University of Exeter sits in Exeter, England, and is the only Russell Group member with a subject ranked #2 globally. That subject is Ecology in ARWU 2025. The university ranks #136 in QS World University Rankings 2027 and #118 in Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026, with its strongest pull in environmental science, earth science and business research.

  • QS World University Rankings 2027: #136 globally, #21 in UK
  • Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #118 globally, #22 in UK
  • THE World University Rankings 2026: #170 globally, #22 in UK
  • U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026: #138 globally

Note for Indian applicants: Exeter’s strength sits in subject lists, not in the headline rank. Its Ecology #2 and Earth Sciences #18 in ARWU 2025 sit far ahead of its #136 overall position in QS 2027. For an Indian applicant studying climate, geography, environment or business research, the subject rank matters more than the overall number.

Read More: University of Exeter Admissions 2026: Deadlines, Eligibility and Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

University of Exeter Overall Rankings 2026-2027

Five major bodies place University of Exeter in a tight band between #118 and #170 worldwide. QS, U.S. News and Collegedunia Study Abroad all sit within 22 positions of each other. The two highest-volume sources for Indian applicants agree that Exeter belongs in the global top 150.

Ranking Body (Edition)University of Exeter Rank
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026#118
QS World University Rankings 2027#136
U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026#138
THE World University Rankings 2026#170
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities 2025#151-200

Across the five bodies the spread from best to weakest position is roughly 50 places. That is a narrow band by global-ranking standards and signals consistent peer recognition. The 18-place gap between the CD rank at #118 and the QS rank at #136 reflects Indian-applicant factors that QS does not weight.

University of Exeter Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students

For an Indian applicant the meaningful comparison is Exeter against the institutes that applicant could realistically choose at home. On QS 2027 the gap between IIT Delhi at #118 and Exeter at #136 is only 18 positions. On THE 2026 Exeter at #170 sits well above India’s top THE institute IISc Bangalore in the 201-250 band.

SignalData PointWhat it means for Indian applicants
Closest Indian alternative (QS 2027)IIT Delhi #118 vs Exeter #136Exeter sits 18 places below India’s top institute, a smaller gap than most Russell Group options outside Oxbridge.
Closest Indian alternative (THE 2026)IISc Bangalore 201-250 vs Exeter #170Exeter ranks ahead of India’s top THE institute, so degree value on the THE measure is higher than any Indian peer.
5-year QS movement2023 #163 to 2027 #136Climbed 27 places in five years, so alumni brand value has been rising, not slipping.
CD vs QS gapCD #118 vs QS #136India-relevant scoring lifts Exeter by 18 places, driven by acceptance rate and scholarship access.
Subject signalEcology #2, Earth Sciences #18 in ARWU 2025Two top-20 subjects mean a research-stream Indian applicant gets a near-Oxbridge tier in those disciplines.

Bottom Line for Indian Students: The worst-case spread across five bodies is 50 positions. The best subject sits at #2 worldwide. The Indian-relevant CD rank lifts Exeter 18 places above its QS number. That combination is rare among Russell Group options outside the Oxbridge-Imperial-UCL cluster.

University of Exeter QS World University Rankings 2027

University of Exeter ranks #136 globally in QS World University Rankings 2027, its highest position in five years. QS scores universities on academic reputation, employer opinion, faculty-student ratio, citations and international mix. The 2027 edition was released in June 2026.

The five-year pattern below tracks every QS edition Exeter has appeared in since 2023. Latest year sits at the top.

QS World University Rankings EditionUniversity of Exeter Rank
2027#136
2026#155
2025#169
2024#153
2023#163

The headline number is the 27-place climb from #163 in 2023 to #136 in 2027. The sharpest single-year jump of 19 positions came between the 2026 and 2027 editions. Exeter has now broken into the global top 140 for the first time, sitting two places below IIT Bombay at #134.

Key insight: Exeter has averaged #155 across the last five QS editions. The 2027 number of #136 sits 19 places above its own five-year mean and signals genuine upward momentum rather than a one-edition spike.

