A brief profile of the University

Exeter is a top UK university which combines world leading research with very high levels of student satisfaction.

It is one of the UK’s most popular and successful universities with campuses in Exeter, Devon, and near Falmouth in Cornwall. The University also has Project Offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Bangalore.

Students and staff enjoy some of the finest campus environments in the UK. The South West counties of Devon and Cornwall boast an unrivalled mix of city life, countryside and coastline.

League tables and prizes

Exeter is ranked 10th out of more than 100 UK universities in the Times league table. It was the 2007/08 Times Higher Education University of the Year and is the Sunday Times University of the Year 2012/13 .

Exeter is one of the top 200 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings.

The University scores highly for degree completion rates, and for students achieving good honours degrees (Firsts or 2:1s).

It is ranked sixth in the UK for student satisfaction in the latest National Student Survey amongst full service universities. According to the Sunday Times, a subject taught at Exeter won the accolade for the most satisfied students in the UK for two years running - Sports Science in 2007 and Finance and Accounting in 2008.

Exeter has been shortlisted for the Sunday Times University of the Year Award more times than any other university and has won three Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for its research.

Recent developments

Under the leadership of Professor Steve Smith, appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2002, the University has invested heavily in new academic appointments and facilities.

Some 180 new academic staff were appointed last year. A £450 million investment programme has recently been completed, including major investment in student facilities in the new Forum building. Many academic buildings were redeveloped including a £25 million investment in the Business School and a further £18 million for Biosciences.

Success has led to growth in student numbers: Exeter now has 18,000 students, 4,000 of which are postgraduates.

Research

The University secured new research funding of £48 million last year. It has research strength in depth across all of its disciplines.

Sciences

Areas of research excellence include, in the sciences, translational medicine, climate change and sustainability, systems biology, extrasolar planets and functional materials.

Some of the research projects in these areas include:

• identifying and treating new forms of diabetes,
• discovering new genes which affect height and obesity,
• unravelling the genome of the rice blast fungus,
• finding new planets beyond our solar system,
• and developing new ‘auxetic’ materials which get fatter when you stretch them.

Arts, humanities and social sciences

Exeter is also strong in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

A particular specialism is Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, where projects include conflict resolution in disputed territories and political change in the Gulf oil monarchies.

The Migration and Identity network brings together researchers from many other academic areas and current research areas include Britain’s relationship with the Muslim world and the effects of ethnicity on politics and society.

Research by the Centre for Medical History has yielded significant results in fields such as the history of insanity, contraception, mental disability, fertility, infanticide, medical statistics and the development of institutional care.

Some of the most fundamental questions associated with developments in genetic research and its application are being addressed by the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society.