Beauty and brains: Beyond the beaches, mountains, and redwood forests, the Golden State is a world-class place to get a college education.
California is home to the most top-ranked universities of any state in the U.S. For starters, all nine of the University of California campuses made the top 100 in U.S. News & World Report. Beyond the “UCs,” as they are called, public and private schools across the state offer a deep and diverse array of credentials and cultures—whether you’re seeking a big-name university with football weekends or a small college located near the beach.
Touring various campuses helps prospective students figure out which schools feel like a fit—and it also makes a fun trip for anyone who loves exploring college towns.
Here’s how to visit some amazing California campuses, including how to sign up for tours and where to grab a bite and soak up a little campus culture afterward.
Plan Ahead for Campus Visits
Many campuses require that you register for guided tours ahead of time—and sometimes even if you’re just doing a self-guided tour. Depending on the campus, guided tours might not be scheduled during holidays, finals, or breaks; most schools post updated tour schedules every few months.
Check the university’s website to scope out parking options before you arrive. Some campuses offer public garages or street parking, while others use apps like ParkMobile in lieu of meters.
University of California, Davis
What makes it unique: Founded in 1908, UC Davis started out as a strictly “ag” school for farmers and expanded over the decades, but it still embraces its green roots (today it’s also a top school for forestry and veterinary science). Davis is a true college town, too—very connected to the campus and known for its bicycle-friendly streets.
How to explore: The university hosts guided two-hour tours on most weekdays and Saturdays, including a 30-minute overview of the admission process. Sign up online for your slot or do your own virtual or self-guided tour (there is also a Spanish-language option). Or plan a visit for April’s Picnic Day, an all-are-welcome annual festival with marching bands and dachshund races.
Don’t-miss hangout: Downtown Davis is right next to campus, with plenty of places to eat. Start your day with a crepe from Crepeville or a breakfast burrito from Ali Baba, then have lunch on the patio at Burgers and Brew, perhaps paired with a beer from Sacrament Brewing in nearby Sacramento.
University of California, Berkeley
What makes it unique: As the original public university in California, Berkeley (“Cal” to sports fans) is steeped in history. Sproul Plaza is considered the birthplace of the 1960s Free Speech Movement, while the Greek Theatre offers an epic spot for an outdoor concert. Go to the top of the Campanile Tower, the campus’ 307-foot-high landmark, for big views of the town of Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay and skyline.
How to explore: Guided tours happen seven days a week during most of the year; register online for the classic guided tour, or choose from other options including a golf cart tour for visitors with limited mobility.
Want to explore on your own? Do the general self-guided tour that includes audio and covers 22 sites on campus; or choose more specific routes like ones related to the engineering program, Telegraph Ave., or the mascot-honoring bear sculptures that dot the community.
Don’t-miss hangout: Sip a cappuccino at Caffè Strada, which sits a short walk from the photo-op spot Sather Gate. For lunch, choose from the hot dogs, bratwursts, and kielbasas at Top Dog. If you have time for a more fine-dining-style dinner, Alice Waters’ farm-to-table icon Chez Panisse is just north of campus.
Stanford University, Palo Alto
What makes it unique: This Palo Alto icon is a sprawling scenic space—8,000 acres that will enthrall anyone who loves architecture and art. The Main Quad is a showcase for red-tile-roofed California Mission Revival architecture, and the campus is also home to both the public Rodin Sculpture Garden and the free-admission Cantor Arts Center.
How to explore: Guided tours run throughout the year on weekdays and many Saturdays. Register on the Stanford tours page for available slots—either the 90-minute tour or the 2.5-hour version that includes a 40-minute application information session.
You can also do a variety of self-guided tours, including tourist-friendly options such as those devoted to the gardens, the Athletics District, and public art.
Don’t-miss hangout: Refuel with a coffee or hot chocolate at Coupa Café, a local chain with a location right by Green Library. Or sit down for a comfort-food meal at the student-led CoHo (short for Coffee House) at Tresidder Union, which has been a campus staple since 1968.
University of California, Santa Cruz
What makes it unique: Even though Santa Cruz is a surf-loving beach town, this 2,000-acre, midcentury modern campus sits on a forest-covered hill above town. Sleek buildings almost seem to hide among the towering redwoods, and you’re very likely to encounter deer and wild turkeys as you explore. Keep an eye out for bright-yellow banana slugs—which inspired Sammy, the school mascot—on the ground.
How to explore: You can tour the UCSC campus on most weekdays and Saturdays. Register online for a guided 90-minute tour (wear comfortable shoes) or take a self-guided walk around the campus’ major landmarks.
Don’t-miss hangout: For a classic student meal in town, go to one of the branches of Pizza My Heart, where you can buy pizza by the slice and bundle in an almost-free t-shirt with your combo meal. Get dessert at Pacific Cookie Company or a scoop at Penny Ice Creamery.
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
What makes it unique: Known as Cal Poly SLO, this university among the rolling hills of San Luis Obispo embraces a learn-by-doing approach: Besides traditional classroom buildings, the campus is home to farms, a dairy, and even vineyards (you can major in wine production).
How to explore: Sign up for one of the 90-minute guided walking tours that take place on most weekdays during the year. Depending on the day, you can often add a tour of one of the six different colleges, including the College of Business or the College of Agriculture. You can also do a self-guided tour using either a digital guide or by picking up the map at the campus welcome center.
Don’t-miss hangout: Stop in at High Street Deli near campus for a piled-high sandwich, like the meatloaf on a brioche bun or the California Turkey with green chiles, melted pepper jack, and avocado on toasted sourdough. If you’re around on a Friday, hit up the weekly drive-thru at Cal Poly Creamery for some house-made cheese or a scoop of ice cream. On Thursday evenings, be sure to browse the five-block downtown SLO Farmers’ market, where you’ll find more student-produced cheese, wine, and jams.
