I am going to have a campus tour at UCI. How can I get to the campus from LAX? I will not be able to rent a car. Is there any way other than Uber that I can get there?
Not sure where you are flying from, but would recommend flying into SNA Orange County airport - only 10 min from campus. LAX is over an hour away from Irvine and traffic has to be factored in.
Public transit sucks in So Cal. Perhaps you can find an airport bus that goes from LAX to SNA (aka John Wayne airport). Then it would be an easy cab/uber ride to campus from SNA.
But any regular public transit would probably take hours and hours.
“Super Shuttle.” It’s a van service. The cost effective way is to use the shared van, they run a lot. There are others, but this is the one I know. Google LAX to UC Irvine.
Sure hope you arranged this to miss rush hour. It’s so true that Santa Ana airport would be a lot easier (and it’s a very easy airport to navigate.)
Careful with Super Shuttle, as you may end up making a bunch of stops on the way (which may be out of the way). I bet you could catch a direct airport shuttle from LAX to SNA, then Uber/cab or shuttle to UCI from SNA.
Good luck!
LAX is about an hour drive to UCI assuming no traffic. It’s an easy route, you just need to take I-405 south for about 50 miles. Public transportation really sucks here. You can try to see if amtrak trains run that route. But yes, flying into SNA (John Wayne) is much more convenient.
Another possibility is to take the LAX FlyAway Bus http://www.lawa.org/FlyAway/content.aspx?id=9970 to Union Station and then the Metrolink and bus to UC Irvine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzvs4bj6e4M
This would take some time however and as others have said you’d be better off flying into SNA John Wayne.
Note, if you do take the LAX FlyAway Bus (or taxi/Uber) to catch a flight remember to leave plenty of time if you are travelling around rush hour (which can start around 3pm in LA) as it is very possible to be stuck in traffic for long periods.
Do not take the train. Totally out of the way…LA’s Union Station is nowhere near LAX, and the train station in Irvine is not very near campus either.
I second SuperShuttle, or one like it. You can reserve online, or just find one of their agents at the curb on arrivals level. If unclear, go to Ground Transportation desk and ask for help.
I know you said no Uber, but that’s what I would do…not just would do, but do do. 
Be sure to check the UCI page on traveling there. Most schools have suggestions.
Really, just look at a map re Union Station’s location. Agree to see how UCI recommends.
In my experiences with the shuttles, they try to make the trip make sense (re sharing and other stops.) And they can give a frame for how long your particular trip would take.