Read More: University of Exeter Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students

Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of University of Exeter

Collegedunia Study Abroad scores universities on factors that matter most to Indian applicants. These include acceptance rate, scholarship access, employability for international students and India-route value-for-money. Exeter holds three category ranks in the 2026 edition.

CategoryCollegedunia Rank 2026
Overall (Global)#118
United Kingdom#22
Medicine#110
Engineering#140

The Collegedunia overall rank of #118 sits 18 positions higher than the QS rank of #136. That gap is driven by Exeter’s high UG acceptance rate, the India Excellence Scholarship coverage and the placement record for postgraduate Indian students. The Medicine rank at #110 sits 30 places above the Engineering rank at #140.

What this means for Indian applicants: The 18-place CD-vs-QS gap is the single number worth tracking. It shows Indian-applicant factors lift Exeter above its global-research position by almost a full ranking tier.

University of Exeter Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2026

University of Exeter ranks #170 in THE World University Rankings 2026, climbing two places from its 2025 position. THE scores universities on teaching, research environment, research quality, industry income and international outlook. The 2026 edition was released in October 2025.

The three editions below cover the years where Exeter holds a confirmed THE rank on the official source.

THE World University Rankings EditionUniversity of Exeter Rank
2026#170
2025#172
2024#177

The trend across three editions is a quiet seven-place climb from #177 in 2024 to #170 in 2026. That is smaller than the QS climb but points in the same direction. The gap between the THE rank of #170 and the QS rank of #136 is 34 positions. THE weights research output more heavily than QS does, which explains the wider gap.

Trend signal: Both QS and THE have moved Exeter upward in their most recent edition. It is the first time the university has climbed on both bodies in the same year since 2024. Parallel upward movement on two independent methods is a stronger signal than a one-body jump.

University of Exeter ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings 2025

University of Exeter ranks in the #151-200 band in ARWU 2025. It has held that band for four of the last five editions. ARWU, also called the Shanghai Ranking, scores universities mainly on research output, Nobel laureates and the number of highly-cited researchers on staff.

ARWU EditionUniversity of Exeter Rank
2025#151-200
2024#151-200
2023#151-200
2022#101-150
2021#151-200

Exeter slipped one band between 2022 and 2023, moving from #101-150 to #151-200. The lower band has held steady for three consecutive editions since then. Each of those four editions sits roughly 250 positions above India’s top ARWU institute IISc Bangalore, which sits in the 401-500 band.

Key insight: ARWU’s flat 151-200 line for four years means Exeter’s research-output score has held steady through three different methodology revisions. A single-edition trend cannot show that kind of stability.

University of Exeter U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2025-2026

University of Exeter ranks #138 in U.S. News Best Global Universities 2025-2026. U.S. News judges universities on global research reputation, regional research reputation, publication counts, citations and international research collaboration.

U.S. News Best Global Universities EditionUniversity of Exeter Rank
2025-2026#138

The U.S. News rank of #138 sits within two positions of the QS 2027 rank of #136. That is the tightest cross-body agreement in this article. QS weights employer reputation while U.S. News weights research output, so two very different methods landing on the same band is a strong defensible signal.

What it signals: When two independent ranking bodies agree within two positions, the resulting band is the one to quote on a CV. For Exeter, that defensible band is global top 150.

University of Exeter Subject Rankings

Subject ranks tell a sharper story than the overall number at Exeter. Eight subjects sit in the THE 2026 top 200 worldwide and five subjects sit in the ARWU global top 30. The strongest subject is Ecology at #2 worldwide in ARWU 2025.

Key insight: Exeter subject signals worth knowing

  • Ecology: Ranked #2 globally in ARWU 2025, the highest subject rank Exeter has ever held.
  • Earth Sciences and Geography: Both at #18 worldwide in ARWU 2025, two earth-science fields inside the global top 20.
  • Psychology: Climbed into the THE 2026 global top 100 at #87, an improvement on the previous edition.
  • Arts and Humanities: Ranked #95 in THE 2026, the second Exeter subject inside the world top 100.
  • Business and Economics: Ranked in the THE #176-200 band, the closest match to Exeter’s overall position.

