Driving Enrollment Growth Through Digital-First Engagement
HCU’s Appily Tour Story
- type
- Religious HSI
- location
- South
- undergraduates
- 2,800+
8:18 mins
Average time on tour for visitors who personalize their experience (compared to 4:37 mins overall)
53%
Inquiry-to-application rate for virtual tour inquiries (compared to 20% overall)
93
First-source inquiries from the virtual tour for EC25, resulting in 4 enrollments
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Background
Houston Christian University partnered with EAB in 2019 to develop a virtual tour as part of a broader effort to modernize its recruitment strategy and meet prospective students where they are—especially those unable to visit campus in person. Recognizing that today’s students expect digital-first experiences, HCU sought a solution that could both showcase campus and move students more efficiently through the enrollment funnel.
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Solution
Through its Appily Tour, the university has significantly expanded reach, generating new inquiries and engaging students earlier in their decision-making process. It has also enhanced the in-person campus visit experience by creating more informed and prepared visitors. Overall, the tour has delivered strong measurable enrollment impact, including record-setting class in 2025.
The virtual tour is now a critical part of the college-search process, and our tour is a very robust tool that has become indispensable. We’re happy with the results that we’ve had thus far, and we want to continue to leverage it to do even more.
Dr. James L. Steen
Vice President of Enrollment Management & Marketing, Houston Christian University
