Best Colleges for Inspiring Campus Tours

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Best Colleges and Universities for Inspiring In-Person Campus Tours

Top Recommendations

  • Arizona State University—Tempe (Tempe, AZ):

    What students say: "They do a student residence tour and a tour that's specified to your major—and that’s all within the full tour."

    "I was surprised at what a great tour and presentation Arizona State gave. The guides were very excited to share the school. We were lucky to be on the final tour given by one of the guides and were part of a crazy tradition they have for the final tour where the guide ends up jumping in the pool with all their clothes on!! Many students gathered to watch this and cheer on the guide. It made it feel like there was real community there."
  • High Point University (High Point, NC):

    What students say: "This college is 1,000% dedicated to their students and their goal and mission as the 'Premier Life Skills' university."

    "They are very prestigious and have lots of opportunities."
  • Texas A&M University—Commerce (Commerce, TX):

    What students say: "It made an incredible impression—[enough] for me to apply in the fall."
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC):

    What students say: "The tour guide told us an inspiring story and all the things she loved here."

    "[The tour] was very thorough, and I enjoyed seeing campus up close and personal."
  • University of Washington, Seattle (Seattle, WA):

    What students say: "They seem very driven and goal oriented which makes the experience very inspiring and motivating."

    "They have cool events!"

Tours All About Campus Resources and Opportunities

  • Augustana College (Rock Island, IL):

    What students say: "They shared a lot of success stories."
  • Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY):

    What students say: "It seems like their education system is so vast, and it feels like you can do anything there."
  • Brown University (Providence, RI):

    What students say: "Diversity is a big thing for me, and Brown was very diverse."
  • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA):

    What students say: "Seeing all the different programs and the many clubs on campus [was inspiring]. I saw lots of students outside doing projects or hobbies or exercising."
  • Chadron State College (Chadron, NE):

    What students say: "They had a wonderful presentation over the school's features, tuition options, events, and so much more."
  • Illinois State University (Normal, IL):

    What students say: "They mentioned all the clubs and toured the library, study rooms, and even the gym."
  • Purdue University—West Lafayette (West Lafayette, IN):

    What students say: "At Purdue, you can take an in-depth tour that lasts about seven hours, which is what I chose to do. This tour showed me everything I could possibly need to see and allowed me to break off into groups with those seeking the same major as me. It really made me want to go to the school even more."
  • SUNY Geneseo (Geneseo, NY):

    What students say: "This tour made the school seem like a good option."
  • Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester, NH):

    What students say: "I was lucky enough to get a private tour and spoke with the tour guide one on one. This gave me the opportunity to see my full potential at this University."
  • University of Central Arkansas (Conway, AR):

    What students say: "UCA has one of the best Music programs in the state."
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA):

    What students say: "Everyone there gets impressive jobs and internships—that makes you imagine a future there."

Tours Focused on the Beauty of Campus

  • Belmont University (Nashville, TN):

    What students say: "It is just so beautiful, so it's hard not to have a wonderful impression."
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD):

    What students say: "I ended up liking it more than I expected—the campus wasn’t as bad as I had seen from pictures online. It was actually very pretty and spread out with a thoughtful integration of the city at the edges. I was worried about having to live off campus junior and senior year, but the apartments are only a block away from campus and have grocery stores right next door. Their opportunities were very well described, and their science and research programs seemed very innovative and well funded. The athletic complex was pretty, and there was more grass and tree space than I was expecting for its location."
  • Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY):

    What students say: "They have so many amazing spaces for students to work on projects or just relax outside of class."
  • Savannah State University (Savannah, GA):

    What students say: "The campus itself is nice!"
  • University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA):

    What students say: "The students I met are extremely nice and helpful, and the facilities I toured are beautiful."
  • Washington State University (Pullman, WA):

    What students say: "Their departments and buildings are large, and the campus is filled with large stairs and scenic views."

