Exeter, University of

Age: 152, or 52 as a modern university

History: Traces roots back to the school of art in 1855. In 1863 it spawned a school of science; in 1893 it became the Exeter Technical College; in 1922 it acquired the title University College of the South West of England; and in 1955 it became a university in its own right.

Address: Three campuses. Streatham caters for arts, science, social studies, law and engineering. Across the city is St Luke's, home to the school of education, sport and health sciences and the Peninsula Medical School. Carry on down the A30 to Cornwall to find the Cornwall Campus, Penryn, near Falmouth, which is shared with University College Falmouth, and opened in 2004.

Ambience: Mostly redbrick buildings set in 250-acre garden estate one mile from city centre. Beautiful beaches and Dartmoor close at hand. The university objects to the "green welly" tag that is often thrown at it and there has been a recent push to encourage more applications from students from less well-off backgrounds. Superior sports facilities and a gentle climate.

Vital statistics: A popular university, partly because of its sublime setting. Around 9,000 full-time undergraduates, 700 part-time and 3,300 postgraduates. About a quarter of undergraduates come from private schools and four out of ten are from the local area. Undergraduate applications for entry in 2007 have just skyrocketed by 23 per cent (the national average is 6 per cent). Applications to the new Cornwall Campus are up a massive 163 per cent.

Added value: A new £28 million Dental School for the South West - the first new dental school in the UK for 40 years - will take its first students in 2007 and will be part of the Peninsula Medical School, a joint initiative of Exeter and Plymouth Universities. The University has stepped up its drive for student employability: 7,100 students undertook employability training in 2006, often under the guidance of real employers. September of this year will seethe launch of new degrees in Cornish and Celtic Studies, Geography, History, Law and Politics, all taught at the new Cornwall Campus. Lots of sporting successes recently in the inter-university BUSA leagues. Membership of the Athletic Union reached a whopping 3,314 last year Exeter has one of the most advanced student media networks in the country. Its radio station, Xpression FM, is one of only three student stations in the country to have a year-round FM licence.

Easy to get into? No. Courses ask for anything from 240 to 400 UCAS entry points.

Glittering alumni: JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter; Thom Yorke, Radiohead; Felix Buxton, Basement Jaxx; Will Young, Pop Idol; First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathan Band; Peter Phillips, son of the Princess Royal.

Transport links: M5 on the doorstep and London just over two hours away by train.

Who's the boss? Steve Smith, professor of international politics.

Teaching: Exeter has come joint 10th for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey for two years running.Finance and accounting students are the most satisfied in the country, Quality of teaching was given a neat 4.1 out of 5 in the 2006 survey.

Research: Climbing back up the league table after it took a tumble in 1996, Exeter came 33rd out of 106 in 2001 research assessment.

Nightlife: Popular student bars on campus include the Ram and nightclub 'The Lemmy', which has recently undergone a £1m refit. Recent acts include: Hard Fi, James Blunt, Bloc Party, Ash, Embrace, The Automatic and The Kooks.

How green is it? Not great - came joint 66th out of 120 universities graded by People & Planet for their 'Green League 2007', an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Yes. Catered halls average £100 per week; self-catering £75 per week.

Cheap to live there? Fairly. Private rents are around £60 per week.

Prospectus: 01392 263030 ; www.exeter.ac.uk

UCAS code: E84