The Student Room Group

Exeter or Warwick for a Finance BSc degree ?

Hi all,

I have great offers from Exeter for Finance and Warwick for Accounting and Finance. I have visited both universities but cannot decide at the moment which one to put as a first choice. Exeter campus looks and feels amazing - green, calm, safe. Warwick also looks great but I worry that Coventry compared to Exeter is not that great. However, reputation wise Warwick Business School is better than Exeter. I would really appreciate some input from students in both universities, especially if you have studied in the Business Schools, about uni life there, how approachable are the tutors, level of teaching, social side ( night life, safety, where to live in second and third year and how easy it is to find a place ), wellbeing provisions, opportunities the particular degree/uni provides after graduation. I have looked at statistics for some of these but personal experience would provide a great insight and, hopefully, make my decision easier. If there are any employers reading - who would you prefer - and Exeter or a Warwick graduate?

Thank you for your time.

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Reply 1
Hi, what are you thinking now, any updates- I’ve got an offer from Exeter to do Bsc finance
Reply 2
Haven't decided yet. I prefer Exeter for the social side but WBS seem to be the better option course wise and for job prospects. I also received an offer from Leeds for Banking and Finance and really can't decide. What are you leaning towards?
Reply 3
Well I think Exeter and Warwick are both targets (Warwick is a main target and Exeter a semi target) so I would definitely pick one of those over Leeds. My brother is at Warwick doing physics; he loves the course but no so much social side although there are bars and clubs. I think I’m going to go to Exeter!
Reply 4
My brother is at Exeter, and is having a blast, so I know the Uni well. I can't make up my mind whether not firming Warwick will be a missed opportunity though??!!
WBS is significantly better, it would be an awful decision to pick Exeter instead. Not to say that Exeter is bad, but it doesn't compete with Warwick. WBS has excellent industry connections and is a proper target for banking/finance. There should be no debate here.
Reply 6
Original post by Vesti La Giubba
WBS is significantly better, it would be an awful decision to pick Exeter instead. Not to say that Exeter is bad, but it doesn't compete with Warwick. WBS has excellent industry connections and is a proper target for banking/finance. There should be no debate here.


Do you think Exeter is still a semi target?
Original post by Seanb146
Do you think Exeter is still a semi target?

Seems debatable. But in any case Warwick is a genuine target and has incredible connections. Different league altogether. People either place Exeter on the lower end of semi target or not on the list. That should tell you all you need to know.
Reply 8
Original post by Vesti La Giubba
Seems debatable. But in any case Warwick is a genuine target and has incredible connections. Different league altogether. People either place Exeter on the lower end of semi target or not on the list. That should tell you all you need to know.


True; do you think if I go to Exeter for undergrad and do masters in finance from say LSE/UCL then I would be a target personally?
Reply 9
Original post by cskp41
My brother is at Exeter, and is having a blast, so I know the Uni well. I can't make up my mind whether not firming Warwick will be a missed opportunity though??!!


Can I also ask what grades you have/are predicted ?
Reply 10
Original post by cskp41
Hi all,
I have great offers from Exeter for Finance and Warwick for Accounting and Finance. I have visited both universities but cannot decide at the moment which one to put as a first choice. Exeter campus looks and feels amazing - green, calm, safe. Warwick also looks great but I worry that Coventry compared to Exeter is not that great. However, reputation wise Warwick Business School is better than Exeter. I would really appreciate some input from students in both universities, especially if you have studied in the Business Schools, about uni life there, how approachable are the tutors, level of teaching, social side ( night life, safety, where to live in second and third year and how easy it is to find a place ), wellbeing provisions, opportunities the particular degree/uni provides after graduation. I have looked at statistics for some of these but personal experience would provide a great insight and, hopefully, make my decision easier. If there are any employers reading - who would you prefer - and Exeter or a Warwick graduate?
Thank you for your time.

speaking from someone who is at ucl you would be shooting urself in the foot if u don't go warwick. you will enjoy urself at both and Warwick is by far the stronger target. not even close. also exeter is full of posh ***** lol.
Original post by cskp41
Hi all,

