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California College Tour

The California College Tour allows students to visit and experience life at several prominent California Colleges. For many students, the process of figuring out which school best fits their needs is an overwhelming and confusing task. The Tour transforms this experience into an enriching and exciting summer adventure in which students participate in campus tours, meet with admissions representatives, and receive materials to help evaluate each school.

Tour participants are also presented with strategies in getting the most out of their future college visits. Students learn what questions they should be asking of campus officials, how to compare schools to one another, and what factors are most important for their personal college selection process. Tours are led by the admissions office staff, campus representatives, current students or recent alumni.  Where available, campus tours will also include an information meeting provided by admissions office staff.

Click the tabs below to learn more about this program and view a tour schedule.




The California College Tour is a wonderful opportunity for students to visit numerous college campuses and evaluate their college options. Students tour a wide variety of campuses, including private and public schools in both urban and rural areas. Participants will be able to determine if a large or small school is appropriate for them, and, with the comparison materials provided, students are able to review their options once they have returned home. In less than one week, students have the opportunity to experience many great American cities.

We encourage students to enroll with friends, but even those who don’t arrive knowing someone will end up with a group of newly-found peers from across the US and often around the world. Housing is provided, and students are usually housed in double or triple rooms. Most overnight stays are at business class hotels such as Sheraton, Westin, Marriott, or Embassy Suites.  When feasible, students stay in the central areas near attractions. We may also occasionally stay in a campus dorm/residence hall to get a feel of campus living.

Meals are provided, though many students choose to bring spending money for snacks or optional food items, and souvenirs. All the essential items of room, board, and transportation are provided during the trip, so it is possible to comfortably participate in the California Tour without any added cost or expense.



Tour regular price temporarily reduced - Join our email list or click the chat window on the bottom right of the screen to ask about current specials. 

Pricing is all-inclusive of everything the student needs from the moment they land at San Diego airport to when they depart San Francisco including housing, meals, tours, ground transportation, site seeing and driver gratuity. Students are responsible for pocket money for personal items such as souvenirs.

Program Grades Location Start Date End Date Price Options Register
California College Tour 9 - 12 College Tours Jul 14, 2024 Jul 19, 2024 Enroll

Price Options for California College Tour

Overnight Camp $2,995
** Note: Where the schedule presents multiple schools in the same time slot, students will be able to choose which school they want to visit. In the morning the bus will visit each of the universities listed in that time slot. Students/chaperones will be dropped off to do their respective tours and then the bus will circle back to pick everyone up. The group will enjoy lunch together and then divide up again for afternoon tours.

2024 California College Tour

Day 1 Arrive in San Diego:
  • Arrive into San Diego International Airport (SAN). 
  • Greet your fellow travelers and enjoy dinner and Site Seeing in Old Town San Diego. 
Day 2 Orange County and San Diego
  • Enjoy a hot breakfast before venturing out to see Orange County and sunny San Diego.
  • Start your morning by choosing between San Diego's top public or private universities at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)- OR -University of San Diego (USD).
  • Grab a quick a lunch as we head up the coast to beautiful Orange County
  • Spend the afternoon exploring UC Irvine.
  • Join your fellow travelers for dinner and evening fun at Downtown Disney
Day 3 Los Angeles and The Inland Empire
  • Put away your mouse ears and enjoy breakfast at the hotel before heading out for a day of SoCal College Touring.
  • In the morning, take a tour of your choice of Claremont McKenna - OR -Cal Poly Pomona - OR -La Verne University.
  • Meet back up with the group for lunch before heading out for our afternoon tours.
  • Hop back on the bus and head out to visit your choice of Caltech - OR -Occidental College.
  • Get back together with the group for dinner and some evening site seeing before heading back to the hotel for a good night's rest.
Day 4 Los Angeles
  • Enjoy a quick breakfast before heading out to visit some of LA's top universities.
  • In the morning, take a group tour of your choice of the University of Southern California (USC)- OR -CSU Los Angeles.
  • Gather together for lunch and tell your new friends about your morning tours.
  • Spend the afternoon choose to visit the beautiful campuses of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - OR - Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
  • Enjoy dinner and shopping on 3rd street promenade and Santa Monica Pier before driving up the coast towards Santa Barbara
Day 5 Santa Barbara and Malibu
  • Enjoy a hearty breakfast and prepare for your visits to these stunning seaside campuses.
  • In the morning, begin your day with a tour of University of California, Santa Barbara located half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
  • In the afternoon, enjoy a tour of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO).
  • Take in the beautiful seascape and a refreshing milkshake as we make our way to the heart of Silicon Valley for dinner and site seeing!
Day 6 Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley 
  • Enjoy a quick breakfast before heading out for the day.
  • Start your morning exploring one of the nation's top universities, UC Berkeley (CAL).
  • Enjoy lunch on the motor coach as we travel on the Peninsula
  • Complete your day with an afternoon tour of Stanford University 
  • Don't forget to thank our motor coach driver before departing the motor coach for your flight home out of San Francisco (SFO)


  • Please note: 

    • Schedule Subject to change. 
    • While rare, some universities may limit the number of students who can be on a tour. While we always try to give students their first choice, registrations are on a first come first serve basis.

    Education Unlimited believes in small-group, immersive learning with subject matter experts and experienced teachers. We strive to provide industry-leading instruction to all of our students and hold all staff to the highest possible standards. Staff assignments vary by program and location. Some of our recent staff members for this program include:

    Janet Wilford - College Tour Leader

    Janet Willford is an experienced high-school teacher.  She has taught both leadership and speech and debate at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, CA for over twenty years.  As the winner of the Eukel Teacher Trust award in 2004 one student said of Ms. Willford: “I have never known a teacher who cares so much about her students, their lives, and their school. She is truly the best asset San Ramon Valley High School has”.  As noted by one parent, “Every mother dreams of a mentor to help their daughter blossom into a young woman. I could not have chosen a better woman for the job. Janet Willford is excellence on two feet”.  Janet has been a college tour leader with Education Unlimited since 2010.

    In addition to her teaching role at San Ramon Valley High School, Janet has served as the school’s activities director since 1997.  In 2016, Janet oversaw the creation of the S.T.E.M Club on the school’s campus.  Created by the students themselves, Janet helped coordinate this effort by high school students interested in inspiring elementary age children to pursue science-based learning.  Janet has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from The University of California, Santa Barbara.