The GCU Story

The Grand Canyon University Story
From its humble beginnings in 1949, GCU has experienced a remarkable transformation in the past 17 years. After nearly declaring bankruptcy and closing its doors, GCU has since become an American success story by focusing on its Christian mission, free-market principles, high-quality student body and affordability for all socioeconomic classes of Americans. Enrollment has grown from less than 1,000 traditional-age students on its Phoenix campus in 2008 to nearly 25,000 in 2024-25, with an additional 98,000+ studying online.

Academics
Since 2008, GCU has tripled the number of academic programs, emphases and certificates to 349 as well as the number of colleges from 4 to 10 by focusing its curriculum on high-growth job fields such as engineering, computer science, cybersecurity and business while also making significant investments to address nationwide workforce shortages in areas such as teaching, nursing, counseling and accelerated pathways in trades industries like electricians and machinists.

GCU's enrollment growth has occurred while also raising admissions standards, with average incoming GPAs of 3.5 each of the past eight years for fully admissible students. In addition, GCU's Honors College has grown to nearly 3,000 students with average incoming weighted GPAs of 4.1.

GCU now produces around 30,000 graduates on an annual basis, all taught from a Christian worldview perspective. In areas such as nursing that require professional licensure exams, GCU graduates pass those exams at higher rates than the national or state average in Arizona.

Student body
GCU was at the forefront of creating multiple education delivery platforms that best fit students' individual needs no matter where they are at in their life situation -- whether that be a traditional campus, online-only platform, hybrid campus or accelerated pathways for students who don't want or can't afford four years of higher education.

GCU has a vibrant 300-acre campus in Phoenix with nearly 25,000 students. In fact, with 16,000 of those students residing in the University's 32 on-campus residence halls, GCU is one of the largest residential campuses among private universities in the country. An additional 98,000+ students study using GCU's online platform.

Campus Growth
GCU has utilized a financial model that, instead of relying on state taxpayer dollars, used initial capital from the public markets to grow and invest $1.9 billion into its academic infrastructure over the past 17 years with new classrooms, laboratories, research facilities, residence halls, restaurants, athletic venues, student amenities and campus technology — all without passing those costs on to students through increases in tuition on the Phoenix campus. GCU's 300-acre campus has nearly tripled in size and is now annually ranked among the top 25 in the country according to niche.com.

Accreditations
GCU is accredited by the same regulatory body – the Higher Learning Commission – as many state universities in the central and western United States. In addition to the HLC, GCU also has accreditations from 12 other academic program-specific governing bodies, reflecting the University's dedication to quality education across diverse disciplines.

Christian Mission
As part of its Christian mission, GCU has numerous outreach efforts, including this groundbreaking five-point plan that no other university in the country is undertaking.

Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Arizona Nonprofit Status
GCU reverted back to its historical status as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Arizona nonprofit corporation (which it held previously from 1949-2004) on July 1, 2018. GCU's current tax-exempt nonprofit status is recognized by the IRS, the State of Arizona, the NCAA and GCU's national and state accrediting bodies (the Higher Learning Commission and Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education). Despite the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) initial refusal to acknowledge that nonprofit status, GCU has the legal authority to operate as a 501(c)(3) Arizona nonprofit corporation.

In November 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that the Department of Education acted unlawfully and exceeded its authority in refusing to acknowledge GCU's nonprofit status because it applied an incorrect legal standard, and remanded it back to ED to apply the correct standard. Importantly, the IRS has already ruled that GCU meets all legal requirements as a 501(c)(3) Arizona tax-exempt institution. In light of the Ninth Circuit's ruling, the IRS tax-exempt status and other independent valuations, GCU is hopeful that the Department will act in good faith and render a quick decision recognizing the University's nonprofit status. Ten of the 11 members of Arizona's Congressional delegation have sent a bipartisan letter of support asking ED to formally acknowledge GCU's nonprofit status.

At A Glance

Campus enrollment: Nearly 25,000 (up from less than 1,000 traditional-age students in 2008)

Online enrollment: 98,000+ working adult students, with roughly half studying at the graduate level

Tuition: Has been frozen for 17 straight years on ground campus. Published rate is $16,500 per year, but more than 90 percent of traditional students qualify for institutional discounts that lower the average cost to approximately $9,200 (excluding federal grants, loans and external scholarships)

Average incoming GPA: 3.6 for fully admissible students

Honors College average incoming weighted GPA: 4.1 (Honors College now has nearly 3,000 students)

Best College Campuses in America: No. 21 out of 1,373 in niche.com rankings

Best College Dorms in America: No. 4 out of 1,353 in niche.com rankings

Average class size: 31 on traditional campus

2009-2022: $1.9 billion invested into academic infrastructure without passing those costs on to students with increased tuition on Phoenix campus

Economic impact: $2.8 billion annually to State of Arizona

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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