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The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
4.04.23.6749 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviewsCompared to Birmingham, the greenery of Exeter is wonderful, and the campus is close to the city centre, which is also great for convenience. Student accommodation for second and third years is also reasonably priced. The people are friendly too. The buses aren't extremely late either, though many things are within walkable distances, so buses aren't that important. The Student Union are pretty active, but personally I am not extroverted so I don't really expand past my small group of friends. The nightlife is also very active, especially for students.
Study spaces quite nice. Not enough of them, especially 24/7 computer clusters at main campus. If on main campus, you have to take a laptop with you. More desktops please
I wish I had more support academically, meeting with tutors and ways to get in touch with professors but I am really enjoying the social aspect
The campus is absolutely beautiful, with lovely green spaces and impressive buildings that really create a great atmosphere for studying and hanging out with friends.
Support for students is very efficient and the campus has very nice green grounds.
18-24 years
it is great because there are always society and guild events running so there’s plenty to do outside of your degree
There’s no chess club which is the only downside
Exeter is situated on a beautiful campus that is so green and well looked after by grounds staff. The support available is absolutely amazing ranging from wellbeing support to a first rate careers team that you can go and see at any time for CV or application support for work experience or part-time jobs. The university is located about a 20 minute walk from the city centre making everything in Exeter easily available. There is a good range of shops and Exeter has a good night life. The campus also has many shops and facilities and often has pop up shops where local businesses will come to the campus to sell things such as posters or plants. I would highly recommended Exeter to absolutely anyone!
So far I have had nothing but a good time at the uni of Exeter (Penryn campus). I am enjoying my lectures, the societies and the lifestyle. My life is very busy with everything I have got involved in, and I only wish I had more time to do it all. For one campus there is an awful lot on offer, both related to my course and completely unrelated. However, one improvement I would like to see is more sports facilities. All my lecturers are friendly and strive to make their lectures engaging and amusing, and all the textbooks, powerpoints and assignments are available online which is very handy. The location is very scenic, the buses to the nearest town are regular and usually reliable and the campus is a great environment to live and work in. It's a good compromise between getting away from the urban environment while still being a convenient distance to everything, and I love being close to the sea. Overall, I have very little negative to say. It's not perfect but I have no doubt it was the right university for me. Also did I mention they have a corridor of skeletons??!!
18-24 years
The campus is gorgeous and well-maintained, so I can appreciate the beauty of nature whilst walking to and from lectures (it is the perfect habitat for local wildlife - I have seen a lot of animals here!). Unfortunately, the campus is on a fairly steep hill, but I do enjoy feeling fitter after trekking up Cardiac Hill everyday. Besides that, the facilities are very good and the online learning system works well - I can view past and future content on there, as well as deadlines. Academics seem knowledgeable and I am enjoying most of my course content. The Student Guild is very active and posts about a variety of activities each week. It seems that there are lots of study spaces and avenues for support, whether that be in regards to studies or wellbeing. I appreciate that the library works as an online resource, where I can view digital textbooks rather than having to buy or carry them, although the physical libraries do give that option too. The nightlife is pretty good: there is a large Wetherspoons close to campus and a couple of nightclubs in the city centre, which isn't too far away. The downside is that nights out cannot really be spontaneous since you usually have to buy tickets online in advance or wait in the longest queue ever. I feel very safe living in Exeter because the campus has 24/7 Estate Patrol and well-lit paths with security cameras. There's also a student nightline you can call if you're out and need a chat, although nobody answered the one time I called (lol, I guess it is run by volunteers though). Overall, I am really enjoying my experience at the University of Exeter, and I would highly recommend going here.
Good
The campus is absolutely beautiful, with lovely green spaces and impressive buildings that really create a great atmosphere for studying and hanging out with friends. The facilities are great, too. Plus, the student life here is vibrant, with tons of clubs and events that make it easy to meet people and get involved. However, there are some challenges. Financial support for students from working-class backgrounds can be quite limited, which can lead to stress and make it harder to fully participate in everything the university has to offer. Living in Exeter can also be pricey, with high rents and general costs adding to the financial burden. Overall, it’s a mixed bag, but I’ve definitely enjoyed my time at Exeter!
18-24 years
First gen student
Pros: - University has great resources. It has a three story library and access to original primary source material. - Disability and ILP team are lovely and accomodating. - Beautiful location. Exeter is a very historical city with plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature. Train station 20 minutes from campus which has routes across the country. - Guild supports students through cost of living campaigns and feed your flat meal nights where they provide ingredients. They also provide free period products. - Give it a go run by the guild is fun and enjoyable. You get to do things for free including pumpkin carving, glass painting etc. - Campus £2 meal deal great cheaper alternative to other campus food. - Campus is relatively clean. Cons: - Online library system is difficult to use and often does not give you the results you're looking for. - Not enough study spaces on campus, meaning you're always fighting for a seat if you're planning on staying to do work. - Campus is on a steep hill, which you have to climb pretty much every single day. - Student union doesn't really do much and is not very good with supporting its societies. - Not much nightlife so places are crowded and tickets sell out fast. - Buying anything on campus is expensive - There are hardly any benches on campus. - Bus routes to campus are limited. There is only one bus that comes to campus and it only covers a very small percentage of the city.
Love the beach and the sea campus has a really natural feel.
I like the location and the city, and the campus is good, I just do not think the teaching is the best, there is little academic support and all our assignments are marked inconsistently, with feedback usually being ai generated
35-44 years
It has great lecturers and facilities are all great making learning enjoyable
18-24 years
First gen student
The best parts of the University of Exeter are the location including the university campus, distance to the city centre and the local area in addition to the student support. The campus is located with easy access to the beach, nature and the city centre for shopping. The campus is beautiful and full of mindful green space. The university takes mental wellbeing, health and accessibility seriously. There are so many campaigns and educational resources for all students to understand theese things. the well-being and accessibility teams are inclusive, accessible and helpful for all students. We also have a useful individual learning plan system so all students can feel that their needs are being met including extra time, support for disabilities or anxiety and any other support the university can put in place to make education accessible to all of us.
18-24 years
A great student culture and endless student opportunities with a great careers team and a great diversity of students. You can really personalise your student life to how you want, with many societies and a well-looked after campus. Improvements include individual study spaces for interviews and better internet on campus. Some cheaper options for food on campus.
18-24 years
One of the best aspects of studying at Exeter University is that the lecturers are all leading experts in their fields - it's really interesting to hear about their research and how it links so directly to the things we are studying. The location is also stunning, Penryn Campus is beautiful and Cornwall is (in my opinion) one the best places to study, particularly for a Bioscience course. The location also has its downsides and one of the worst things about studying here is that lots of places in the county are inaccessible if you don't have a car so opportunities for exploring are a little limited.
4.3
- Good, up to date facilities. - Proximity to sea. - Career zone - Study space could be improved as the Stannary, library, study lounges etc seem to be completely full for most of the day.
Best: - Good support network - Able to easily contact lecturers - Good amount of contact hours Worst: - Course content is very overloaded, makes it extremely challenging to fully engage with materials when some of my timetable overlaps, the amount of content per module etc.
Most: - Space in room - Desk/draw space - How close I am to campus Least: - Maintenance aren’t always readily available/helpful - Old kitchen facilities - The amount we have to pay for the facilities we get is NOT proportional. e.g. we are paying the same price as those living in newly refurbished halls. - Kitchen is not fit for the usage of 9 people; limited space, limited fridge/freezer capacity.