The University of Exeter is a top research university located in the West Country of England. Its main campus is in Exeter, Devon. The university grew from several older schools, like St Luke's College (1838) and the Exeter School of Art (1855). These schools came together to form the University of Exeter. It officially became a university in 1955 when it received its royal charter.

The university has four main locations. Two are in Exeter: Streatham and St Luke's. The other two are in Cornwall: Truro and Penryn. Streatham is the biggest campus and holds many of the university's main offices. The Penryn campus is shared with Falmouth University. The library at the Streatham Campus has over 1.2 million books and other resources.

The University of Exeter is part of the Russell Group, which includes leading research universities in the UK. It is also a member of other important groups like Universities UK.

University History: How it Started
University Campuses
How the University is Run
University Life and Learning
Student Life and Activities
Famous People Who Studied Here
See also

University History: How it Started

The University of Exeter began from three different schools in the mid-1800s. These schools were located in the city of Exeter and in Cornwall.

Early Colleges in Exeter

Reed Hall

Washington Singer building

Inspired by the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Exeter School of Art opened in 1855. The Exeter School of Science followed in 1863. These schools later moved to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. With help from the University of Cambridge, they became the Exeter Technical and University Extension College in 1893.

In 1900, the college was renamed the Royal Albert Memorial College. It moved to a new location in Gandy Street. Later, in 1922, it became the University College of the South West of England. This college prepared students for degrees from the University of London.

A former mayor of Exeter, Alderman W. H. Reed, gave Streatham Hall to the new University College in 1922. This building was renamed Reed Hall in his honor. The college also bought a large part of the Streatham Estate. Over time, the college slowly moved from the city center to this estate. The first new building on the Streatham Estate was the Washington Singer building, opened in 1931. The first student hall, Mardon Hall, opened in 1933. The Roborough Library, named after an early supporter, was finished around 1939.

The University College of the South West of England officially became the University of Exeter in 1955. This was exactly 100 years after the Exeter School of Art was founded. Queen Elizabeth II presented the university with its royal charter in 1956.

The university grew a lot in the 1960s. Many new buildings were added to the Streatham estate. These included homes for the Chemistry and Physics departments. Student housing for about 1,000 students was also built.

Business School, Streatham Campus

Donations from the Gulf States helped build a new university library in 1983. More recently, these gifts helped create the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. A major donation also helped finish the Xfi Centre for Finance and Investment. Since 2009, there has been more investment in new student housing. New buildings for The Exeter Business School were also added. The Forum, a new central area on the Streatham Campus, was also built.

St Luke's College: Teacher Training

University of Exeter Forum

In 1838, a group in Exeter decided to create a school to train teachers. This was one of the first such schools in England. The Exeter Diocesan Training College opened in 1840.

The college grew and moved to a new building on Heavitree Road in 1854. From that date, October 18, 1854 (St Luke's Day), the college became known as St Luke's. In 1930, it was officially renamed St Luke's College Exeter. It started accepting both male and female students in 1966.

In 1978, St Luke's College Exeter joined the University of Exeter. It became part of a new School of Education.

The Peninsula Medical School started in 2000. It was a partnership with the University of Plymouth and the National Health Service. This school was based at St Luke's. The School of Dentistry opened in 2007. Together, they formed the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. Today, St Luke's campus is the main site for the University of Exeter Medical School. It welcomed its first students in 2013.

Camborne School of Mines: Mining Experts

Cornwall was a very important mining area in the 1700s and 1800s. The Camborne School of Mines was founded in 1888 to train people for this industry.

The school was in Camborne for nearly 100 years. In 1975, it moved to new, specially built facilities. The school grew and started offering degrees in geology, environmental science, and surveying. In 1993, the Camborne School of Mines joined the University of Exeter.

To offer more higher education in Cornwall, the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project started in 1999. As part of this, the Penryn Campus was built near Falmouth. This campus is shared with Falmouth University. The Camborne School of Mines moved to Penryn in 2004 when the university's new Cornwall Campus opened.