I have great offers from Exeter for Finance and Warwick for Accounting and Finance. I have visited both universities but cannot decide at the moment which one to put as a first choice. Exeter campus looks and feels amazing - green, calm, safe. Warwick also looks great but I worry that Coventry compared to Exeter is not that great. However, reputation wise Warwick Business School is better than Exeter. I would really appreciate some input from students in both universities, especially if you have studied in the Business Schools, about uni life there, how approachable are the tutors, level of teaching, social side ( night life, safety, where to live in second and third year and how easy it is to find a place ), wellbeing provisions, opportunities the particular degree/uni provides after graduation. I have looked at statistics for some of these but personal experience would provide a great insight and, hopefully, make my decision easier. If there are any employers reading - who would you prefer - and Exeter or a Warwick graduate?

Thank you for your time.

WBS is in an entirely different league to Exeter, academically speaking and also in terms of industry connections. The two are simply incomparable.

Exeter is not a semi-target as far as I am aware, for any investment bank. Certainly their grads do go into IBanking from time to time, but not at any significantly higher rate than other similar university to my knowledge. Warwick is a target university (not semi or hypothetical semi), and regularly sends graduates into investment banking and similar roles (and is well known for that).

Of course if you don't want to go into investment banking (or management consulting) but wanted to just go into some more general role or into e.g. accounting or something, then either is fine.

That said I can't see how Coventry is that different to Exeter as a city. They're both mid-sized country side cities. The main difference seems to be that the Warwick campus is a bit further removed from Coventry itself.
Original post by Seanb146
True; do you think if I go to Exeter for undergrad and do masters in finance from say LSE/UCL then I would be a target personally?

Yes. But Masters recruiting tends to be very small/limited here in the UK. So bear that in mind.
Reply 13
Original post by Seanb146
Can I also ask what grades you have/are predicted ?

My predictions are 4A*. I still haven't decided which one to pick. Have you pressed the button on firm and insurance yet?
Original post by cskp41
My predictions are 4A*. I still haven't decided which one to pick. Have you pressed the button on firm and insurance yet?

Don't make a silly mistake. Pick Warwick. Immeasurably better prospects, Exeter isn't anywhere close.
Reply 15
Original post by Vesti La Giubba
Don't make a silly mistake. Pick Warwick. Immeasurably better prospects, Exeter isn't anywhere close.

Thank you for your reply. Could I ask whether you speak from personal experience at Warwick, do you study/have you studied there? What do Coventry and the area around it offer in terms of activities/experiences for the students? Thanks.
Reply 16
Original post by Seanb146
True; do you think if I go to Exeter for undergrad and do masters in finance from say LSE/UCL then I would be a target personally?

Anyone wanting to go this route should be conscious of just how expensive those courses can be. Student loans/ masters loans won't remotely cover the cost.
Original post by cskp41
Haven't decided yet. I prefer Exeter for the social side but WBS seem to be the better option course wise and for job prospects. I also received an offer from Leeds for Banking and Finance and really can't decide. What are you leaning towards?

Warwick always don’t be fooled by socials. Employability of warwick is far better !!
Reply 18
Original post by erfansharifi
Warwick always don’t be fooled by socials. Employability of warwick is far better !!

second this. if u choose exeter it will by far the silliest decision of ur life. no offence lol. grad prospects are far different. warwick business school is top 5 in the UK, and no one knows if exeter even has one lol.
Reply 19
Original post by Vesti La Giubba
WBS is significantly better, it would be an awful decision to pick Exeter instead. Not to say that Exeter is bad, but it doesn't compete with Warwick. WBS has excellent industry connections and is a proper target for banking/finance. There should be no debate here.

Yes, Warwick, if all you care about is your prospective career.

No, if you care about how/where you are going to live for 3/4 years and the extracurricular aspects of university life - which, IMO, are far better in Exteter than Warwick (Coventry/Leamington Spa)

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