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
$22,472
+$2.3k vs Doctoral/Professional
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

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

17.1pp gap
Pell recipients
33%344 of 1046
Non-Pell (all)
50%828 of 1651
Subsidized loan, no Pell
44%269 of 605
No Federal Aid
53%559 of 1046

Non-Pell students graduate at a 17.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

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$18,557
$30–48k$18,763
$48–75k$21,712
$75–110k$24,471
$110k+$25,701

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

Avg net price (private)
$22,472
+$2,258vs Doctoral/Professional median $20,214
Federal loans
53.0%
In-state tuition
$17,850
Out-of-state
$17,850

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, 64,648 students received $336.1M in Pell grants, alongside $1.1B in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
64,648
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$336.1M
$336,086,855 total
Direct Loans
$1.1B
145,183 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

43k
’20
44k
’21
47k
’22
54k
’23
65k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$215.3M
54,148 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$258.5M
50,695 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$571.6M
36,366 loan awards
Parent PLUS$36.8M
2,341 loan awards
Grad PLUS$26.9M
1,633 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 programs131
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

28,156 total completions
01Education
8,25029.3%
02Health Professions
7,94928.2%
03Business
5,00617.8%
04Public Admin
3,11211.1%
05Psychology
1,0503.7%
06Computer Sciences
9133.2%
07Security/Protective
7512.7%
08Theology
4331.5%
09Communication
3921.4%
10Biological Sciences
3001.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
113,257
12-mo unduplicated
182,032
Undergraduate
122,866
Graduate
59,166

Gender split

Men
27%48,703
Women
73%133,329

Race / ethnicity composition

White
45.8%
Hispanic
24.6%
Black
17.2%
Two or more
5.0%
Asian
2.8%
Unknown
2.3%
Non-resident
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.5%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
441
236 M · 205 W
Women athletes
46.5%
Athletic aid
$5.7M
Total student aid
Budget
$33.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.5M
$3.2M
Recruiting expense
$346K
$377K
Head-coach salaries
$344K
$142K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
146 M · 105 W
$2.1M
Soccer
36 M · 33 W
$2.6M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
27 M · 28 W
$1.6M
Baseball
45 M · —
$1.7M
Volleyball
22 M · 17 W
$1.9M
Basketball
16 M · 15 W
$10.7M

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
3.81
410 offenses · 107,563 students

3-year trend

4.172 yrs ago5.951 yr ago3.81Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
1,446
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
54
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
5
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
28

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
365
Burglary
20
Rape
13
Arson
4
Fondling
4
Aggravated assault
3
Robbery
1

By location

410total
  • On campus410

Includes 43 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

9
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
4
Stalking
13 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs10153
Liquor0614

Residence-hall fires

  • Ironwood Hall Bldg #831 fire
    Open flamesDamage $100-$999
  • Agave Apartments #412 fires
    A student set a stack of napkins on fire in a student housing hallway. Student was identified and arrested.Damage $100-$999
  • Agave Apartments #412 fires
    A student set a sofa located in a common area of a student housing building on fire. Student was identified and arrested.Damage $1,000-$9,999
  • Roadrunner Apartments #281 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Jerome Apartments #541 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Cactus Apartments #531 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Ponderosa Apartments #631 fire
    Hazardous productDamage $100-$999
  • Turquoise Apartments #611 fire
    ElectricalDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Copper Apartments #741 fire
    Open flamesDamage $100-$999
  • Santa Cruz Apartments #791 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 23 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$22,472Doctoral/Professional
University of Phoenix-Arizona
16%—111,248$13,520Doctoral/Professional
Capella University
20%—47,761$17,956Doctoral/Professional
Walden University
0%—49,441$33,817Doctoral/Professional
Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
14%—31,830$16,745Doctoral/Professional
Ashford University
10%—28,004$31,266Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median15%—48,601$20,214

Institutions like Grand Canyon

Explore the federal data for institutions in Grand Canyon's comparison group.

IPEDS

Grand Canyon Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Assessment
Email
GCUAssessment [at] gcu.edu
Phone
1-855-GCU-LOPE
Address
3300 West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ 85017

Our mission is to facilitate continuous improvement of student learning and to remove obstacles to learning by affecting change at operational, tactical and strategic levels. In addition, we manage, store and report assessment data collected by GCU.

Visit IR office page

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 $22,472 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.

Who runs Institutional Research at Grand Canyon University?

Grand Canyon University's IR work is done by the Office of Assessment.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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