How Much University Really Costs in Australia (For Domestic Students)

If you’re planning to study at university in Australia, it can be hard to figure out how much it actually costs. There’s HECS, fees, placements, Centrelink (maybe?), and a whole lot of fine print. And even though most of us don’t pay subject fees upfront, the costs still stack up quickly, especially when you include rent, textbooks, and everything else that comes with being a student.

Here’s what you really need to know about the full cost of going to university in Australia. A 3-year degree and all its associated costs will add up to a whopping $65k to $174K+, without taking lost income during those years into account. There are obvious costs (like tuition fees and rent), but there are a lot of others that can hit harder than you think….

Quick Overview (If You’re Skimming)

Here’s a rough cost breakdown of what an average Australian student might expect to pay over a 3 – 4 year degree before we dive into the details…

Cost Category	Estimated Range (Total)
Tuition (HECS-HELP debt)	$16,000 – $60,000
Living Expenses	$45,000 – $95,000+ (based on $300 – $500/week)
Textbooks & Course Materials	$2,000 – $6,000
Placements & Practicals	$1,500 – $10,000 (depends on location, rent)
Other Fees (SSAF, printing, etc.)	$1,000 – $2,500
Graduation & Other Hidden Costs	$300 – $1,000

👉 Total Estimated Cost: $65,800 – $174,500+

Note: These costs depend on your degree, where you live, and how much you work while studying. Living at home or getting financial support can reduce costs significantly. So keep reading to see how this will breakdown for you.

1. Tuition Costs (What You’ll Actually Pay)

If you’re Australian you won’t usually pay the full price of your degree. Instead, you get a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), which means the government pays part of your tuition, and you pay the rest. The government will usually cover 2/3 of your degree, but you are still left paying between $16,000 – $60,000. The good thing is that this is deferred (or delayed) until you earn enough in a job to pay it back, and it’s interest free (although it is indexed – more on this later).

The amount you pay (or ‘student contribution’) depends on your degree. Here’s a general guide to what you’ll owe per year:

Study Area	Approx. Annual Student Contribution	Notes
Allied Health (Physio, OT, etc.)	$8,200 – $8,500	Includes physiotherapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy
Arts, Humanities & Communications	$14,500 – $15,200	Includes languages, history, philosophy, journalism
Business & Commerce	$14,500 – $15,200	Finance, marketing, management
Computing & IT	$4,100 – $4,300	Computer science, software engineering, data science
Education (Teaching)	$4,100 – $4,300	Applies to early childhood, primary, and secondary
Engineering	$8,200 – $8,500	Mid-range band
Law & Economics	$14,500 – $15,200	High band despite job market demand
Mathematics & Science	$4,100 – $4,300	Includes biology, physics, chemistry, and environmental science
Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary	$11,500 – $11,800	Highest contribution band
Nursing & Midwifery	$4,100 – $4,300	Lowest band; includes high government subsidy
Psychology	$8,200 – $8,500	Treated as a mid-band even though it supports mental health fields

These are student contribution amounts, not the full price of your degree. You’ll usually pay these through HECS-HELP, which we’ll cover in a minute.

JRG Package (What it means for you)

In 2020, the Australian government implemented the JRG Package. It was supposed to encourage students to enter fields with strong employment prospects by changing how much university degrees cost.

Here’s a breakdown of the annual student contributions for Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) as per these reforms:

Lower-Cost Degrees (Annual Student Contribution: $3,700)

• Fields: Teaching, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Nursing, Languages, Agriculture
• Rationale: These areas are considered national priorities with anticipated job growth, so the reduced fees are to attract more students .

Mid-Cost Degrees (Annual Student Contribution: $7,700)

• Fields: Allied Health, Other Health, Architecture, IT, Creative Arts, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Science
• Rationale: These disciplines are essential for various sectors, and the fees are adjusted to balance demand and supply .

Higher-Cost Degrees (Annual Student Contribution: $14,500)

• Fields: Law, Economics, Management, Commerce, Society & Culture, Humanities, Communications, Behavioural Science
• Rationale: The government increased fees in these areas to discourage over-enrolment in fields perceived to have lower employment outcomes. Basically they were trying to reduce the amount of graduates in these areas because there just aren’t enough jobs.

