Exeter has built a strong reputation on world-class research, a broad undergraduate curriculum, high student satisfaction and a famously leafy campus 20 minutes from Devon’s stunning coastline. No wonder then, that a record number of hopeful students applied to Exeter in 2024. Recent developments at the university include new facilities for computing, data science and AI programmes, plus makerspaces where the focus is on engineering, digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
It has also opened a multifaith centre and expanded wellbeing services. Sporting opportunities come thick and fast too, from have-a-go social sessions to elite-performance training. There are enough pubs and clubs for most student appetites, and campus living makes settling in a breeze.
What is the University of Exeter’s reputation?
The university’s roots are traced to 1851, when schools of art and science were founded in the city. Fast-forward 170-odd years and today the university, a member of the prestigious Russell Group, offers more than 400 courses in 40 key subject areas. As part of its Strategy 2030 it is throwing its academic weight behind tackling global challenges such as climate change, healthcare, and social justice.
The value of its focus on these areas is highlighted by its research performance: in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) nearly half of Exeter’s submission was assessed as world-leading, confirming its place at 18th in our research quality index. The £30 million Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste is the UK's first "net-zero in operation" research centre in the water sector. This turbo-charges the university’s green credentials, which have earned Exeter a Top 10 spot in the People & Planet league — the highest-ranking university in the Russell Group for environmental and ethical performance — and make it Runner-Up for Sustainable University of the Year 2026.
Exeter was awarded gold in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023) for its undergraduate provision, praised for courses that inspire and stretch students to reach their fullest potential. However, its performance in our analysis of the National Student Survey (NSS) has seen a dip, with its rank for teaching quality falling to 109th. The wider student experience metric has also slipped to 60= place.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
More than 60 courses join the curriculum from 2025, including robotics and artificial intelligence, physics with biophysics, and multiple engineering streams. Many of the new degrees are eligible for flexible pathways, such as a year abroad or an industrial placement. A global sustainability degree joins the roster in 2026.
Degrees in nutrition, flexible combined honours (Penryn), and mathematics and physics have been withdrawn.Exeter is also a leader in degree apprenticeships, with 3,000 students enrolled across its 11 undergraduate and eight postgraduate programmes.
What are the University of Exeter’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Offers for undergraduate degrees range from A*AA to BBB. Exeter’s contextual admissions policy undercuts the standard requirements by two or three grades. In 2024, a year when nearly 43,700 applicants chased fewer than 7,600 places, a quarter of entrants received a contextual offer. Even so, 8 per cent of UK entrants managed to gain a place at Exeter through clearing.
What are the graduate prospects?
Exeter’s gold rating in the TEF 2023 for student outcomes reflects its 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. However it has slipped to rank 31st overall in our index, dropping more than ten places after a top-20 finish for graduate prospects three years ago. The university remains a go-to destination for organisations seeking graduate talent; in the Graduate Market 2025 report by High Fliers, Exeter is ranked the eighth most targeted university by the largest number of leading employers.
Career and employment preparation modules are embedded across the curriculum for all first-years, and more than 4,600 students embark on work placements as part of their course.
What is the University of Exeter’s campus like?
Occupying hundreds of acres of managed parkland, the main Streatham campus is an attractive hillside site bordering the city centre. Purpose-built facilities proliferate, but a sense of space prevails. Facilities include about £30 million of engineering resources, a digital humanities lab, the great hall and form buildings, and the extensive sports park. Fewer than two miles away, the 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. Also based at St Luke’s are the Graduate School of Education and programmes in sport and health sciences.
The Penryn campus, in Cornwall, is shared with Falmouth University and hosts the Renewable Energy Engineering Facility (Reef), which provides specialist facilities.
When can I visit?
exeter.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about the University of Exeter’s student life and wellbeing support
A former winner of our Sports University of the Year title, Exeter sits in fourth place in the 2024-25 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, plus tennis and cricket centres, a short-course golf practice area and an outdoor swimming pool. The university also has a boat house on Exeter canal, while Penryn makes use of one of the best locations in the UK for water sports. There are more than 45 sports, dance and fitness clubs, and chances to get involved in coaching and volunteering. Culture thrives too, in venues including the Northcott Theatre and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, and there is a campus sculpture walk.
The new £2.7 million wellbeing services building on the Streatham campus has added space for one-to-one appointments and counselling. For a small city, Exeter has a relatively high number of nightclubs and student-centric bars, but stops short of the all-night rave scene.
What do the students say?
“From day one I’ve felt a sense of belonging, whether it’s joining societies, attending events, or simply reaching out for support when you need it. I love going to the beach or exploring the coastal trails on a weekend.”
Ayleen Sheikh, BSc business and environment student, Penryn campus
What about student accommodation at the University of Exeter?
With 5,703 spaces in halls on the Streatham and St Luke’s sites in Exeter (23 per cent catered) and 936 at Penryn (11 per cent catered), Exeter guarantees a room for all first-years who meet the deadline.
How diverse and inclusive is the University of Exeter?
The university ranks bottom for social inclusion in our latest data, with 60.5 per cent of its intake from non-selective state schools. Exeter is working with schools and supporting national schemes such as IntoUniversity and the Sutton Trust’s Pathways to Law to widen access to university.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at the University of Exeter
The Access to Exeter bursary, worth up to £2,200 a year, is available for students from households with an income of less than £35,000. Other awards include sport scholarships worth up to £3,000 a year, choral and organ scholarships, and cash awards for mature students.
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