The fact is, most students and their parents search online to find the best universities and colleges.
So, if they aren’t able to visit in person, make sure that they explore the campus via a virtual reality tour.
This is especially beneficial to students who live out of state or abroad, enabling them to see buildings, view inside classrooms, dorms, libraries, and athletic facilities, and experience campus life and amenities.
As a result, these VR campus tours give a realistic sense of the facilities and environment, making your college stand out even more.
Not only does it make recruitment more exciting, but it also appeals to tech-savvy students.
With Gen Z increasingly expecting modern experiences, VR tours can offer a richer and more accessible view of the campuses.
In this post, we will explore the importance of campus tours, the benefits of VR, and how it can be integrated into the student recruitment strategy in higher education.
The Importance of Campus Tours in Student Recruitment
Campus tours are very important in helping students decide where to apply to college.
For many students, visiting a campus gives them a chance to see what the school is like in real life.
Therefore, a traditional campus tour allows prospective students to meet current students, faculty, and staff, which helps them connect and understand the school's culture.
However, some students face geographic and financial barriers that make it hard to visit campuses in person.
This is where virtual reality (VR) is a great solution—it lets students explore campuses from the comfort of their own homes.
As colleges adapt to these new methods for student recruitment, campus tours—both in-person and virtual—are clearly essential for attracting a diverse group of students.
How VR Campus Tours Work
VR campus tours use special technology to create virtual experiences that let students explore a college from anywhere.
Technical Aspects
Simply put, VR campus tours are 360-degree cameras that capture images and videos of the campus from every angle, creating a full view of different locations.
To experience these tours, students can use VR headsets, smartphones, or computers.
However, even on a smartphone or desktop, students can easily access these tours and still feel connected to the campus environment.
User Experience
Once the virtual tour starts, students can move around the campus just like in real life.
They can click on different areas to explore specific buildings, outdoor spaces, and facilities.
Moreover, many tours also include interactive features, such as videos, pop-up information about programs, and even messages from current students.
This helps prospective students learn more about the school and its community.
Developing VR Tours
When creating a VR college tour, you need to do the following:
- Capture 360 Panoramas of Your College
Use digital 360 cameras to take clear panoramic images of different areas of your college.
- Take Aerial 360 Photos
Use a drone to capture aerial 360-degree photos of larger attractions, such as the football field or an overall view of the campus.
- Use a Virtual Tour Creator
Choose a good virtual tour creator tool to build an engaging tour.
Consider using a WordPress site with the best VR plugin and add more features, like a college map or an introductory video.
- Place Your Virtual Tour on the Website
Create a special page for the virtual tour and consider adding it to your college’s home page.
- Encourage More Students to Take a Tour
Add pop-ups and calls-to-action (CTAs) on your home page and other website pages to invite visitors to take the tour.
Most importantly, these VR tours significantly reduce the expenses associated with physical campus tours, offering a high-quality experience at a fraction of the cost.
While buying 360-degree cameras and software can be expensive, many institutions consider this a worthwhile investment.
Benefits of VR Campus Tours in Student Recruitment
Experience matters – no matter the platform.
Therefore, anyone with internet access can become a potential visitor—and future student. With billions of people online worldwide, your reach becomes truly global.
Here’s how VR enhances the experience for prospective students:
- Accessibility and inclusivity
- Enhanced engagement and interactivity
- Personalization and data insights
Benefit 1: Accessibility and Inclusivity
VR campus tours allow students from anywhere in the world to "visit" a college without needing to travel.
As a result, it eliminates geographic barriers and helps ensure that students who may not afford expensive travel can still explore campuses.
Moreover, text-to-speech software and audio descriptions of visuals ensure accessibility for all.
Similarly, providing hands-free options to control these experiences makes them more accessible to those with physical disabilities.
Source: Indiana University
Furthermore, Indiana University’s accessible virtual tour is a great example of accessibility and inclusivity. It is designed for users who need extra accessibility features, such as screen readers or closed captioning.
Benefit 2: Enhanced Engagement and Interactivity
VR campus tours are much more engaging than traditional methods.
With features that allow users to click on different areas for more information, VR tours act as effective engagement tools.
This level of interactivity makes the virtual tours feel more like real-life visits, capturing students' interest and making them excited about the college.
The University of Bedfordshire virtual reality tour offers a lively experience and simulates the on-campus feels to those who can't visit us in person.
Source: University of Bedfordshire
It's a captivating way to ignite curiosity among prospective students, enabling them to explore the exciting opportunities that higher education can bring.
Benefit 3: Personalization and Data Insights
Unlike traditional campus tours, VR tours can be customized to match the specific interests of each visitor.
