Most Expensive AU Degrees by Field
Across 252 Commonwealth Supported Place programs in fields with at least 10 listed degrees, the highest average indicative HECS-HELP cost is engineering at $67,968 (39 programs , 4.0 years) , against a cohort median of $50,976 (+$16,992 vs median). Even above that floor, adding or dropping a few high-fee programs can move a field average, so treat the #1 spot as directional rather than definitive. The cheapest eligible field is health nursing ($13,881 across 39 programs). Figures are computed live from the 2026 Job-ready Graduates schedule.
The full ranking
The bar behind each cost shows how it stacks up against engineering, the most expensive field in this ranking.
| Field | Avg indicative cost | Avg duration | Programs | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| engineering | 4.0 yrs | 39 | $67,968 - $67,968 | |
| law | 4.0 yrs | 39 | $67,968 - $67,968 | |
| business | 3.0 yrs | 39 | $50,976 - $50,976 | |
| humanities | 3.0 yrs | 19 | $50,976 - $50,976 | |
| it computing | 3.0 yrs | 39 | $50,976 - $50,976 | |
| health allied | 3.0 yrs | 19 | $38,160 - $38,160 | |
| education | 4.0 yrs | 19 | $18,508 - $18,508 | |
| health nursing | 3.0 yrs | 39 | $13,881 - $13,881 |
Average indicative cost by field
Average indicative HECS-HELP cost, full Bachelor degree
By field of study · floor ≥10 programs · cohort median $50,976
Top 10 most expensive specific programs
Individual degree×university combinations, ranked by indicative cost. The bar shows how far each program sits below #1.
| Rank | Program | University | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | Australian National University | |
| 2 | Bachelor of Laws | Australian National University | |
| 3 | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | University of Melbourne | |
| 4 | Bachelor of Laws | University of Melbourne | |
| 5 | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | University of Sydney | |
| 6 | Bachelor of Laws | University of Sydney | |
| 7 | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | University of New South Wales | |
| 8 | Bachelor of Laws | University of New South Wales | |
| 9 | Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | Monash University | |
| 10 | Bachelor of Laws | Monash University |
How to interpret these numbers
All figures are indicative student contributions only - what you would borrow via HECS-HELP for a standard-duration Commonwealth Supported Place at a public Australian university. The Commonwealth subsidises the rest of the tuition cost. Honours years, accelerated programs, double degrees, and postgraduate continuation can change the figure substantially.
Cost variation across fields is driven primarily by the 2021 Job-ready Graduates package cluster a degree sits in: cluster 1 (teaching, nursing, agriculture, STEM) at $4,627/year, cluster 2 (allied health) at $8,948/year, cluster 3 (engineering, science, IT) at $12,720/year, and cluster 4 (humanities, business, law) at $16,992/year. The cluster reflects political priorities about which fields to incentivise rather than the actual teaching cost of each program.
Limitations
These figures use a representative degree per university and the standard course duration. Joint and integrated programs, professional doctorates (architecture, medicine, law), and postgraduate-only fields are not in the current dataset and will be expanded in future PlainStudentAid releases. Some niche fields (theology, indigenous studies, performing arts) are also under-represented. Always confirm the specific student contribution amount with your provider's published fee schedule.
Methodology
We track a representative set of Bachelor programs at each institution. The annual cost is taken from the 2026 Job-ready Graduates schedule; total cost is annual cost multiplied by standard course duration. Field averages only enter this ranking when the field has at least 10 programs in the extract; the cohort median is computed over that eligible set. The ranking reflects the current dataset; no number on this page is hardcoded. See our methodology page for full sourcing.
Source: Australian Government StudyAssist 2026 Job-ready Graduates student contribution schedule · 2026
Source: data.gov.au, Department of Education Higher education statistics · 2023
This page identifies the source records and data vintage used for its figures. Annual student contributions come from the 2026 StudyAssist Job-ready Graduates schedule and are multiplied by standard course duration; the field cohort uses Department of Education statistics only when the published eligibility rule is met. Nothing here is financial advice; for any decision that matters, follow the primary source and consult a qualified professional (see our disclaimer). See also our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-20.