Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate (for-profit)

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona·Private for-profit, 4-year or above·Southwest·gcu.edu
6-yr Graduation
43%
+28.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
113,257
peer median 48,601
Avg net price
$21,931
+$3.6k vs Doctoral/Professional
Use this data
Ask Clema
AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeers

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
51,203
51,203 candidates competed
Admitted
40,405
78.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
7,306
18.1% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
43%+28.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
37%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
43%
Full-time retention
72%

Pell equity

11.0pp gap
Pell recipients
33%
Non-Pell
44%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 149 Title IV programs, 65 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 83 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
149
Passing
65
43.6% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.7% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.7%
+0.1pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

149programs
  • Passing65 · 43.6%
  • No Data83 · 55.7%
  • Failing1 · 0.7%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
5
Watch
8
Safe
52
No data
83

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

66
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-3.4%
$58,045 vs $60,112
Marketing
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+2.6%
$61,699 vs $60,112
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+2.8%
$61,780 vs $60,112
Theological and Ministerial Studies
First Professional Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+4.8%
$46,690 vs $44,535
Literature
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+6.3%
$36,986 vs $34,808
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+6.7%
$37,142 vs $34,808
Public Health
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+13.5%
$68,242 vs $60,112
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Master's Degree · Security And Protective Services
+15.1%
$61,712 vs $53,607

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

4
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-3.4%
−$2,067
Marketing
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+2.6%
+$1,587
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+2.8%
+$1,668
Theological and Ministerial Studies
First Professional Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+4.8%
+$2,155

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

62
Theological and Ministerial Studies
First Professional Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
133%
$61,845 debt · $46,690 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Doctoral Degree · Education
108%
$73,025 debt · $67,876 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
92%
$56,520 debt · $61,780 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Doctoral Degree · Education
84%
$76,516 debt · $91,300 earn
Community Organization and Advocacy
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
80%
$37,500 debt · $46,973 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
79%
$45,858 debt · $58,045 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Bachelor Degree · Education
79%
$40,122 debt · $50,892 earn
Literature
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
73%
$27,000 debt · $36,986 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1968Next review Aug 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 6

  1. Feb 2026Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  2. Sep 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  3. Nov 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Nov 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  5. Nov 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$18,474
$30–48k$19,082
$48–75k$22,037
$75–110k$23,907
$110k+$24,177

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$21,931
+$3,626vs Doctoral/Professional median $18,305
Federal loans
53.5%
In-state tuition
$17,450
Out-of-state
$17,450

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 63,393 students received $328.4M in Pell grants, alongside $880.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
63,393
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$328.4M
$328,431,922 total
Direct Loans
$880.1M
141,946 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

43k
’20
44k
’21
47k
’22
54k
’23
63k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$171.5M
53,379 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$208.3M
50,048 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$447.8M
34,906 loan awards
Parent PLUS$34.4M
2,283 loan awards
Grad PLUS$18.0M
1,330 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 40,052 borrowers who entered repayment, 629 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
40,052
Defaulted
629
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.6%
2017
5.8%
2018
5.0%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Grand Canyon

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs119
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

26,383 total completions
01Health Professions
7,97530.2%
02Education
7,85929.8%
03Business
4,56417.3%
04Public Admin
2,3268.8%
05Psychology
9603.6%
06Computer Sciences
8363.2%
07Security/Protective
7012.7%
08Theology
4221.6%
09Communication
4191.6%
10Visual/Performing Arts
3211.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
113,257
12-mo unduplicated
170,467
Undergraduate
112,023
Graduate
58,444

Gender split

Men
27%45,719
Women
73%124,748

Race / ethnicity composition

White
47.7%
Hispanic
24.2%
Black
15.8%
Two or more
4.7%
Asian
2.8%
Unknown
2.3%
Non-resident
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.6%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
461
239 M · 222 W
Women athletes
48.2%
Athletic aid
$5.8M
Total student aid
Budget
$30.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.4M
$3.4M
Recruiting expense
$357K
$259K
Head-coach salaries
$291K
$122K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
173 M · 110 W
$1.9M
Soccer
35 M · 38 W
$2.5M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
26 M · 23 W
$1.6M
Volleyball
23 M · 21 W
$2.0M
Baseball
40 M · —
$1.9M
Basketball
15 M · 20 W
$9.2M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
5.95
606 offenses · 101,816 students

3-year trend

0.582 yrs ago4.171 yr ago5.95Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
1,096
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
52
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
4
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
23

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
548
Burglary
34
Rape
13
Fondling
6
Aggravated assault
3
Arson
1
Statutory rape
1

By location

606total
  • On campus606

Includes 51 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

6
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
9
Stalking
15 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Gender identity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs8172
Liquor0700

Residence-hall fires

  • North Rim Bldg. # 51 fire
    CookingDamage $100,000-$249,999
  • Prescott Hall #361 fire
    OtherDamage $100-$999
  • Papago Apt. Bldg.#472 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Papago Apt. Bldg.#472 fires
    CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Acacia Hall Bldg. 821 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Ironwood Hall Bldg #831 fire
    OtherDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Encanto Apartments #271 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Diamondback Apartments #501 fire
    Pile of clothing intentionally burned.Damage $1,000-$9,999
  • Jerome Apartments #541 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Sonora Apartments #561 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 19 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
20.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
659

Grand Canyon vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Grand Canyon selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectGrand Canyon University
43%—113,257$21,931Doctoral/Professional
University of Phoenix-Arizona
16%—111,248$13,571Doctoral/Professional
Capella University
20%—47,761$18,305Doctoral/Professional
Walden University
0%—49,441—Doctoral/Professional
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
14%—31,830$14,954Doctoral/Professional
Ashford University
10%—28,004$25,321Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median15%—48,601$18,305

Frequently asked questions about Grand Canyon University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Grand Canyon.

What is the graduation rate at Grand Canyon University?

Grand Canyon University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 43% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Grand Canyon University?

Grand Canyon University reports a total enrollment of 113,257 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Grand Canyon University?

The average net price at Grand Canyon University is $21,931 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Grand Canyon University?

Grand Canyon University's yield rate is 18.1%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Grand Canyon University located?

Grand Canyon University is located in Phoenix, Arizona 85017.

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Grand Canyon University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card