University Campuses

The University of Exeter has three main campuses, each with its own unique features.

Streatham Campus: The Main Hub

The Piazza, outside the Great Hall and University Reception

Streatham is the largest and main campus. It sits on a hillside with views of Exeter city center. It has art galleries, including the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. You can also find sculptures by famous artists like Henry Moore. The campus has a student bar called "The Ram" and a nightclub called "The Lemon Grove." There's also a medical center, a counseling service, and a children's day-care center. Many student halls are on or near this campus. The Northcott Theatre is also located here.

The university has invested a lot in improving the campus. New student housing, like Holland Hall, has been built. Sports facilities, including a professional tennis center, have also been added.

The Hatherly Laboratories

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies building has an extension thanks to a donation from the ruler of the Sharjah emirate. The Department of Drama also got a new building, the Alexander Building, in 2006. The Department of Biosciences is in three buildings and has received new investments.

Lopes Hall

The Business School is spread across three buildings on the Streatham Campus. These include Building:One, the Xfi Building, and Streatham Court. They have modern lecture halls, a Bloomberg Suite for financial data, and a Career Zone.

The Exeter Innovation Centre on Streatham Campus helps new and growing businesses. It houses high-tech companies from different fields.

The Forum building is a major part of the Streatham Campus. It cost £48 million and includes a 400-seat auditorium, student services, and shops. It also has the main library and the Great Hall. The Forum has a modern glass design and serves as the university's reception area. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on May 2, 2012.

In 2017, the £52 million Living Systems Institute opened. It focuses on research into living systems and treating diseases.

St Luke's Campus: Health and Education

St Luke's Campus

St Luke's Campus is about a mile from Streatham campus. It is also a short walk from Exeter city center. This campus is home to the Graduate School of Education. It also hosts the Department of Sport and Health Sciences.

The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry used to be here. It has now split into the University of Exeter Medical School (UEMS) and the University of Plymouth Medical School. UEMS is still located on St Luke's Campus. In 2019, UEMS was renamed the College of Medicine & Health.

Penryn Campus: Cornwall's Hub

Tremough House, Penryn campus

The Penryn Campus is located in Penryn, Cornwall. It is part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall project. This campus is shared with Falmouth University. The University of Exeter departments here include the Camborne School of Mines. Its graduates are highly sought after in mining and engineering. Other departments at Penryn include the Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC). The Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) and the Institute of Cornish Studies are also here.

The Business School at Penryn Campus is in the SERSF Building, built in 2015. It has a special area for business partnerships called 'The Collaboratory'.

The campus is set in 100 acres of countryside. It is close to the towns of Penryn and Falmouth. About 4,000 students study at this campus. All the departments in Cornwall are part of larger departments also found on the Exeter campuses.

The Institute of Cornish Studies focuses on research about Cornwall. It aims to increase knowledge of Cornwall's history and present day.

How the University is Run

Leadership and Structure

Clock Tower, Northcote House

The university is guided by its royal charter from 1955. The Council is the main governing body. It handles policies, money, buildings, and legal matters. The Senate is in charge of teaching, learning, exams, and research.

The Chancellor is the university's main ceremonial officer. They lead events like graduation ceremonies. The Vice-Chancellor is the chief academic and executive officer. They are supported by four deputy vice-chancellors. The current Chancellor is Sir Michael Barber. The Vice-Chancellor is Professor Lisa Roberts.

The university's visitor is Charles III.

The university divides its academic and administrative work into six colleges. Each college has different subjects, institutes, and research centers. A Dean leads each college. The university compares its performance yearly with ten other top universities. These universities are similar to Exeter in their research focus and range of subjects.