University of Exeter Environmental and Earth Sciences Rankings

Five Exeter subjects sit inside the ARWU 2025 global top 30. All five sit within the broader environmental and earth-science family.

Subject (ARWU GRAS 2025)University of Exeter Rank
Ecology#2
Earth Sciences#18
Geography#18
Atmospheric Science#19
Environmental Science and Engineering#28
Public Administration#40
Oceanography#76-100

The Ecology rank of #2 globally is the single most distinguishing fact in this article. It sits 134 positions above Exeter’s overall QS rank. For an Indian applicant studying climate, biodiversity or environmental policy, the subject-tier match is nearer the Oxbridge band than the overall rank suggests.

India-relevance: An MSc Climate Change Science or MSc Conservation at Exeter trades on the Ecology #2 ranking, not the overall #136 rank. That subject tier carries real weight with Indian sustainability-sector employers.

University of Exeter Psychology and Humanities Rankings

Two Exeter subjects sit inside the THE 2026 global top 100. Both carry confirmed year-on-year improvement.

Subject (THE 2026)University of Exeter Rank
Psychology#87
Arts and Humanities#95

Psychology sits 83 places above the overall THE rank of #170. That is the widest subject-vs-overall gap on the THE table. An Indian applicant choosing MSc Psychological Research Methods or MA English at Exeter is signing up for a course tier far stronger than the headline number.

University of Exeter Business and Economics Rankings

The Business School holds a steady THE band and improved its QS Business Master’s score in 2026.

Subject (THE 2026)University of Exeter Rank
Business and Economics#176-200
Social Sciences#101-125

The Business and Economics band of #176-200 sits almost exactly at the overall THE rank. The Business School’s research and reputation scores track the university average. For an Indian MBA, MSc Finance or MSc Business Analytics applicant, the school trades on the institutional brand rather than a subject premium.

University of Exeter Medicine and Health Rankings

Medicine and life sciences carry a stable Russell Group band on THE 2026.

Subject (THE 2026)University of Exeter Rank
Life Sciences#101-125
Physical Sciences#101-125
Medical and Health#151-175
Education Studies#126-150

Life Sciences and Physical Sciences both sit in the #101-125 band, roughly 50 places above the overall THE rank of #170. The Medicine and Health band of #151-175 is closer to the overall number. Degree value in clinical streams scans broadly in line with the headline THE rank.

University of Exeter Engineering, Law and Computer Science Rankings

Three professional subjects sit below the overall rank. These are honest reads for Indian applicants choosing those streams.

Subject (THE 2026)University of Exeter Rank
Engineering#201-250
Law#201-250
Computer Science#251-300

Engineering, Law and Computer Science all sit below Exeter’s overall THE band. Computer Science is the weakest at #251-300. THE has confirmed Computer Science climbed year-on-year, so the trajectory is upward. An applicant choosing the stream for ranking alone has stronger UK options at Imperial, UCL or Manchester.

University of Exeter Regional and Impact Rankings

Exeter ranks #28 in THE Impact Rankings 2025, inside the top 30 worldwide and third in the UK. THE Impact scores universities on their work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Development Goal (THE Impact 2025)University of Exeter Rank
Overall Impact#28
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production#2
SDG 13: Climate Action#17
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation#33
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities#40

The Responsible Consumption rank of #2 worldwide matches the Ecology #2 finding on ARWU. The two top-tier scores reinforce Exeter’s signature sustainability story rather than sitting in isolation. Only two UK universities outrank Exeter on the THE sustainability measure, which carries weight for Indian applicants targeting policy or climate-finance careers.

University of Exeter Rankings: Indian Student Outlook

For an Indian applicant the rank pattern is more useful than any single number. Exeter trades on subject-tier strength and a high Indian-applicant CD score rather than on a global top-100 headline. The popular programmes Indian students choose at Exeter map closely onto its strongest ranked subjects.

