National university
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $22,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,114 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Grand Canyon University Campus Tour | Experience GCU · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.43%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,077 · ACT 21
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.20 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$2,400
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $32,702 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 70,929 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 29% · Women 71% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 47% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 73% |
| Total students | 107,563 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $22,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $32,702 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,114 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 43% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 35% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 40% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 35% |
| First-year retention | 72% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $42,186 |
| Admission rate | 79% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,583 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 46% |
| Average SAT | 1077 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 518–580 |
| SAT math | 488–533 |
| ACT composite | 20–22 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing | |
| Computer science | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Homeland Security | |
| Management science | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Finance | |
| Accounting | |
| Business administration | |
| Health administration | |
| Marketing | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Security science | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Political science | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Communication studies | |
| Biology | |
| History | |
| Social work | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Counseling and mental health | |
| Allied health | |
| Special education | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Teacher education | |
| Human services | |
| Arts management | |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | |
| Religious Education | |
| Public relations | |
| Film and video | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Theatre | |
| Literature |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Biochemistry, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Business (general), Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Chemistry, Computer engineering, Dance, Design, Economics, Electrical engineering, Electrical engineering technology, Engineering (general), Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Foods, Nutrition,, Human resources, Industrial Engineering, Information technology, Mechanical engineering technology, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Programming, Psychology, Public health, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Theology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Public administration and social service | |
| Education | |
| Criminal justice and security |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 66% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 52% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,700 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Western Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 20 to 1 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 10%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Dorm space | For about 26% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)About 9 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 1,642,323Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | GlendaleAbout 4 miles away · about 10 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 57°F in January · 96°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, AZ, about 9 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Questions families ask
- What is Grand Canyon University’s Compass Score?
- Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Grand Canyon University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $22,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Grand Canyon University?
- Grand Canyon University admitted 79% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Grand Canyon University’s graduates do?
- 43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $42,186; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,114.
Ask the school
Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.
Reviews
Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.
No reviews yet.
Sign in to write a review.
My rating and notes
Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.
About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 104717
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral/professional university
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
- Respond as this school
Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Grand Canyon vs University of Phoenix-Arizona · Grand Canyon vs Liberty · Grand Canyon vs Capella · Grand Canyon vs Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs
More in Arizona · Arizona rankings