University of California, Santa Barbara
What makes it unique: Located north of Santa Barbara in Goleta, the UCSB campus takes its proximity to the beach seriously. Both Campus Point Beach and Devereax Beach are on campus (the first is a good one for learning to surf) and you’ll even find surfboard racks dotting the campus. The walkable neighborhood next door is Isla Vista, lined with restaurants, bars, and shops.
How to explore: Register online for a 75-minute campus tour, held on most weekdays , or a two-hour version that includes an information session about the application process. Check the events page to see about the annual open house (typically mid-April) and other special events geared toward incoming students.
Guide yourself by downloading the interactive map, and be sure to go to the UCSB Library where the 8th floor is famous for its sweeping views, sometimes stretching all the way to the Channel Islands.
Don’t-miss hangout: Walk over to Isla Vista to grab a coffee at Kozy or get lunch at small California chain Woodstock Pizza: Order the Gaucho Gordo, named after the UCSB mascot, topped with pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
Pepperdine University, Malibu
What makes it unique: Located on the bluffs above the beaches of Malibu, the campus of Pepperdine has an almost resort-like ambience with its sweeping ocean views. Students here can choose between surfing and hiking for downtime—the campus also edges into the chaparral-covered foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains.
How to explore: Ninety-minute student-led tours happen most weekdays and Saturdays and cover landmarks such as the stained-glass windows of the campus’ Stauffer Chapel; the two-hour experience includes a half-hour information session. Or, take the self-guided tour which you can do by driving or walking.
Don’t-miss hangout: Head to Malibu Country Mart, one of the best local shopping hot spots, and enjoy a salad, sandwich, or juice at John’s Garden. Or sit down for brunch, dinner, or happy hour at Marmalade Café.
University of California, Los Angeles
What makes it unique: With its stately brick buildings and a grassy quad, UCLA exudes timeless-college-campus—so much so that it has played other colleges in films including The Graduate (Berkeley) and Legally Blonde (Harvard Law School). Its Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood is charmingly walkable with bars, ramen shops, coffeehouses, and the obligatory In-N-Out.
How to explore: Sign up online for a guided walking tour, typically held on weekdays, or just sign up to be sent a map and itinerary for the self-guided tour. Either way you’ll cover the area known as the Bruin Walk, which runs from Powell Library to the residence halls.
Don’t-miss hangout: Grab a coffee and a pastry at Kerckhoff Coffeehouse, the on-campus coffee shop at Kerckhoff Hall that has been running since the 1930s. Or head to Westwood sports bar Rocco’s Tavern to cheer on the Bruins and order a New York-style pizza or some wings (try the extra-hot Rocco’s sauce).
University of Southern California, Los Angeles
What makes it unique: Located 3 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the 226-acre campus exists in its own grand, collegiate bubble: the architecture is Romanesque Revival and Gothic-inspired, with courtyards, arched pathways, fountains, and bell towers. The red-and-gold Trojan school spirit emanates from every corner too.
How to explore: Student-led tours happen Monday through Friday during the school year. Register online for a basic tour or book the longer session that includes a 45-minute undergraduate information session. Or, download a map for the self-guided tour.
You can even stay overnight at the university-owned USC Hotel, which sits next door to campus. The hotel has won awards for its sustainability practices, and it regularly offers great deals and packages, like one that bundles in game tickets.
Don’t-miss hangout: The outdoor shopping center USC Village, across the street from campus, is the nerve center of everyday life for students—it even has its own Trader Joe’s. Explore the many options—like the blueberry matcha lattes, pastries, and breakfast burritos from Dulce.
University of California, Irvine
What makes it unique: This contemporary-style campus in Orange County opened in 1965 and was designed by one of the architects behind Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. The Irvine campus extends from a giant circle called Ring Road, and at its center is Aldrich Park, a 19-acre green space dotted with eucalyptus trees.
How to explore: Take a 90-minute guided tour, typically available Mondays through Saturdays. To take the self-guided tour of UCI, download the guide or pick up a map at 260 Aldrich Hall.
Don’t-miss hangout: Head to the University Center shopping area across from campus. Here you’ll find plenty of familiar names (such as In-N-Out) as well as the acai-fueled Blue Bowl and Cha for Tea, beloved for its bobas and crispy chicken. A few more miles away is another popular spot: the shops, restaurants, and entertainment (plus Ferris wheel) of the Irvine Spectrum Center.
University of California, San Diego
What makes it unique: Located north of San Diego in La Jolla, the UCSD campus exudes modern rather than old-school vibes—and part of the campus stretches all the way to the beach. Its unique landmarks include the Geisel Library, named after the La Jolla legend better known as Dr. Seuss.
How to explore: In any given week, tours of the campus are typically offered on a few weekdays and one weekend day. The 90-minute Triton Visit tour includes a 30-minute information session about admission plus a 60-minute walking tour. The self-guided tour, meanwhile, begins with a 15-minute live session with a staffer who can offer guidance on the downloaded map.
For more campus flavor, do one of the non-admission tours—like the monthly tours of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography or the self-guided Stuart Collection Walking Tour that covers 20 pieces of public art.
Don’t-miss hangout: Take a break on campus at student hot spots including Shōwa Ramen and M.O.M.’s Café (MOM stands for “Middle of Muir” College), which offers local flavor by way of roaster Virtuoso Coffee and Bread & Cie pastries. After classes, students head to the Westfield UTC mall, which has become a student-foodie magnet thanks to places such as Wushiland Boba and the soft serve at SomiSomi.