Data gathered by Exeposé through the Freedom of Information Act reveals that the University of Exeter have reduced open day spending for the fourth year in a row.
Between the academic years of 2016-2017 to 2019-2020 open day spending saw a significant decline, with the total spent dropping from £122,600 to £60,000.
Both the Universities of Bristol and Manchester spent more on open days over the past five years than Exeter.
The University of Manchester cited their decline in 2019-2020 open morning expenditure being a result of not being able to “do anything Easter onwards due to Covid”. The University of Bristol spent £331,852 on open days during that time frame.
The total amount of money spent by the University of Exeter was also lower than other universities, with the University of Bristol spending over £1.7 million across the last five years and the University of Durham spending £741,557.25. Exeter only spent £508,200 between 2015 and 2020.
A University of Exeter spokesperson said: “We have reduced the spend on physical student open days and moved to more online events over the last two financial years both to respond to student requirements and the Covid-19 restrictions. We have invested substantially in new virtual tours and subject tours including a new advice and guidance platform, Discover University, and supported Exeter Student Ambassadors to reach out to prospective students. We will shortly return to physical campus tours and events alongside our digital programme.
“We continue to get excellent feedback on the opportunities to find out about courses and life at the University of Exeter and it has also enabled more people to engage with the University and find out more about our campuses in Devon and Cornwall from a wider range of backgrounds in a more accessible and convenient way – including prospective international students. We have seen a growth in applications in the past two years and we will continue to develop our approach to meet student needs and increase access to the University.”