Implications for Students

• Humanities and Social Sciences: Students in these fields now bear a higher financial burden, with fees more than doubling in some cases. For instance, a three-year humanities degree could now cost up to $43,500, compared to approximately $20,000 before the reforms .
• STEM Fields: Conversely, students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics benefit from reduced fees, making these courses more financially accessible.

2. The HECS-HELP Loan System (Simplified)

If you have a CSP, you can defer (delay) the cost of your degree through a HECS-HELP loan. That means you don’t have to pay your tuition up front. Instead, the government pays it for you, and you start paying it back later, once you earn above a certain income (this changes but is above $50k).

Here’s how it works:

• You start repaying your HECS when you earn $54,435 or more per year (2024–25 threshold).
• Repayments are automatically deducted from your salary through the ATO, just like tax.
• The more you earn, the higher the percentage they take (starting at 1%).

So the good thing is that you don’t have to keep the money aside, or remember to pay it. It goes to the government same as your tax so you never see it (Your pay from your job is just lower than what you wish it was!).

But here’s the part most people don’t realise: your HECS debt is indexed every year in line with inflation. In 2023, indexation was 7.1%, which caused a huge backlash, because people saw their loan grow even though they hadn’t added any new debt to it. For example, my HECS debt increased by $6k over eight years immediately after I finished, growing from $39k to $45k.

You don’t pay interest, but the debt still gets bigger unless you’re actively paying it down. It might not make sense, but indexation is just making sure that the debt means the same thing no matter what year it is. For example a debt of a hundred thousand dollars meant a lot more 20 years ago than it does now.

3. Other Uni Fees (And Hidden Costs)

Even with a HECS loan, there are other costs you’ll need to cover yourself. Some of them are pretty standard and expected, but others can be very expensive and unfortunately come as a complete surprise, because no-one tells you about them before you start your degree (super helpful I know…). Here’s what to look out for:

Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF)

This is probably the biggest surprise. As a university student you have to pay an SSA (or SSAF) even if you don’t want to. I find this fee quite frustrating because it’s to pay for things like clubs and services etc, but even if you don’t use them (or want to use them) you still need to pay for them. You’re usually charged twice per year (once per semester).

• The SSA/SSAF is charged by your university to fund support services, clubs, and facilities.
• Usually $400 per year, paid upfront (although a lot of unis will allow these fees to build up and you can pay them off over time)

Textbooks & Course Materials

Textbooks are a tricky one. In most cases you’ll never need the textbook again after your semester and they are a huge waste of money for a pile of doorstoppers or oversized paper weights. I recommend checking to see if there is a digital copy of your textbook available (often for free) before you waste your money. Then check if you can borrow a copy from the library. If none of these options work for you, then decide if the textbook is worth the money. Will you use it again after your degree? Out of all of my books there are only two that I use. I wish I hadn’t wasted my money on all of the other books that I bought, especially the ones in first year.

• You can easily spend $500 – $1,000 per semester on textbooks alone, especially in health, law, or business degrees.
• Lab coats, dissection kits, drawing tools, compasses, rock hammer, or online access codes can cost extra.

Placements & Practicals

If your degree includes placements (like teaching, nursing, social work, psychology, or allied health), there are usually extra costs that no one tells you about, and these costs are MASSIVE. There are a few costs involved but the biggest two are paying rent in a different town/city if you have to relocate (this is common in dentistry, nursing, veterinarian studies) and not being able to work a job and get paid (because you are busy doing a full time placement). While you may have to go ahead and wear these costs, it helps to know about them upfront:

• You may have to relocate to a regional area or another city for 4 – 12 weeks at a time
• You’ll still have to pay rent (sometimes for two places at once)
• You won’t get paid, because placements are unpaid
• You’ll probably have limited ability to work, since placements are often full-time hours
• Some placements require vaccinations, police checks, WWCC, or uniforms (all of which you’ll pay for)

This is one of the biggest hidden costs of university. So if you’re studying a degree with placements, plan for it early, and ask your uni if there’s a travel or placement support fund available.

4. Living Costs While Studying

Okay, let’s be honest your tuition fees aren’t the most expensive part of university, it’s your day-to-day living expenses that will cost you far more.

