Rent a charter bus to tour universities in Austin
If you’re planning to take a large group of high school students on a college tour, you’ll need a way to get them to campus. That’s where Austin Charter Bus Company comes in. Your students have worked hard getting ready for college admission season—reward them with thoughtful amenities like plush seats and climate control.
If you want to go above and beyond, you can even request additional amenities like power outlets and free WiFi so students can do research about the university on the way there. Ready to start planning? Call us at 512-215-4891, and keep reading for information on how to visit Austin’s most popular universities as a group.
University of Texas at Austin
The flagship school of the University of Texas, this public university is known for its emphasis on scientific research, its diverse array of degree programs, and its talented Longhorns sports teams. To take a group tour, you’ll need to book your visit online, via email, or by calling 512-475-7399. Please know that your tour is not confirmed until the Group Visit Coordinator contacts you.
Tours are for groups of 10-100 students. You must have 1 chaperone for every 10 students. That means that the smallest groups will need 1 minibus, while the largest possible group will need 2 full-size charter buses. Your bus can drop you off at the Admissions Welcome Center at Perry-Castañeda Library—however, because visitor parking is only available in parking garages, your bus will need to leave and come back for you when you’re ready to be picked up.
Huston-Tillotson University
One of the preeminent historically black universities in Texas, Huston-Tillotson is a small private school that welcomes roughly 1,200 students each year. This university also has a strong commitment to making college more accessible, offering automatic admission to any student with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
Large group tours are held Monday-Friday at 10 a.m. and include the opportunity to eat in the cafeteria for $8.25 a person. All tours require a reservation, which you can make by emailing the Office of Recruitment and Admission or calling 512-505-3028 at least 10 business days before you want to tour. When the day of your tour arrives, your charter bus can drop you off at Agard-Lovinggood Auditorium before proceeding to one of several visitors parking lots.
St. Edward’s University
This private Catholic university is home to the brothers of the Holy Cross and Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel. With an average class size of 19, it’s a good fit for students looking for a discussion-based liberal arts education.
If you’d like to schedule a group tour, email seuvisit@stedwards.edu at least three weeks before your preferred tour day. Campus visits begin at the Ragsdale Center. Your bus can enter the campus on Andre Drive to drop you off near Ragsdale, but your driver will need to either park off-site or obtain a visitor ePermit to park in the Economy Lots or Standard Lots. Parking lot hours for visitors are below:
Yellow Economy lots:
Mon-Fri: 7 a.m.-5 p.m
Green Standard lots:
Mon-Fri: 5 p.m.-7 a.m.
Sat-Sun: all day
Luckily, you’ll never have to walk all the way to the parking lots with your group, since your bus can pick you up when your tour is over.
Concordia University Texas
Located in northwest Austin, Concordia offers liberal arts classes based in Christian theology. If you’re taking a church youth group to tour the campus, you’ll need to register for a group visit at least two weeks in advance by emailing visit@concordia.edu or calling 512-313-4CTX.
All group visits begin at 10:30 a.m., and you’ll need 1 adult chaperone for every 10 teenagers you bring. The admissions building is located next to the visitors parking lot.
Southwestern University
Southwestern University lies about 40 minutes north of Austin, so if you’re bringing a group of high schoolers from the center of the city, you’ll want to make sure you request free WiFi or a flat-screen TV to keep them entertained. This private liberal arts university is the oldest college in Texas and offers innovative majors like Animal Studies, International Studies, and Latin American & Border Studies.
Group tours begin at the Wilhelmina Cullen Admission Center and are held Monday-Thursday at 11 a.m. for parties of up to 50 people. Like many of the other schools on this list, Southwestern requires 1 chaperone for every 10 students. To reserve your tour, submit a request form 3 weeks in advance, call 800-252-3166, or email admission@southwestern.edu.
Parking for the admission center is available in the lot just north of the Cullen Building (there is street parking as well, but that’s probably not ideal for buses). Let the admissions office know you’ll need parking when you make your reservation.
Texas State University
This public research university lies in San Marcos, about 35 to 40 minutes away from Austin. The San Marcos River runs directly through the beautiful campus that hosts almost 100 different degree programs, including an array of strong engineering programs. Texas State also has a second campus in Round Rock, though that one doesn’t usually host new student tours.
If you’d like to visit the San Marcos campus, you’ll need to—you guessed it—register for a large group tour online. You can register up to 3 weeks in advance and bring up to 80 students, with 1 chaperone for every 10. When you arrive on campus, your bus driver will need to drop you off at the LBJ Student Center and then drive to Bobcat Stadium to park.
Get ready for your campus tours in Austin
Make your next college tour with a large group as stress-free as possible. After you reserve a guided group tour at the campuses you want to visit, call Austin Charter Bus Company at 512-215-4891. We’ll send you a safe, well-equipped charter bus to help you reach all of the great schools Austin has to offer.