University of Exeter is The Sunday Times University of the Year

The 64-page guide, now in its 15th year, is published this Sunday, September 30, with The Sunday Times.

After being shortlisted four times in the past decade for the University of the Year title, Exeter has finally claimed the top prize, while rising to 7th, its highest-ever position in The Sunday Times University Guide’s new league table.

The University of Exeter has made steady gains in The Sunday Times University Guide league tables over the past five years. It broke into The Sunday Times University Guide  top 10 for the first time last year. This was assisted by the change in the way the Guide calculated the institutional league table which places greater emphasis today on the student experience and graduate outcomes, in terms of jobs, degrees and the prospect of completing courses.

Putting the student experience at the heart of what The Sunday Times University Guide measures - with an emphasis on student views of the quality of their teaching and assessment, and the promptness and usefulness of academic comment and feedback - was timed by The Sunday Times to coincide with the introduction of £9,000 annual tuition fees, charged for the first time from this month.

University of Exeter Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Sir Steve Smith said: “I am absolutely thrilled that the University of Exeter has been named University of the Year by The Sunday Times. This is an extremely prestigious award and reflects the hard work and dedication of all our staff and students. This is not only a proud day for everyone at the University, but also for the region and for our many partners here in the South West and across the globe, who are crucial to our success.

“This has been a phenomenal year for the University. Over the past 12 months, we have joined the Russell Group, made it into the top 200 universities in the world and welcomed Her Majesty The Queen to open the Forum - a stunning new £50 million centrepiece for the Streatham Campus. On top of all that, to be named University of the Year is a really wonderful achievement.”

Alastair McCall, Editor of The Sunday Times University Guide, said: “Exeter’s success as The Sunday Times University of the Year is richly deserved.

“Shortlisted for the top award no less than four times in the past decade, it has consistently embodied the very best in British higher education. A key player regionally, nationally and internationally, it has responded to the challenge of £9,000 fees by raising its game more than any other university.

“Students are benefiting from £380 million of investment in facilities – social as well as academic – timed to come on stream at just this moment. This has translated into its highest ever league table ranking (seventh) and outstanding ratings from students for teaching quality, assessment and feedback. More than four in five leave with a first or 2:1 and very few drop out. It is not hard to see why.”

The Sunday Times University Guide 2013 #uniguide2013 provides students and their parents with an invaluable first reference point on the path leading colleges of higher education. The league table is drawn up from criteria including student satisfaction, teaching and research quality, entrance qualifications held by new students, degree results achieved, student/staff ratios, graduate unemployment levels and university dropout rates.