University of Exeter breaks into the Top 10

It is now the highest ranked university in the South West. Exeter’s rise has been driven by high student satisfaction, as measured by the National Student Survey, and highly intensive world class research.

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Smith said it had been the University’s aim to get into the top 10 by 2012, but this had been achieved three years early.

He added: ‘It is a fantastic result and a great tribute to the work of the University’s 2,700 staff who have embraced change and worked extremely hard to deliver this result. It is also great news for the city of Exeter where the University is a major employer and puts more than £300 million a year into the economy. There are further major developments to come at the University over the next few years, including £270 million worth of new facilities and major investment in increasing research capacity. Exeter is also becoming a more international university and we are working hard to develop new international teaching and research links with universities in places like China and Hong Kong.’

The Times has identified several areas of particularly high performance at Exeter, including the National Student Survey (where the University comes 2nd), the proportion of students getting good degrees (9th), the Research Assessment Exercise (10th) and Completion Rates (11th).

In addition to the overall ranking, Exeter has excelled in the subject league tables.

• In Exeter’s 31 subject areas, there are nine ranked in the top five.
• 21 subjects at Exeter make it into the top 10