Fees are expected to more than double for environmental studies and communications students when they are deregulated in 2016, while mathematics students are set to emerge as winners.

The federal Department of Education this week released new funding rates for students who enter university from 2016, with total government funding declining by 20 per cent. Universities will be able to charge as much as they want on top, with graduates to pay back the debt once they start earning $50,638.

Government funding for environmental studies students will fall by 44.5 per cent, according to an analysis by Grattan Institute higher education program director Andrew Norton. This means universities will have to charge students $9662 more a year to maintain current funding levels - a 112 per cent increase.

Commonwealth support for communications students will drop by 50 per cent, meaning budding journalists and public relations professionals would pay $6010 more a year - a 99 per cent increase. Fees for engineering and science students would rise by at least $5059 a year, a 58.7 per cent increase.