Popular Indian-Student ProgrammeWhy it works at Exeter
MSc FinanceBusiness School sits in the THE #176-200 Business and Economics band and ranks in QS Business Master’s 2026.
MSc Business AnalyticsAnchored in the same Business and Economics band, with Social Sciences at THE #101-125 as supporting research strength.
MSc Data ScienceSits in Computer Science THE #251-300, so suits applicants prioritising Russell Group brand over subject-tier rank.
MBAMaps to the Business School and benefits from QS Business Master’s 2026 score improvements.
MSc Climate Change Science and MSc ConservationTrades on Ecology #2 and Environmental Science #28 in ARWU 2025.
MSc International ManagementTrades on the Business and Economics band plus Exeter’s #21 UK rank in QS 2027.

Key insight

  • 5-year QS climb: 27 places from #163 in 2023 to #136 in 2027, a fast improvement among mid-tier Russell Group universities.
  • CD vs QS gap: 18 places in favour of CD, driven by acceptance rate and India Excellence Scholarship coverage.
  • Subject vs overall gap: 134 positions in Ecology and 83 positions in Psychology, the widest gaps in this article.
  • Indian peer comparison: Exeter at QS #136 sits 18 positions below IIT Delhi at #118 and 2 positions below IIT Bombay at #134.
  • Sustainability signal: Two #2-globally subject scores across ARWU and THE Impact, the rarest pattern of distinction in this rank list.

Exeter’s verified rank pattern reads as a research-strength story. Ecology at #2 globally separates it from every UK university outside the Oxbridge-Imperial-UCL cluster. An Indian applicant reading the QS #136 headline alone misses the 18-place CD-vs-QS gap, the eight subjects inside the THE top 200 and the 27-place five-year QS climb.

Read More: University of Exeter Scholarships 2026 for Indian Students

University of Exeter Ranking FAQs

Ques. What is the QS ranking of University of Exeter in 2027?

Ans. University of Exeter ranks #136 in QS World University Rankings 2027, its highest position in five years. That is a 19-place climb from #155 in 2026 and 27 places higher than its 2023 rank of #163.

Ques. What is University of Exeter’s THE World University Rankings 2026 position?

Ans. University of Exeter ranks #170 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, sharing the position with Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Antwerp. That is a two-place rise from #172 in 2025.

Ques. Why does Exeter rank differently in UK league tables and the world rankings?

Ans. UK domestic guides score on UK-specific factors like graduate prospects and student satisfaction. QS and THE score on global research and reputation. Exeter sits at #11 in the Complete University Guide 2027 but #136 in QS 2027 because UK guides reward teaching strength that global research-led methods do not weight as heavily.

Ques. What is Exeter’s ARWU Shanghai Ranking 2025 position?

Ans. University of Exeter sits in the #151-200 band in ARWU 2025, the same band it has held for four of the last five years. Exeter’s strongest ARWU subject is Ecology at #2 worldwide, with Earth Sciences and Geography both at #18 globally.

Ques. Which subjects rank highest at University of Exeter?

Ans. Exeter’s top-ranked subject is Ecology at #2 worldwide in ARWU 2025. Other top-tier ranks include Earth Sciences #18, Geography #18, Atmospheric Science #19 and Environmental Science and Engineering #28. In THE 2026, Psychology ranks #87 and Arts and Humanities ranks #95.

Ques. What is University of Exeter’s Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking for Indian students?

Ans. University of Exeter ranks #118 globally and #22 in the UK in Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026. The CD overall rank sits 18 positions above the QS rank of #136. Exeter also ranks #110 for Medicine and #140 for Engineering in CD 2026.

Ques. Is University of Exeter ranked higher than IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi?

Ans. In QS World University Rankings 2027 Exeter sits at #136, two places below IIT Bombay at #134 and 18 places below IIT Delhi at #118. In THE World Rankings 2026 Exeter at #170 ranks ahead of India’s top THE institute IISc Bangalore, which sits in the 201-250 band.