Also, during their virtual tours, the institution can gather data on what students look at during these tours, providing personalized experience and valuable insights.
For example, a prospective engineering student exploring the Tornote Metropolitan University could be given a tour focused on the engineering department, labs, and related facilities.
Hence, the university can customize these experiences to best reflect its top-performing degree programs.
Source: Toronto Metropolitan University
This information can help institutions understand student preferences and improve their recruitment strategies based on real interests.
How VR Enhances the Recruitment Process
While a virtual tour can't fully replace an in-person visit, it is a powerful tool to attract prospective students and elevate an institution's standing on their lists.
A survey conducted by Cappex revealed that virtual tours are favored by students when evaluating campuses, with 36% expressing a strong interest and 30% calling them a “must-have.”
This is critical in the early stages of a college search, as students often explore various options.
Here are universities that have successfully implemented virtual reality tours:
1. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, offers an immersive virtual tour that showcases its beautiful campus and diverse facilities.
Source: UC Berkeley
The tour features interactive elements, allowing prospective students to explore various departments, libraries, and student life areas.
This initiative has helped increase interest in the university, especially among out-of-state and international students.
2. University of Bristol
The University of Bristol in the UK has developed a comprehensive virtual reality tour highlighting key campus locations.
Students can explore everything from lecture halls to social spaces while getting a sense of the university's vibrant atmosphere.
Source: University Bristol
This approach has enhanced recruitment efforts, attracting a wider range of applicants and increasing overall engagement with prospective students.
3. Griffith University
Griffith University provides an engaging 360° VR experience that allows users to explore various campus spaces, from clinical facilities to creative studios, without needing to visit in person.
Source: Griffith University
Users can access 360° videos and images on multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and VR headsets.
Additionally, on a computer, users can click and drag with their mouse to change their view, while smartphone users can simply tilt their device or swipe with their fingers to look around.
The VR tour has increased inquiries and higher engagement among prospective students.
Implementing VR Campus Tours for Your Institution
VR campus tours are no longer a temporary substitute for in-person visits—they've become central to college recruitment.
However, implementing virtual reality tours is more than just a technical project on your site—it's also a strategic initiative that helps promote your school.
Consider the following steps to implement a VR campus tour for your institution:
- Assess your campus tour needs
- Choose the right technology
- Develop and Promote the VR tour
Step 1: Assess Your Campus Tour Needs
Begin by evaluating whether a VR campus tour aligns with your recruitment goals.
Identify which aspects of your campus would benefit the most from a virtual tour. Consider key facilities, unique features, and areas prospective students often inquire about.
Moreover, you can also conduct a tour needs assessment to determine how VR can enhance your current recruitment strategies.
Step 2: Choose the Right Technology
Select the appropriate technology for creating your VR tour.
This includes:
- 360-degree cameras for capturing high-quality images and videos of your campus.
- Software for building the virtual tour allows for interactive elements and seamless navigation.
- Hosting platforms to display the tour online and ensure it’s easily accessible.
- VR headsets for immersive experiences ensure the tour is also compatible with smartphones and desktops for broader access.
Research and compare different VR technology providers to find cost-effective options that suit your institution's needs.
Step 3: Develop and Promote the VR Tour
Once you've chosen your technology, begin developing the tour:
- Highlight key campus locations such as lecture halls, labs, libraries, and social spaces.
- Incorporate engaging elements like audio descriptions, videos, and interactive features that provide deeper insights into campus life.
After development, focus on marketing the VR tour to prospective students.
Use various promotion techniques, such as:
- Social media campaigns to generate interest and direct traffic to the tour.
- Email marketing targeting prospective students and their families to inform them about the virtual tour.
- Placement of the tour on your university’s website to make it easily accessible.
With these steps in mind, your institution can successfully implement VR campus tours that enhance recruitment efforts and attract a diverse range of students.
Conclusion
The value of virtual tours in generating interest from prospective students.
However, it's important to remember that these tours must address all stages of the recruitment process.
In fact, a well-designed tour can spark interest in visiting the campus while enhancing engagement throughout the recruitment funnel.
Moreover, you can highlight signature programs, your cutting-edge facility, and student life, providing a holistic view of campus life that’s accessible from their own homes.
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This way, you can ensure that it reaches your target audience, keeping the excitement alive as students learn more about what your campus has to offer.
Manno Notermans
I’m Manno, co-founder and CSO at Think Orion. I work with universities, exam prep companies, and course creators to use insight-led marketing that reflects how people choose what to learn. Most of my work comes down to understanding those choices and helping education brands align with them. At Think Orion, we use research, creative strategy, and clear systems to help good programs reach the right students.
