Top Universities Offering In-Person Campus Tours This Summer

As we enter the summer of 2021, we are beginning to see a shift: COVID-19 cases are declining, more people are vaccinated, and as restrictions are lifting, colleges and universities are opening up their doors again to prospective and accepted students.

Last year, many students were unable to visit the schools they dreamed of attending due to coronavirus precautions. This resulted in students applying to more schools than they usually would, which in turn produced some of the lowest acceptance rates in modern history.

The good news, Class of 2026, is that many schools are starting to open their doors to prospective students once again. (College tour road trip, anyone?) Of course, that’s not to say that schools still aren’t taking precautions: While all schools will require students and families to register online before attending an in-person tour, some will go as far as to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Make sure to check all of the in-person visit criteria on the school’s website before signing up!

Visiting all the schools on your list isn’t always an option, especially if you’re applying to universities across the country (or the world!). Luckily, most schools allow for virtual tours through their websites. Our advice? Take advantage of the virtual option if you need, but visit in-person if the option is available to you. Being able to walk around campus and absorb the vibe is extremely helpful when it comes time to narrow down your school list.

Read on to see which of your top schools are offering in-person tours this summer!

School:	Offerings:
Alvernia University	In person campus visits include a tour led by a student tour guide and a meeting with an admissions counselor.
American University	Students who schedule an in-person visit can expect a 60-minute safely distanced walking tour of campus that will introduce them to the AU community.
Baylor University	Personalized tours for a single student and two parents to view campus on one of Baylor’s shaded shuttles.
Berea College	On-campus tours include curbside check-in, a 30-minute virtual session with an admissions counselor followed by a 90-minute walking tour of campus.
Boise State University	Students can sign up for a 90-minute walking tour of campus, including a look into popular study spaces and residence halls.
Boston College	On-campus tours are two hours long, and include an information session and a student-led campus tour. In-person campus visits won’t resume until June 2021, but registration is now available.
Boston University	Virtual tours encouraged. Self-guided campus tours are discouraged, but allowed.
Bowdoin College	Guided tours begin with introduction by a Bowdoin admissions officer and a Q&A, followed by a 45-minute tour of campus led by a current student. Students are not allowed inside buildings at this time. Tours will resume in June 2021 and registration is now available.
Brandeis University	Virtual tours only.
Brown University	Virtual tours only.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)	Virtual tours encouraged. Self-guided campus tours are discouraged, but allowed.
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)	Tour groups consist of one tour guide and one student, with up to three guests from that student's household. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and take place almost exclusively outdoors.
Clemson University	During your visit, student tour guides will give you an overview of the University as well as the ins and outs of campus life. The walking tour will be limited to the outside of buildings only.
Colgate University	Prospective students will be registered for their tour and given a welcome session by a Colgate admissions officer in James B. Colgate Hall, followed by an hour-long student-led campus tour.
College of William & Mary	Virtual tours encouraged. Self-guided campus tours are discouraged, but allowed.
College of Wooster	Guided tours typically last just under two hours. In addition to the walking tour, students have the option to request an interview with an admissions officer, and students interested in participating in a Division III sport may request to meet with a coach or team representative (subject to availability).
Columbia University	Virtual tours only.
Cornell University	Virtual tours only.
Dartmouth College	Virtual tours only.
Denison University	Campus visits involve guided tours of campus (including athletics and arts facilities), information sessions beginning on May 24th, and on-campus interviews for rising seniors.
DePauw University	In-person visits include an information session, a tour of a select number of buildings on campus, and a one-on-one meeting with an admission counselor (upon request).
Dickinson College	Dickinson visits are open only to accepted & enrolled students (first year and transfer), transfer applicants, and high school juniors. In-person tours offer entry into campus buildings led by a student guide. There will be an admissions Q&A after the tour is over.
Drexel University	Drexel Admissions is offering limited capacity campus tours and one-on-one appointments only for students enrolling at Drexel this coming fall. Student-guided tours will last approximately 45 minutes and include entering academic buildings (for a limited time).
Duke University	Virtual tours only.
