Universities–especially smaller ones–are putting more thought into their campus tours as research shows these visits are a primary factor in getting prospective students to enroll, according to an article in Inside Higher Ed. One summer 2026 survey conducted by college rankings firm Niche found that 92% of enrollment leaders at small colleges, like Trinity University, said campus visits are their main focus for enrolling their incoming class.
Trinity is no exception. Admissions leaders are already prioritizing a personal touch to its welcome wagon, per Inside Higher Ed, including VIP parking spots labeled with the visiting students’ names. The university also offers expansions to the traditional tour by giving prospective students and families optional experiences, such as sitting in on a class, having lunch with a current student, or meeting with a faculty or staff member.
Trinity is also among a collection of universities opening new welcome centers. Set to open in November, Trinity’s new “grand entrance” to the University, is designed to serve not only prospective students, but the broader campus community as well, Dean of Admissions Justin Doty said in the article. “Any time you put food and drink in any space, it’s going to be activated with current students. So, I think the synergy is actually going to be really cool, to have prospective students and our current Trinity students kind of bumping into each other,” Doty said. You can find the Inside Higher Ed article here.