Rent:
This is the biggest expense for most students. Expect to pay:

• City-based uni accommodation: $300 – $450/week
• Shared house in the suburbs: $180 – $350/week
• Regional areas: $150 – $250/week

Living at home can save you thousands per year, but if you’re moving away for uni, especially to a regional area for placements (common in nursing, teaching, or allied health), you’ll need to factor in not just rent, but bond, moving costs, and possibly double rent if you’re keeping a base in your hometown.

Other Weekly Costs:

• Food & groceries: $80 – $150
• Transport: $20 – $50 (cheaper with student discounts, or free at some unis. Public transport in QLD is currently just 50 cents to anywhere, so that’s a big drawcard for the state.
• Phone & internet: $20 – $40 (go with prepaid, it’s always cheaper!)
• Utilities (if not included in rent): $25 – $50

Even if you’re frugal, total living costs can easily hit $400 – $600/week if you’re renting and studying full-time.

5. What Financial Support Is Available

Thankfully, there’s help, if you know where to look. There are a few centrelink payments that can help you out. Although, to be honest centrelink payments will never be enough to cover all of your living costs, especially as a student, but they can help.

Centrelink payments:

• Youth Allowance – for students under 25
• Austudy – for students 25 and over
• ABSTUDY – for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students

These are income-tested, but they can significantly reduce financial stress. Some students also qualify for Rent Assistance as part of their payment.

Scholarships:
Almost every university offers merit, equity, regional, or faculty-specific scholarships. Some are worth thousands of dollars, and many go unclaimed. Always check your university’s website early and apply for everything you’re eligible for.

Emergency grants and support:
Most universities also offer hardship grants, grocery cards, or financial counselling if your situation changes suddenly. Some have textbook or laptop loan schemes as well.

6. Costs You Might Not Expect

There are a few expenses more expenses that you may not have heard about (yet)…

Tech and equipment:

Most degrees will ‘require’ a laptop, and if you don’t already have one that meets your course’s needs, that’s easily $800 – $2,000 upfront. You may also need specific software (e.g., SPSS, Adobe Suite), though many universities offer student access for free or discounted rates. In general though, you don’t need a laptop. Sure they’re great, and they make taking notes in class heaps easier (read more about that here), but if you can’t afford one then don’t stress about it. Every university has computers you can use for free in their library and computer labs. These are open all day, and computer labs are often open until midnight or 24-hours (as long as you have your student card to access them). Any software you need for your classes is usually already installed on these computers, e.g., ArcGIS, so you don’t need to waste your money.

As a university student you also get free access to Microsoft 365, so you can create word docs, excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations etc, save them to OneDrive and access them from any browser. You can also install the Microsoft 365 package onto your computer (if you have one) so you don’t have to worry about paying for it.

Printing and materials:

While a lot of uni is digital now, you may still need to print large documents or purchase materials (especially in design, architecture, or lab-heavy subjects). Expect to spend $20 – $200 a semester depending on your course. Although thankfully this cost is decreasing at the moment with less subjects expecting you to pay for printing.

Deferred payment traps:

One of the most painful surprises is that if you decide to quit a subject after census date or fail a subject, you’ll still be charged for it, and the cost still gets added to your HECS-HELP debt. You also won’t get that time back, so it can delay your graduation (and cost you more in the long run).

Graduation costs:

It’s a milestone worth celebrating, but gowns, photos, and tickets for family can add up. Not essential, but something to keep in mind toward the end of your degree. Although, by this point you don’t really care about the cost as you are so happy to be finished and on your way to your dream job and making some real money!

7. Tips to Make Uni More Affordable

Here’s how to make your time at uni cheaper, without sacrificing your experience:

• Study at a regional campus: Rent is often lower, classes are smaller, and you may even be eligible for additional scholarships or incentives This is the biggest money saver, second only to staying at home and not paying any rent.
• Buy secondhand books: Check your uni’s student marketplace or sites like StudentVIP. You can often find textbooks for half the price. Or even better, is to simply borrow it from the library if you can.
• Use your student discounts: Public transport, Spotify, Microsoft Office, and more, always check for student pricing.
• Take advantage of free resources: From recorded lectures to open-access journals and even AI tools (like ChatGPT), there’s a lot you can use without paying extra. YouTube videos (like I post on my channel) are also a huge help. Read more about the best free study tools available here.
• See what your uni offers: Many universities have support programs for laptops, textbook grants, food vouchers, and more, especially if you’re from a low-income background.