Under the proposed changes, humanities and communications will experience the biggest price hike, with a 113 per cent increase at $14 500 a year.
Nursing and agriculture courses would be among the cheapest at $3 700 a year, with a decrease of 42 per cent and 62 per cent respectively.
Education Minister Dan Tehan also announced $400 million to be allocated over four years for regional universities, and an additional 39 000 university places across the country by 2023 and 100 000 places by 2030.
He said these changes would encourage students to make "job-relevant choices" that would lead to "job-ready graduates".
“To deliver cheaper degrees in areas of expected employment growth, students who choose to study more popular degrees will make a higher contribution,” he said.
He said those choosing more expensive degrees would be able to cut their costs by taking up courses in the cheaper, more "useful" areas.
“So if you want to study history, also think about studying English. If you want to study philosophy, also think about studying a language. If you want to study law, also think about studying IT.”
Goulburn Murray Local Learning and Employment Network acting executive officer Rebecca Costa-Lowe said she was in support of any initiative that encourages students into areas where there are skill shortages.
“For example in the Goulburn Valley region, the expansion of GV Health means there'll be hundreds of jobs there, and as we're the food bowl of Australia, the agricultural industry are always looking for staff,” she said.
But she said it was a "catch-22", as the price hikes could mean some students weren't able to afford to study their dream course.
Committee for Greater Shepparton chief executive Sam Birrell welcomed any move to encourage more science students, but warned of the potential to miss out on the benefits brought by studying humanities.
“This appears to be the government picking winners - which is often fraught with danger. I do like the idea of more kids being encouraged to study science and maths, but are price hikes to humanities the best way to do it?,” Mr Birrell said.
“Numerous studies have shown that soft skills and understanding people are going to increase as key facets of employability in the future,” he said.
Mr Birrell said another way to encourage more people into certain jobs would be to make pay and conditions more attractive.
“Students do not always make decisions based on university fees. I think they make decisions based on pay and conditions and whether they perceive this is a job they want to do,” he said.
A statement from La Trobe University said the university welcomed the announcement, and recognised the value of encouraging students to study education, nursing, STEM, IT and agriculture.
But the university was concerned about the impact the changes would have on low SES, Indigenous and regional students wanting to study humanities, law and business.
“Shifting the burden of undertaking study in these important disciplines to students may ultimately be counterproductive to developing the skills Australia will need for future jobs and economic activity,” the statement said.
A spokesperson for the University of Melbourne which runs agriculture studies at its Dookie campus said staff are examining the potential effects of the government's proposal.
"We are currently working through what we know from this announcement and what this means for the University,” the spokesperson said.
New student fees in 2021:
$3700 a year:
●Teaching, clinical psychology, English, nursing, and languages (previously $6804)
●Maths, and agriculture (previously $9698)
$7700 a year:
●Creative arts (previously $6804)
●Allied and other health, architecture, IT, engineering, environmental studies, science (previously $9698)
$11 300 a year:
●Medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science (previously $11 355)
$14 500 a year:
●Society and culture, humanities, communications, and behavioural science (previously $6804)
●Law and economics, and management and commerce (previously $11 355)
