Brace yourselves, the Freshers are coming

The prospect of £9,000 fees no longer seems off-putting to students as Exeter has seen a sharp rise of 25% in applications for next year.

Previous fears of falling admissions had been fuelled in September when applications were down by 6.4% nationally, leaving many universities with empty places.

Exeter has seen a 25% rise in applications

However, according to The Sunday Times, the trend is now reversing in universities considered either prestigious or leading to higher chances of employment.

Exeter reports the highest rise, with around 10% more student places being created to accommodate for the 25% increase in applications.

This surge has been attributed to the University joining the Russell Group and winning University of the Year in the Sunday Times 2013 university guide.

There has been a 1% rise in philosophy, 8% in classics and a whopping 45% increase in economics and business applications.

David Miller, head of marketing at Exeter, said that higher tuition fees were creating a more competitive market, causing some universities to thrive while others struggled.

He said: “Students are making much more considered choices than they used to do when higher education was free or £3,000 a year. They want a return on their investment, and the reputation of a university and the employment record of its graduates are key.”

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