Academic Colleges and Departments

The University of Exeter has several colleges, each focusing on different areas of study:

College of Humanities: This college includes subjects like Archaeology, Classics, Drama, English, Film Studies, History, Modern Languages, and Theology.
College of Social Sciences and International Studies: Here you'll find the Law School, Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology, and the Graduate School of Education. It also includes the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.
College of Life and Environmental Sciences: This college covers Biosciences, Geography, Psychology, and Sport and Health Sciences.
College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences: This includes the Camborne School of Mines, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics and Astronomy.
The Business School: This school has departments for Leadership Studies, Accounting, Economics, and Management.
College of Medicine and Health: This college focuses on Medicine, Medical Imaging, and Medical Sciences.

Maritime History Studies

The Centre for Maritime Historical Studies started in 1991. It helps people learn more about the importance of maritime history. It supports programs like Naval History and Maritime History.

University Coat of Arms

The university's coat of arms shows its ties to the local area. The gold castle with three towers comes from Exeter's coat of arms. It represents Rougemont Castle. The 15 gold bezants (old coins) around the shield come from the arms of the Duchy of Cornwall. They represent Cornwall. The green cross on a white background is from the city of Plymouth's coat of arms.

The open book with gold edges stands for learning. The Latin motto, Lucem sequimur, means "We follow the light."

University Life and Learning

Admissions: Joining Exeter

UCAS Admission Statistics
	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Applications	38,450	40,425	41,695	38,385	37,640
Accepted	7,715	6,060	8,175	8,200	6,905
Applications/Accepted Ratio	5.0	6.7	5.1	4.7	5.5
Offer Rate (%)	82.0	63.3	79.2	87.5	88.7
Average Entry Tariff	N/A	N/A	164	162	157

HESA Student Body Composition (2022)
Domicile and Ethnicity	Total
British White	65%	65
British Ethnic Minorities	10%	10
International EU	4%	4
International Non-EU	21%	21
Undergraduate Widening Participation Indicators
Female	52%	52
Private School	35%	35
Low Participation Areas	6%	6

Exeter is known for having high entry requirements for students. In 2015, it had the 13th highest average entry qualifications in the UK. This means students needed very good grades to get in. The university offers admission to a high percentage of its applicants.

For the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) program, getting in can be very competitive. Exeter was one of the first UK universities to ask for an A* grade in A-level exams for some courses.

Rankings and Reputation

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2021)	14
Guardian (2021)	18
Times / Sunday Times (2021)	11
Global rankings
ARWU (2020)	151–200
CWTS Leiden (2020)	31
QS (2021)	169=
THE (2021)	177=
British Government assessment
Teaching Excellence Framework	Gold

University of Exeter's national league table performance over the past ten years

The University of Exeter is consistently ranked among the top universities in the UK. In recent years, it has been placed between 11th and 18th in major UK university rankings. In 2016, it was ranked 7th by The Times and 9th by The Guardian.

Exeter also ranks well globally. In 2015/16, it was ranked 93rd in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In the 2020 QS World University Subject Rankings, Exeter was 10th in the world for sport and health sciences. It was also 14th for engineering in minerals and mining.

The university was named the Sunday Times University of the Year in 2013. It also won the Times Higher Education University of the Year award in 2007.

Research at Exeter

The university has about 70 research centers and institutes. These include the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. The Institute of Cornish Studies and the Environment and Sustainability Institute are also important.

The Centre for Leadership Studies focuses on leadership theory. It is the only special center in Europe for this type of study.

Exeter's research focuses on several important topics:

Climate change and future sustainability
Extrasolar planets (planets outside our solar system)
Genomics (studying genes)
Ecology and Conservation Biology
Middle Eastern and Islamic studies
Systems Biology
Translational medicine (turning research into treatments)

Extrasolar planetary research using the Hubble Space Telescope

Scientists at Exeter use the Hubble Space Telescope to study extrasolar planets. They also work with the Met Office to create climate prediction models.

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), which checks the quality of university research, Exeter ranked well. It was joint 23rd for research quality and 18th for research power in the UK.

Exeter Law Review

The university has a student-led publication called the Exeter Law Review. It publishes articles on legal topics once a year. It is the oldest student-led law review in the UK, starting in 1965. They also have a website, ExeterLaw.org, for shorter legal articles.

