University of Exeter

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter is located in south-west England. A member of the 1994 group of universities, it has very high standards of research and teaching. In the 2012 University League Tables, it was ranked 10th best university in the UK by The Times, 11th best by The Guardian and 9th best by The Sunday Times. It has particularly high student satisfaction rates and Exeter students are a clever bunch, with a higher than average number achieving 2:1s or firsts. 

Although it can trace its origins back to 1855, the University of Exeter isn’t one of the oldest universities in the country. Established in 1955, what it lacks in age it makes up for in prestige and academic clout. The university is split over three campuses: Streatham and St Luke’s in Exeter, and Tremough in Cornwall.

It has five academic colleges: the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences; College of Life and Environmental Sciences; College of Social Sciences and International Studies; College of Humanities; Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry; and The Business School. Within these colleges, the university is particularly noted for its business, engineering, English, law, history, psychology and politics degree courses.

Whilst the stereotypical University of Exeter student might be “preppy and privileged”, this isn’t the case for the entire student body. Yes, Zara Philips, Andrew Lansley and toffee-nosed The Apprentice candidates, Raef Bjayou and Katie Hopkins, are past students. But then so are comedian Rhod Gilbert, cartoonist Steve Bell, J.K. Rowling, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Will Young (ok yes, he is a bit posh). 

University of Exeter

Most of the university's facilities are located in Exeter, a city in Devon. Although it’s a city of rich history, huge swathes of Exeter were razed to the ground during the World War Two. The city today is a patchwork of a few medieval buildings that survived the WWII bombing, sparkling new retail developments, and post war civic architecture. There’s a pretty riverfront for nice walks and waterside coffees, and some great vintage shops too. Later on, bars and clubs spring into life, catering well for Exeter’s student population.

Streatham Campus is a beautiful leafy campus in stunning surroundings. It houses the majority of University of Exeter’s teaching buildings, the sports park, the main library, a shopping centre, restaurant, bars and cafes. Nestled right up to the centre of the city, the campus is also home to the Exeter Student’s Guild and its shops, bars and nightclub, The Lemon Grove.

St Luke’s Campus is smaller campus, 15 minutes’ walk from the city centre. This is the stomping ground of medical students, trainee teachers and sport science students, as the Graduate School of Education, the School of Sport and Health Sciences and Exeter branch of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry are based here.

Tremough Campus in Cornwall, Exeter’s third campus, is shared with University College Falmouth students. It opened in 2004 and boasts 70 acres set in beautiful countryside near the town of Falmouth. It has cutting-edge teaching and learning facilities, a café, shops, its own Student Union and various sports facilities.  

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter is pretty proud of its on-campus accommodation and it’s got every right to be. Students can take their pick from modern new accommodation and older post war residences.

The good news is that with 5,000 places, university accommodation is guaranteed to most first-year students. There are 3,426 rooms in self-catered halls and 1,656 in catered residences. Some residences are reserved primarily for postgraduate students and most university accommodation is within easy walking distance of the centre of Streatham or St Luke’s campuses.

Self-catered residences cost between around £92 and £148 a week, whilst catered residences will set you back between £119 and a whopping £196 a week. So living in university accommodation could end up costing you anything from between around £3,700 to £6,000 a year.

Students studying at the Tremough Campus in Cornwall are accommodated in the Glasney Student Village. Room prices are around £120 a week for a single occupancy room, £72 a week for a shared occupancy room. 

University of Exeter

In 2012, the University of Exeter will be charging tuition fees of £9,000 a year. International students will face fees of £12,600 to £14,500 depending on their degree course.

This might seem like a heavy investment, but home students can get a loan from the government to cover the full cost of the tuition fees. This means you won’t have to pay a penny while you are at university and you’ll only start to repay the loan once you earn over £21,000 a year. If you haven’t repaid the loan after 30 years, it is cancelled. For more information about tuition fees, read our Tuition Fee Rise Guide. 

University of Exeter

Living in Exeter isn’t exactly cheap, but, with some nifty budgeting, university life shouldn’t blow a massive hole in your bank account.

The University of Exeter estimates that the average student will spend around £8,500 during the academic year. That includes basic living expenses, such as accommodation, food, travel and socialising. Obviously, the living expenses will vary student to student: some will be expecting to get by on much less; others will be expecting to spend much more.

Remember, you can get a maintenance loan from the government to help cover living expenses and students from low income households might be eligible for a non-repayable grant on top of that. 

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter spends around £5.5 million in financial support for students every year. Around one third of their UK and EU students receive some kind of financial assistance from the university.

New to 2012 is the National Scholarship Programme. Through this, the University of Exeter will be offering tuition fee reductions of £3,000 (or £2,000 with £1,000 going towards accommodation) to students with household incomes below £16,000 a year. Students with a residual income of £16,000 to £20,000 a year will receive £2,000 off their tuition fees, whilst those with household incomes between £20,000 and £25,000 will get £1,000 off their tuition fees. The university is also offering full fee waivers for care leavers.

For students from low income households (e.g. below £42,600 a year) will be awarded Exeter Bursaries on a sliding scale between £500 and £1,500. Sport, Music, and Choral and Organ Merit Scholarships are also available, as is Exeter’s distinctive Debating Scholarship. Schools and departments offer subject-specific scholarships too, more details about which can be found here. 

University of Exeter

Students are well-catered for when it comes to nightlife at the University of Exeter. The city has plenty of pubs, bars and clubs, whilst the Students’ Guild puts on a number of events and club nights on campus too. You can find a student’s guide to Exeter nightlife at Streatham and St Luke’s Campus here.

Whilst students in Tremough Campus might not have the variety of nightlife available for Exeter-based students, the Students’ Union puts a big effort into providing entertainment. The Stannary Bar on campus holds regular live music events and club nights and there are a few pubs and bars in Falmouth too.  

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter has some pretty great sports facilities. Over £12 million has been invested in its facilities and it shows. The University of Exeter has two main sporting sites, The Sports Park, on Streatham Campus and St Luke’s Sports Centre on St Luke’s Campus, whilst Duckes Meadow caters for outdoor sport.

The Sports Park has a 90 station fitness studio, badminton courts, a sports hall, two exercise studios, tennis and squash courts, and houses the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Devon Cricket Centre. It also has an outdoor heated swimming pool, astro pitches, and outdoor tennis and netball courts.

St Luke’s Sport Centre has an indoor swimming pool, a well-equipped gym and a sports hall.

There are over 150 societies managed by the University of Exeter Students’ Guild and over 8,000 Exeter students join societies each year.

University of Exeter

Freshers’ Week is called Welcome Week at the University of Exeter. Every Welcome Week brings the standard university and departmental welcome talks and an Activities Fair put on by the Students’ Guild. You’ll find out more about your course, how to use campus facilities and how to manage your finances.

Welcome Week is also a chance to let your hair down. The Lemon Grove hosts parties throughout the week, live music can be found at the Old Firehouse and RAG puts on events such as back to school parties. There are also the obligatory pub crawls and social activities organised by halls of residence.

Everything sells out pretty quickly in Exeter’s Welcome Week so make sure you get tickets. Oh and stock up on the fancy dress. You’ll need it. 

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter’s Employability and Graduate Development Service is there to help you land a job after university. They can assist you with: career research, CV and interview skills, searching for a job, finding work experience and improving your employability.