Emory University	Virtual tours only.
George Washington University	After viewing an online information session, prospective students are allowed to register for an in-person campus tour, led by a student tour guide. The visit will take approximately 90 minutes, and will be split into two parts: a 45-minute walking tour of where GW students learn, study, eat, and live, and a 45-minute Q&A with Admissions representatives.
Georgetown University	Virtual tours only.
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)	All on-campus tours have been cancelled through June 30th. Check availability in July to see if more group tours have been scheduled.
Gettysburg College	The individual campus tour will last approximately one hour and include access to select campus buildings. Admissions counselors will also be available to answer student questions (if requested).
Grinnell College	Scheduled on-campus visits start with an hour-long information session conducted by an admission counselor. The information session is followed by an hour-long campus tour, which allows students to explore academic buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, social venues, and the dining hall.
Harvard University	Virtual tours only.
Illinois Wesleyan University	While group tours are not available at this time, prospective students and up to 2 family members can schedule an individual in-person visit. Students can get an introduction to the campus, as well as ask questions about their applications and financial aid.
Johns Hopkins University	Virtual tours only.
Lafayette College	Tours are led by a current Lafayette student for up to 75 minutes through the outdoor spaces of the school campus (students may not enter the buildings at this time). Up to 2 families are taken on each tour.
Loyola University	Guided campus tours are led by a current Loyola student, and last a maximum of 60 minutes. Visitors will check in at the office of undergraduate admission. Each tour group is capped at a maximum of 10 individuals.
Marist College	Guided tours take place over the course of two hours, and include an information session about campus life with one of Marist’s experienced admissions counselors.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	Virtual tours only.
Muhlenberg College	In-person tours will be limited to a maximum of 90 minutes and will take place entirely on the outdoor space of the campus.
New York University (NYU)	Virtual tours only.
Northeastern University	Guided tours last 45 minutes to one hour. The Husky Ambassador student guide will be available for Q+A during the tour, which will take place entirely outdoors.
Northwestern University	Virtual tours only.
Oberlin College	In-person student-led walking tours take about 50 minutes, and focus on student life at Oberlin. The Conservatory is also available to be toured, but each tour will be limited to two families per student guide.
Ohio Wesleyan University	Campus tours will only be offered four times per day, but will include stops inside some campus buildings, along with the option for a 30 minute physically distanced information session after the tour is over.
Pace University	In-person campus tours are approximately 45 minutes long and are led by student staff. Students will have a chance to see the Pace neighborhood and spaces inside the campus buildings.
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)	Guided walking tours for current high school students take place over the course of 90 minutes. Families will have the opportunity to walk through campus to learn more about the buildings and student life from a student tour guide.
Princeton University	Virtual tours only.
Purdue University	In-person campus visits are 60 minutes long and include a walking tour of campus hosted by a current Purdue student.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)	There are no tours scheduled at this time, please check back in June. In-person campus tours are currently limited to accepted students and their guests only.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)	Prospective students will be taken on a 60-75 minute walking tour of four or fewer individuals, led by a student tour guide.
Sacred Heart University	In addition to a 90-minute campus tour, this visit will include an information session tailored to enrolled students given by an Admissions representative. The tour will also include a viewing of a dorm room in Toussaint Hall, but no other residence halls are accessible at this time.
Salve Regina University	Campus tours are approximately 90 minutes long and will be led in groups of no more than four individuals ( including infants and children).
Seton Hall University	This student-led tour takes place over two hours and is split into two parts. The information session will provide prospective students with an overview of Seton Hall’s admission and application process, scholarships and financial aid information. The campus tour will give families the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the student body, facilities, and academic life.
Skidmore College	In-person visits are held on weekdays for approximately two hours, starting with a brief outdoor information session followed by limited-capacity, student-led outdoor tour. Saturday tours have limited availability and run for about 90 minutes.
