The best university virtual tours

What is university really like? It’s a challenging question at the best of times but with many of us unable to travel to university campuses it feels a bit harder to answer at the moment. So, how do you choose a university if you can’t visit? 

Thankfully, most universities now offer virtual tours. You can immerse yourself in a university campus from the comfort of your sofa. 

Virtual tours are particularly useful in the early stages of your university search. You can get a feel a campus online before you add it to your shortlist. Plus, they enable you to show your parents, siblings and friends, so they get can share the experience wherever the university is in the world.

Right now, virtual university tours are also a good way of breaking cabin fever. You can be transported to the banks of the River Cam at Trinity Hall in sleepy Cambridge or to a University in the heart of a busy city like London.

Top university virtual tours

So, whether you need a change of scenery or are planning the next step of your academic journey, we’ve put together our favourite virtual tours to help you start exploring:

University of Oxford

We love the University of Oxford virtual tours because there is one of each college! The University of Oxford is made up of 39 colleges. Each college has a distinct identity from the modern buildings of St Annes College to the traditional architecture of one of Bucksmore’s favourite colleges, Brasenose College, there is something for everyone.  While in real life it would be near impossible to cover all Oxford colleges in a day, you can do it online, making it one of the best university virtual tours.

University of Bristol 

Another top UK university, and a great alternative to the University of Oxford or Cambridge, is the University of Bristol. It’s often hard to show city universities through online tours, that’s why we think Bristol’s virtual tour is one of the best. Taking the form of an interactive map, you get a sense of the scale of the university, but also an opportunity to delve into its hidden corners. Make sure you take a look at the Hogwarts-style Wills Memorial Building Library. 

Harvard College 

Taking a trip across the pond, Harvard College is a must-see university. Harvard is home to alumni including Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama and their virtual tour is one of the best university virtual tours. Possibly the highest tech option of the list, there are 360 panoramas, videos and photos enabling you to delve deep into the campus. You can even visit the world’s largest university library.

University of Chicago 

Another top American university, the University of Chicago, also made our list for its friendly approach to the virtual university tour. Often the best thing about visiting a university is meeting its students. On the tour, you are shown around campus by several student tour guides. Plus, it is a beautiful campus, just check out the Harper Memorial Library.

University of Toronto

Finally, another of the world’s most prestigious universities, we loved the University of Toronto’s VR tour. To see the Toronto tour at its best you need to use a VR headset, but once you’ve got over the hassle, it is worth it. Dropping in on University of Toronto’s world-class musicians shows virtual tours can give you an insight into things you wouldn’t see on a typical campus visit.

These virtual tours show that wherever you are in the world, you can still keep planning for university. Let us know what you’ve been doing to prepare for university in the comments.