Tours That Showcase the Genuine People on Campus

  • Boise State University (Boise, ID):

    What students say: "They gave great directions, and they knew our names!"
  • Brigham Young University—Provo (Provo, UT):

    What students say: "This tour was very insightful and inspiring! The guide really hyped up the school and all the possibilities of life if you go there. It made me consider the school a lot more!"
  • Colorado State University Pueblo (Pueblo, CO):

    What students say: "Very positive attitudes of the teams, coaches, and staff!"
  • Florida College (Temple Terrace, FL):

    What students say: "[The tour] made me feel like I would really have a family if I went to Florida College."
  • Madonna University (Livonia, MI):

    What students say: "It is a very nice school that provides so much financial aid and creates a flexible schedule for you. I also noticed that everyone there showed so much kindness and respect for everyone else."
  • The University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK):

    What students say: "Everyone was so nice and welcoming. The professors were very nice as well. I loved the campus, people, dorms, and more."
  • The University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX):

    What students say: "Even though we showed up very early to a campus tour while it was raining, the tour guides were very enthusiastic and treated us like family. The president gave a speech, and [they all] were authentically themselves."
  • University of Mississippi (University, MS):

    What students say: "The tour was amazing, and I really felt at home. I am now committed!"
  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Greensboro, NC):

    What students say: "I loved the energy on campus, how there's always something to do, and how everyone is so academically and socially supportive. And the cafeteria is amazing to me!"
  • University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC):

    What students say: "The student who led the tour was very thorough and explained the University’s culture, programs, and more in detail without being boring."
  • Wichita State University (Wichita, KS):

    What students say: "They genuinely cared about my questions and concerns regarding college."

Tours For a Fun and Unique Campus Visit

  • Grove City College (Grove City, PA):

    What students say: "[They are] very God-focused in their touring."
  • Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA):

    What students say: "The tour guide was amazing. They showed us everything around campus and made it fun."
  • New York University (New York, NY):

    What students say: "I loved it!"
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Edwardsville, IL):

    What students say: "It really made me love the University I'm going to all the more and made me proud to be a future Cougar! :]"
  • Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX):

    What students say: "Texas Tech is known as a party college, and I think a school to make friends and be social is good for me who isn't very social."
  • The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX):

    What students say: "From the iconic Bell Tower to the Texas capital, there was so much that made my tour at UT Austin memorable. I stepped onto campus feeling a part of something bigger, and I left wanting to feel that feeling for four more years."
  • University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY):

    What students say: "They gave us a tour of UK basketball history!"
  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville (Knoxville, TN):

    What students say: "I could tell that people only had good things to say about this school by the amount of school spirit I saw."

Source: CX Student Users

About This List

You've done your initial research, created a list of potential colleges and universities, and started gathering your application materials. Now, it's time to take your research from the page to real life because when it comes to the college search, nothing beats a campus visit.

A great campus tour is a game-changer when it comes to ultimately choosing where you want to attend. You can look at hundreds of college websites, parse through thousands of potential majors and campus clubs, and still you won’t truly get a feel for a school until you're standing there yourself. An inspiring campus tour can help you get an in-person look at what classes are like, familiarize yourself with the layout of a traditional college campus, and feel what it might be like to attend that school. But not all campus tours are created equal!

Real high school students recommend these colleges and universities for having inspiring campus tours and tour guides. Whether they loved the gorgeous scenery, the comprehensive opportunities, the genuineness of the campus community, or that it was just a fun time, the students we surveyed said these schools made a big impact—even enough so to help them make their final college decision. See if any of your colleges of interest are on here, or think about adding a few more! You can also find your way directly to each school’s campus visit page to schedule your visit today.

To explore even further, you can also click on any school name to access its Vlog profile and learn more about admission policies, campus life, and more. Click the green “Yes, connect me!” buttons next to featured colleges and universities to demonstrate your interest and send your info directly to the schools and make your college search process even easier. (And if you have any more recommendations for this list, contact us and let us know why a school should be added

List produced by the Users . Want more information on how this list was compiled? Find out more about where our Lists & Rankings come from.

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