Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona · Also known as GCU · Website
$42,186
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$42,186
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Grand Canyon University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Phoenix, Arizona with 73,371 undergraduates and 37,321 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $22,472 a year (tuition and fees $17,850). It admits 79% of applicants and 43% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $42,186 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,114 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$22,472
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$17,850
US median $11,837
Admission rate
79%
US median 78%
Completion rate
43%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,114
About $234 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$42,186
Rank 2,341 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $22,472
- Tuition and fees
- $17,850
- Cost of attendance
- $32,702
- Students with a need-based grant
- 46%
- Students with federal loans
- 53%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $18,557
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $18,763
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $21,712
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $24,471
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $25,701
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $17,050 in 2015-16 to $17,850 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 79%
- Average SAT
- 1,077
- Undergraduates
- 73,371
- Graduate students
- 37,321
- Part-time students
- 66%
- Women
- 71%
- Students per teacher
- 20
- Completion rate
- 43%
- Retention rate
- 72%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 122
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,341 of 5,094 US colleges and 43 of 99 in Arizona (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | AZ median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $22,472 | $20,678 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $17,850 | $8,774 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 79% | 90% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 43% | 54% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 72% | 75% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,114 | $9,500 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $47,280 | $36,057 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $42,186 | $40,059 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 35% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 71% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
122 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3,721 | $17,188 | $92,781 | $103,884 | $88,910 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 1,914 | $31,340 | $48,788 | $56,764 | $59,916 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1,595 | $24,999 | $53,770 | $65,828 | $68,257 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 1,505 | $32,443 | $111,869 | $123,688 | $120,193 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 1,493 | $33,911 | $72,536 | $89,393 | $103,485 |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 1,116 | $31,690 | $54,232 | $60,336 | $64,397 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1,069 | $30,921 | $40,682 | $49,531 | $47,382 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 1,043 | $41,000 | $48,673 | $58,045 | $59,571 |
| Human Services, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1,014 | $26,963 | $35,433 | $48,766 | $48,597 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's | Master's | 931 | $21,180 | $58,173 | $63,874 | $63,707 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 927 | $26,235 | $64,777 | $73,501 | $71,685 |
| Psychology, OtherOnlineMaster's | Master's | 789 | $30,180 | $51,812 | $59,759 | $61,796 |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 600 | $40,811 | $43,258 | $50,892 | $50,499 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 553 | $31,432 | $37,693 | $51,490 | $52,119 |
| Curriculum and InstructionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 500 | Withheld | Withheld | $58,811 | $63,399 |
| Community Organization and AdvocacyOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 377 | $36,645 | $36,445 | $46,973 | $51,936 |
| Social WorkOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 363 | $28,245 | $39,017 | $53,716 | $51,790 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 337 | $32,250 | $46,773 | $60,328 | $58,716 |
| MarketingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 336 | $23,987 | $45,001 | $60,303 | $69,303 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 293 | $23,271 | $66,736 | $79,175 | $75,975 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 287 | $26,599 | $41,180 | $55,600 | $55,378 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 284 | $25,000 | $53,977 | $67,067 | $76,194 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 279 | $27,000 | $59,500 | $85,864 | $92,374 |
| Religious EducationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 268 | $30,731 | $37,273 | $45,165 | $43,633 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 260 | $30,869 | $97,286 | $107,641 | $124,201 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Phoenix and Arizona on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Arizona
- Homes: Homes for sale in Arizona
Questions and answers
How much does Grand Canyon University cost?
$22,472 a year is the average net price at Grand Canyon University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $17,850, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $32,702. Families earning under $30,000 pay $18,557 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Grand Canyon University?
79% of applicants are admitted to Grand Canyon University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,077. The median admission rate of colleges in Arizona is 90%.
How much do Grand Canyon University graduates earn?
$42,186 a year is the median pay of former Grand Canyon University students who work, 10 years after they started ($47,280 after 6 years). That ranks 2,341 of 5,094 US colleges and 43 of 99 in Arizona. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral) at $132,852.
How much student debt do Grand Canyon University graduates have?
$22,114 is the median federal student loan debt of Grand Canyon University graduates, about $234 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 53% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Grand Canyon University?
43% of first-time, full-time students at Grand Canyon University finish within 6 years. 72% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Grand Canyon University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (3,721 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (1,914 master's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (1,595 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 122 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.