Southern Methodist University (SMU)	In-person visits consist of a 75-minute campus tour led by a current SMU student. If students still have questions afterwards, an admission counselor will be available to meet with them to give them more information. Beginning June 1st, families may join prospective student information sessions proceeding all campus tours.
St. John's University	During these hour-long campus visits, a St. John’s student ambassador will provide prospective students and up to two of their family members with a guided tour of the school’s indoor and outdoor facilities.
Stanford University	Virtual tours only.
Texas Christian University (TCU)	In-person walking tours are led by a TCU student, and tour groups will be made of ten people or fewer and will be almost entirely outdoors. Currently, tours include a 30-minute presentation followed by a 90-minute, student-led walking tour. Beginning June 1, 2021, these visits will include a 90-minute campus tour only.
The Ohio State University	Prospective students can visit campus for a self-guided walking tour, but all group tours are currently booked and more will not be scheduled until June.
Trinity College	Limited-capacity in-person tours will be conducted outdoors over the course of 60 minutes, but will not include entering any buildings. Prospective students are encouraged to join a virtual information session either before or after their tour date.
Tufts University	Virtual tours only.
Tulane University	All tours begin with a 30-minute information session given by an admission counselor. The following student-led campus tour typically lasts 90 minutes.
Union College	In-person tours typically last around 90 minutes, starting with a 15-minute information session with an admissions dean. The rest of the time is dedicated to a student-led tour of the campus.
University of Alabama	UAlabama is currently offering both walking-only and combination walking/bus guided tours of campus. Walking-only tours will begin with a 30 minute undergrad admissions info session led by an admissions counselor. Following this session, students will be led on a 75-minute campus tour by a student ambassador to learn about academics, student involvement and campus history. The combination tour will begin the same way, then families will move on to a 40-minute drive around the perimeter areas of campus, followed by a 30-minute walk through the Quad in the central part of campus.
University of Arizona	In-person campus visits are led by a student ambassador and consist of a 90-minute outdoor walking tour.
University of Arkansas	All campus visits will only include an information session with an admissions counselor and a campus tour. Information sessions last 30 minutes and campus tours last approximately one hour, for a total of 90 minutes. Campus visits on and after June 14th will offer additional appointments with individual academic departments and residence hall tours.
University of Chicago (UChicago)	Virtual tours only.
University of Connecticut (UConn)	Prospective students can only access virtual tours and information sessions, but admitted students can check their applicant portal for visit experiences available to them starting in the spring.
University of Miami (UMiami)	Virtual tours only (with the exception of preregistered admitted students).
University of Michigan (UMich)	Virtual tours only.
University of North Carolina (UNC)	Virtual tours encouraged. Self-guided campus tours are discouraged, but allowed.
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)	Virtual tours only.
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)	Admitted students may sign up for an in-person walking tour of campus, with a limited capacity of nine individuals per tour group. Currently, there are not available dates for students to register for one of these events -- please check back in June.
University of Wisconsin-Madison	A current student tour guide will lead students and families on a 75-minute walking tour of campus that will take place predominantly outdoors. Highlights of the tour will include information about research opportunities and the services and programs offered by the school that support student success.
University of Virginia (UVA)	Currently, UVA is only offering virtual tours to prospective students. However, they hope to resume in-person tours in the summer, and ask that students please check back then for updates.
Vanderbilt University	Virtual tours only.
Villanova University	Student-guided visits for prospective undergraduate students will include a 60-minute informational tour, the majority of which will take place outdoors. Villanova is not hosting in-person information sessions at this time.
Washington University in St. Louis	Only admitted freshmen who have pre-registered for a WashU Walk-Through experience are currently allowed on campus. Virtual tours are available for prospective students.
Wentworth Institute of Technology	Students attending in-person tours can only bring one guest with them, for a maximum party of 2 per registration. Tours typically last for 60 minutes and provide students with a general overview of the Wentworth campus, excluding the residence halls.
Whitman College	Tours last approximately 45 minutes and take place completely outdoors. These tours will then be followed by a 30-minute outdoor Q&A with an available admission officer.
Yale University	Virtual tours only.