Student Life and Activities

Students' Guild: Your Voice

Students at Exeter are represented by the Students' Guild. This group works to support students and campaign on important issues. It is run by elected student officers.

There are over 250 student societies at the university. These cover many interests, from hobbies to community service and politics.

The Debating Society started in 1893, even before the university was officially formed. Many famous speakers have visited, including Stephen Fry.

Exeter Student Volunteers helps students find volunteering opportunities. They run projects with the local community. There is also a RAG (Raising and Giving) group that raises money for charities.

Sports at Exeter

Exeter Tennis Centre, University of Exeter

The Exeter University Athletic Union (AU) manages all sports activities. This includes casual sports and competitive games. The AU runs 50 Sports Clubs with over 5,000 student members. Many students also play intramural sports or volunteer in the community.

Students can play American football, association football, rugby football, hockey, lacrosse, golf, and many other sports. Many clubs compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition.

Theatre and Arts

The university has seven theatre societies that put on shows all year. These include Exeter University Theatre Company (EUTCo) and Exeter Footlights. The campus is home to the Northcott Theatre, where student groups perform. Many Exeter alumni have gone on to careers in theatre and film, like actress Vanessa Kirby.

Music Groups

While Exeter no longer offers a music degree, it has many music groups. These include orchestras, vocal groups, and popular music bands. The a cappella group Semi-Toned has won awards and toured internationally. The university chaplaincy also has a choir.

Student Journalism

Exeposé is the official student newspaper. It has been printed since 1987. The Falmouth Anchor is the newspaper for the Cornwall campuses. The student TV station is XTV, and the radio station is Xpression FM. Xpression FM has been broadcasting since 1976 and is one of only three student stations with a year-round FM license.

Military Training

The Exeter University Officers Training Corps (EUOTC) is one of 19 university OTCs in the UK. It trains students from Exeter and Plymouth universities. Exeter University also works with the Bristol University Air Squadron (BUAS).

Student Accommodation

The university offers various halls of residence for students. These provide a place to live and study while at university.

Famous People Who Studied Here

Many people who studied at Exeter have become famous in different fields. These include science, government, arts, and sports.

Abdullah Gül, former President of Turkey
Sir Sajid Javid, former UK government minister
Vanessa Kirby, actress
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series
Sir Patrick Sanders, top British Army officer
Zara Tindall, Olympic medalist and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II

Government and Law Leaders

Exeter alumni have held important roles in government and law around the world. These include Abdullah Gül, the 11th President of Turkey, and Ameenah Gurib, the 6th President of Mauritius. In the UK, Sajid Javid, a former government minister, studied here. Other notable alumni include lawyers and human rights advocates.

Arts and Entertainment Stars

Many creative people have come from Exeter. J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, is an alumna. Actress Vanessa Kirby, known for The Crown, also studied at Exeter. Other alumni include actor Stephen Dillane (from Game of Thrones), Thom Yorke (lead singer of Radiohead), and TV presenter Steve Backshall.

Top Academics

Exeter graduates have also made big contributions in academics. Andrew D. Hamilton became the president of New York University. Sir Michael Berry, a famous physicist, also studied here.

Business Leaders

In the business world, alumni include Dennis Gillings, who founded the company Quintiles. Neil Woodford, a well-known fund manager, also graduated from Exeter.

Dennis Gillings

Military Figures

Important military leaders have also studied at Exeter. These include General Sir Patrick Sanders, a top officer in the British Army. Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, a former head of the Royal Navy, is also an alumnus.

Royal Family Members

Members of the British Royal Family have attended the university. The Princess Royal's children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall (an Olympic medalist), both studied at Exeter. Other royal alumni include Infanta Elena of Spain and Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, a ruler from the United Arab Emirates.

Sports Achievers

Many successful athletes have graduated from Exeter. These include rugby players Henry Slade and Sam Skinner. Zara Tindall, an Olympic silver medalist in eventing, also studied here.

University of Exeter facts for kids

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