The Ultimate Guide to Planning a California College Tour

California is home to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country. With beautiful campuses and a variety of majors and programs, it’s no wonder why so many students dream of attending a California school. If you’re planning a college tour here, you’ll want to make sure you have a reliable ride to get you from campus to campus. Busrental.net has experience transporting students and faculty to and from college campuses all over the country. We can help you find the perfect charter bus or minibus for your group, whether you’re a high school class, a group of transfer students, or a group of faculty members. Call us at 877-200-4461 to learn more about how we can help you.

Which California College or University Will You Visit?

First thing’s first: which colleges and universities are you considering touring? California is home to 281 universities and colleges, including some of the top public and private schools in the country. To make things a bit easier, we’ve included a list of some of the most popular colleges to tour in California, separated by region for your convenience.

Keep in mind this isn’t a complete list of California colleges, and there are a ton of other great schools to consider. But if you’re looking for the best of the best, you’ll find them here—along with each school’s location for easy trip planning.

Southern California

With sunny weather and miles of beaches, Southern California is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. But SoCal is also a great place to study, with a ton of schools in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego to consider. Here are a few of the top options we suggest touring.

University of Southern California

Address: 3551 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA 90089

Founded by local leaders in 1880, USC is one of the oldest private research universities in the state and the anchor of the University of California system. It’s also one of the most prestigious schools in the country, with a top-25 ranking from the U.S. News & World Report and a 13% acceptance rate. If your students want to attend an elite school in the heart of sunny LA, USC is definitely worth touring.

University of California, Los Angeles

Address: 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095

UCLA has been around since 1919 and has been a public university since 1933. With over 30,000 undergraduate students, it’s also one of the largest schools in California. Still, over 100 of its programs are ranked in the top 20 by the U.S. News & World Report, and the school is known for its top-notch education, beautiful campus, and buzzing atmosphere.

University of California, Irvine

Address: 501 Aldrich Hall, Irvine, CA 92697

Located in the heart of Orange County at Irvine, UC Irvine was founded in 1965 and is one of the newer members of the University of California System. But don’t let that fool you. UCI has some of the best programs in the country, especially when it comes to research and sustainability. The school has a 29% acceptance rate and was ranked 33rd in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report.

Address: 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093

UC San Diego

UC San Diego is one of the oldest schools in the University of California system, having been founded in 1960. But don’t let its age fool you—the school has been ranked 2nd in the world for neuroscience, 7th in the world for biology, and 14th in the world overall. UCSD has a 30% acceptance rate and is home to 36,000 students across all three of its campuses.

Central California

Central California is often associated with Silicon Valley and tech giants like Google, Apple, and Facebook. So it’s no surprise that some of the best tech schools in the country are located in this region. Keep reading to learn more about the top colleges to tour in this part of the state.

Stanford University

Address: 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305

Stanford University is often considered the very best school in California and one of the top universities in the world. With an acceptance rate of just 4%, it’s also one of the most competitive schools in the country. However, the hard work is definitely worth it—Stanford is one of the top 5 universities in the world, and its programs in business, computer science, engineering, and economics are especially well-regarded.

University of California, Berkeley

Address: Berkeley, CA 94720

With a 17% acceptance rate and over 100 top-ranked programs, it’s no wonder Berkeley is frequently listed as one of the best public universities in the country. In fact, the U.S. News & World Report has ranked it the #1 public school in the nation 22 times, and it was the first public university to be listed in the “Academic Ranking of World Universities.”

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Address: San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

Founded in 1901, Cal Poly is a public university with a strong focus on hands-on learning. It has over 6,000 students studying in 65 different fields, with some of the best programs in the country when it comes to engineering, agriculture, architecture, journalism, and business. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Cal Poly the top public regional university in the West, and it has an acceptance rate of 30%.

Northern California

Looking for schools to tour in the Bay Area? You’ll find some of the best colleges in Northern California, in cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Fresno. Here are a few of the best options to consider.

Sonoma State University

Address: 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928

Sonoma State University was founded in 1961 as a public school focusing on liberal arts and sciences. It’s located on a sprawling 269-acre campus in northern California and has a 90% acceptance rate, making it a great option for students who are worried about getting into a school due to low test scores or grades. Sonoma State offers 92 bachelor’s degrees and 19 master’s programs, with a special focus on environmental science, technology, and international relations.

San Francisco State University

Address: 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132

San Francisco State University has been around since 1899 and is one of the oldest schools in the state. It has a 67% acceptance rate and is known for being the first university in the country to have a College of Ethnic Studies. Today, SFSU is one of the most diverse schools in the state, with a special focus on ethnic studies, creative writing, cinema, and business. The school is also located in the heart of San Francisco and has been ranked one of the top 100 universities in the country by the U.S. News & World Report.

University of California, Santa Cruz

Address: Santa Cruz, CA, 95064

UC Santa Cruz was founded in 1965 as one of the newer schools in the University of California system. The public research university has 16,800 students and is one of the most environmentally friendly schools in the world. In fact, it was ranked 4th in the world for research influence by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 3rd in the world for research citations by the Center for World University Rankings. UC Santa Cruz has a 51% acceptance rate and is known for its programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

University of California, Merced

Address: 5200 N Lake Rd, Merced, CA 95343

Located on the former Castle Air Force Base, UC Merced is the newest school in the University of California system and the only one to be built in the 21st century. It’s also the first research university to be built in the country in 50 years and currently has a 72% acceptance rate. UC Merced has 24 majors and 25 minors, with a focus on natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, and management. The school has been designated a “Hispanic-serving institution,” and over half of its students are the first in their families to attend college.

How Will You Get Your Students to Each Campus?

Now that you know more about the schools you’d like to tour, it’s time to figure out how you’ll get your students there. Sure, you could ask every parent to drive their cars separately, but that increases your carbon footprint and adds to the traffic congestion in busy cities across California. Not to mention, asking your students to drive for hours on end between numerous campuses can be a bit stressful for everyone involved and take away from the overall experience. That’s where we come in. Busrental.net is a nationwide charter bus rental service that can help your students and chaperones travel comfortably, safely, and efficiently to every school on your list. We’ll pair you with a clean, modern bus and an experienced driver so your students can relax in reclining seats, take advantage of on-board amenities like WiFi and TVs, and leave the driving to someone else. With a professional driver at the wheel, your students won’t have to worry about finding parking in crowded college towns, navigating unfamiliar roads, or staying alert on the highway.

Not sure which type of bus you’ll need for your group? Check out our complete guide to charter bus rental types to see which model of bus will work best for your California college tour.

Still have questions? Our team is available 24/7 at 877-200-4461 to help you with your charter bus rental questions and get you a free, no-obligation quote.

Once you have your transportation taken care of, you can start planning the rest of your college tour. Good luck with your trip, and happy touring!