford (six), and the University of Melbourne (four) have been the most frequently attended institutions. The vast majority of degrees awarded to future prime ministers were in either arts or law. Only Edmund Barton, Earle Page, and Robert Menzies undertook postgraduate studies that resulted in a substantive master's degree. Six others undertook postgraduate studies in the form of a second bachelor's degree, including four who did so at Oxford University and proceeded to a Master of Arts by seniority. No prime minister has held a substantive doctorate, although Earle Page was a medical doctor. Bob Hawke dropped out of a Ph.D. program.
Many of Australia's early prime ministers had limited formal education and left school at a young age to seek employment. Chris Watson, Andrew Fisher, and Joseph Cook all finished their formal schooling before the age of 13. John McEwen is the most recent prime minister to have had no secondary schooling, while Paul Keating is the most recent to have had no university education. Four early prime ministers were educated entirely outside of Australia – one in New Zealand and three in Great Britain. There has been a relatively even mixture of private schools and government schools, and many prime ministers alternated between the two systems. Only a handful of schools have hosted more than one future prime minister – Melbourne Grammar School (three), Sydney Grammar School (three), Wesley College, Melbourne (two), Abbotsholme College (two) and Sydney Boys High School (two).

## List

* Note: the University of Oxford awards a Master of Arts by seniority, which is indicated with an asterisk.
| Prime Minister | Term(s) | Schooling (most recent first) | University |
| Edmund Barton | 1901–1903 | Sydney Grammar School Fort Street Model School (Sydney) | University of Sydney (B.A., M.A.) |
| Alfred Deakin | 1903–1904 1905–1908 1909–1910 | Melbourne Grammar School Ladies' College (Kyneton, Vic.) | University of Melbourne (law, no degree) |
| Chris Watson | 1904 | Weston School (Weston, NZ) | – |
| George Reid | 1904–1905 | Melbourne Academy | – |
| Andrew Fisher | 1908–1909 1910–1913 1914–1915 | Crosshouse Public School (Crosshouse, Scot.) | – |
| Joseph Cook | 1913–1914 | St Luke's Church of England School (Silverdale, Eng.) | – |
| Billy Hughes | 1915–1923 | St Stephen's School (Westminster, Eng.) Dr Roberts's School (Llandudno, Wales) McLaughlan's School (Llandudno, Wales) | – |
| Stanley Bruce | 1923–1929 | Melbourne Grammar School | Trinity Hall, Cambridge (B.A.) |
| James Scullin | 1929–1932 | Mount Rowan State School (Ballarat, Vic.) Trawalla State School (Trawalla, Vic.) | – |
| Joseph Lyons | 1932–1939 | Stanley State School (Stanley, Tas.) St Joseph's Convent School (Ulverstone, Tas.) Ulverstone State School (Ulverstone, Tas.) | – |
| Earle Page | 1939 | Sydney Boys High School Grafton Public School (Grafton, NSW) | University of Sydney (M.B., Ch.M.) |
| Robert Menzies | 1939–1941 1949–1966 | Wesley College (Melbourne) Grenville College (Ballarat, Vic.) Humffray Street State School (Ballarat, Vic.) Jeparit State School (Jeparit, Vic.) | University of Melbourne (LL.B. (Hons), LL.M.) |
| Arthur Fadden | 1941 | Te Kowai State School (Te Kowai, Qld.) Walkerston State School (Walkerston, Qld.) | – |
| John Curtin | 1941–1945 | Macedon State School (Macedon, Vic.) St Francis's Boys' School (Melbourne) Charlton State School (Charlton, Vic.) | – |
| Frank Forde | 1945 | St Mary's College (Toowoomba, Qld.) Mitchell State School (Mitchell, Qld.) | – |
| Ben Chifley | 1945–1949 | Patrician Brothers' School (Bathurst, NSW) Limekilns Public School (Limekilns, NSW) | – |
| Harold Holt | 1966–1967 | Wesley College (Melbourne) Abbotsholme College (Sydney) Nubba State School (Nubba, NSW) Randwick Public School (Sydney) | University of Melbourne (LL.B.) |
| John McEwen | 1967–1968 | Wangaratta State School (Wangaratta, Vic.) | – |
| John Gorton | 1968–1971 | Geelong Grammar School (Geelong, Vic.) Sydney Church of England Grammar School Headfort College (Sydney) Edgecliff Preparatory School (Sydney) | Brasenose College, Oxford (M.A.*) |
| William McMahon | 1971–1972 | Sydney Grammar School Abbotsholme College (Sydney) | University of Sydney (LL.B., B.Ec.) |
| Gough Whitlam | 1972–1975 | Canberra Grammar School Knox Grammar School (Sydney) Mowbray House School (Sydney) Chatswood Church of England Girls' School (Sydney) | University of Sydney (B.A. (Hons), LL.B.) |
| Malcolm Fraser | 1975–1983 | Melbourne Grammar School Tudor House School (Moss Vale, NSW) | Magdalen College, Oxford (M.A. (Hons)*) |
| Bob Hawke | 1983–1991 | Perth Modern School Maitland Primary School (Maitland, SA) | University of Western Australia (B.A., LL.B.) University College, Oxford (B.Litt.) Australian National University (law, no degree) |
| Paul Keating | 1991–1996 | De La Salle College (Sydney) Belmore Technical College (Sydney) | – |
| John Howard | 1996–2007 | Canterbury Boys' High School (Sydney) Earlwood Primary School (Sydney) | University of Sydney (LL.B.) |
| Kevin Rudd | 2007–2010 2013 | Nambour State High School (Nambour, Qld.) Marist College Ashgrove (Brisbane) Eumundi State School (Eumundi, Qld.) | Australian National University (B.A. (Hons)) Jesus College, Oxford (PhD.) |
| Julia Gillard | 2010–2013 | Unley High School (Adelaide) Mitcham Primary School (Adelaide) | University of Adelaide (arts, no degree) University of Melbourne (LL.B., B.A.) |
| Tony Abbott | 2013–2015 | Saint Ignatius' College Riverview (Sydney) St Aloysius' College (Sydney) | University of Sydney (B.Ec., LL.B.) The Queen's College, Oxford (M.A.*) |
| Malcolm Turnbull | 2015–2018 | Sydney Grammar School Vaucluse Public School (Sydney) | University of Sydney (B.A., LL.B.) Brasenose College, Oxford (B.C.L. (Hons)) |
| Scott Morrison | 2018–2022 | Sydney Boys High School Bronte Public School (Sydney) | University of New South Wales (B.Sc. (Hons)) |
| Anthony Albanese | 2022–present | St Joseph's Primary School (Sydney) St Mary's Cathedral College (Sydney) | University of Sydney (B.Ec.) |