The coastal Russell Group university is putting its academic weight behind addressing the challenges of our time: climate change, healthcare provision and social justice. Exeter offers more than 400 courses in 40 subjects but wants to build a global reputation of expertise in sustainability. Its Strategy 2030 mission does just this, with a focus on engineering, digital innovation and entrepreneurship.The latest addition to the campus is the £30 million Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste; a joint facility between the University of Exeter, South West Water and Research England, it is the first “net-zero in operation” research centre in the water sector.

There is no slacking when it comes to getting the most out of undergraduate life at Exeter, either: sandy beaches are only 20 minutes away and Exeter offers live music and festivals. From have-a-go social sessions to elite performance level, sporting opportunities come thick and fast too.

What is the University of Exeter’s reputation?

Nearly half of Exeter’s extensive submission in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) was assessed as world-leading (particularly in sports science; theology; and area studies) and the university reconfirmed 18th place in our research quality index.

Exeter has brought forward its carbon net zero target from 2050 to 2030 and is working with partners such as the Met Office and World Health Organisation to build its profile in environmental intelligence. The university’s expertise in this field is backed by counting the UK’s five most influential climate scientists on staff, according to the Reuters Hot List.

In another project, the university is partnering with Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the world university rankings organisation (which ranks Exeter joint-169th globally in its latest league table), to create Future17. Based around the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), the initiative provides opportunities for Exeter students to connect with others from universities around the world — including Arizona State University, Stellenbosch University in South Africa and Satbayev University in Kazakhstan — to collaborate on real-world problems aligned with the SDGs. Future17 builds on Exeter’s global top-ten position in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024, which measure universities’ overall impact through their work towards meeting the SDGs.

Its undergraduate provision was rated gold in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), as it was in the previous exercise six years before. Exeter also gained golds for student experience and student outcomes, attracting praise for courses that inspire its students “to actively engage in and commit to their learning, and stretch them to develop knowledge and skills to their fullest potential”. 

Exeter is accustomed to reaping positive feedback in successive National Student Surveys (NSS), where it tends to outdo many research-led peers. Our new NSS analysis shows a dip in form, however, with Exeter in 80= position for teaching quality (down 14 places) and 40th for the wider experience — a 16-place drop. 

What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available? 

Unlike many other Russell Group members, Exeter has embraced degree apprenticeships and has 3,600 students following its 17 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 

What are the University of Exeter’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?

Offers for undergraduate degrees start at BBB and rise to A*AA. Exeter’s contextual admissions policy undercuts the standard requirements by two or three grades — the upper credit is a more generous reduction than at most other universities. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of new entrants in 2023 received a contextual offer. Applications were up yet again in 2024, reflecting Exeter’s all-round popularity. Even so, more than 10 per cent gained a place through clearing. 

What are the graduate prospects?

Exeter’s TEF gold for its student outcomes reflects a strong record in the national Graduate Outcomes survey, which tracks how many students find highly skilled work or embark on further study within 15 months of finishing their degree course. Our analysis put Exeter in the top 20 for graduate prospects only two years ago, but it has since slipped to rank 31st overall.

Career and employment preparation modules are embedded across the curriculum for all first-years. More than 4,600 students opt for formal work placements as part of their course and Exeter’s career-management platform advertised more than 14,000 opportunities, including graduate roles, internships, placements and part-time work. 

What is the University of Exeter’s campus like?

The university’s roots are traced to 1851 and the founding of the Exeter Schools of Art and Science. Most students are based at the main Streatham campus, an attractive hillside site with plenty of green space yet close to Exeter city centre. Purpose-built facilities include about £30 million of engineering facilities. Less than two miles away, St Luke’s campus houses the medical school, which also has a health education and research centre at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and a smaller base in Truro, Cornwall. The Graduate School of Education and programmes in sport and health sciences are also based at St Luke’s. Digital hubs on Streatham and Penrhyn campuses are modelled on the Apple Genius bar.

The Penryn campus, in Cornwall, shared with Falmouth University, hosts the Renewable Energy Engineering Facility (Reef), which provides specialist teaching facilities. 

The university is a partner in the South West Institute of Technology, which has a £3.2 million facility on the Streatham campus featuring AI technology and a computer learning laboratory. 

Everything you need to know about the University of Exeter’s student life and wellbeing support

A recent winner of our Sports University of the Year title, Exeter sits in fourth place in the 2023-24 British Universities and Colleges Sport (Bucs) league table and has some of the best facilities in the country. The Sports Park on the main campus includes a gym with more than 200 stations, while Penryn makes use of one of the best locations in the UK for watersports. The Duckes Meadow sports ground has 16 pitches and the Topsham sports ground is a premier matchday facility. There are more than 45 sports, dance and fitness clubs, and chances to get involved in coaching and volunteering.

A £2.7 million purpose-built facility for students to access wellbeing services recently opened on the Streatham campus, bringing extra space for one-to-one appointments and counselling. The campus also has a newly built multi-faith centre, which will open this year. There is mandatory training for new students on equality, diversity and inclusion, and on sexual consent. 

What do the students say?

“Exeter is a small but vibrant city with plenty of things to see and do. We’ve also got beautiful beaches, and Dartmoor National Park is just a train ride away. There are student support services and de-stress initiatives offered by the students’ guild, such as weekly therapy-dog sessions and movie nights.”
Mia Robillard-Day, communities and equality officer at Exeter students’ guild, and graduate of art history and drama with employment experience

“Studying in Cornwall provides a coastal backdrop that allows for creative inspiration and focused learning, offering an alternative way of winding down, such as beach barbecues and surfing, instead of a traditional night out. Studying with an institution committed to a greener, healthier and more socially just future empowers students to take action.”
Connie Chilcott, president of Exeter at Falmouth and Exeter students' union and graduate of politics and international Relations

What about student accommodation at the University of Exeter?

The completion of the East Park student residences added 1,182 bedrooms to the Streatham site, taking the total to 6,469 and helping Exeter to guarantee a room for all first-years who meet the deadline. More than 20 per cent of rooms are catered. Another 940 rooms are available at Penryn, some catered.

How diverse and inclusive is the University of Exeter?

The university is determined to focus on widening access in the decade ahead. It ranks in the bottom ten (8th) in our latest social inclusion data. Just over half (57.5 per cent) of its intake is from non-selective state schools. Outreach work with schools in the southwest and beyond includes skills sessions and teaching enrichment. Exeter also participates in national schemes, including IntoUniversity, Seren (a Welsh government programme) and the Sutton Trust’s Pathways to Law. 

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at the University of Exeter

A generous bursary and scholarship scheme includes the Access to Exeter bursary, worth up to £2,000 per year of study for students from households of under £30,000 incomes. Almost one in five entrants in 2024 received the bursary or hardship funding. 

Among other awards are sports performance bursaries of up to £3,000 given to student athletes who compete internationally in one of Exeter’s Athletics Union clubs. Other merit-based awards include the global excellence scholarship for high-achieving international students.