Payback
EarningsPlus
Economic score
Grand Canyon University is a for-profit national university located in Phoenix, Arizona. Grand Canyon University is very inclusive in their admissions.
Return on educational investment at Grand Canyon University is in the bottom 25% of all ranked schools. The median student earns $39,783 10 years after enrolling, 8th in Arizona, and in the bottom 25% nationally. When adjusted for earning differences by major, Grand Canyon University bachelor students earn 6% more than the national average.
Grand Canyon University’s median net annual cost of $20,585 and average years to graduate of 4.2 are reported only at the school level. We assume these same costs and graduation time for all programs.
The top 6 programs at Grand Canyon University sorted by number of graduates - Registered Nursing, Business Administration, Education, Special Education, Mental & Social Health Services, Health Administrative Services - are shown below. To see more programs, click on "see additional programs".
Annual net cost
$20,585
Average years to graduate
4.2
Medical Allied Professions
Rank: #45
Economic score: 2.45
Accounting
Rank: #371
Economic score: 3.32
Criminal Justice
Rank: #240
Economic score: 5.58
Health & Fitness
Rank: #198
Economic score: 6.23
Marketing
Rank: #346
Economic score: 6.64
Social Work
Rank: #187
Economic score: 7.58
Biology
Rank: #390
Economic score: 8.37
Comms & Media Studies
Rank: #422
Economic score: 11.51
Community Org & Advocacy
Rank: #7
Economic score: 17.86
Religious Education
Rank: #8
Economic score: 51.19
EarningPlus compares the three-year post graduate earnings to the median earnings of the same graduating class, with the same graduate degree. These 2 metrics, debt-to-earnings and EarningsPlus, are combined into an economic score. The lower the economic score the better.
The most popular 6 graduate programs at Grand Canyon University - Education, Registered Nursing, Business Administration, Special Education, Education (subject specific), Mental & Social Health Services - are shown below. To see more programs, click on "see additional programs".
Education
Rank: #13
Economic score: 0.27
Computer science
Rank: #33
Economic score: 0.29
Educational media design
Rank: #6
Economic score: 0.3
ESL
Rank: #6
Economic score: 0.33
Educ. Administration
Rank: #128
Economic score: 0.4
Public Administration
Rank: #85
Economic score: 0.6
Psychology, Other
Rank: #4
Economic score: 0.63
Health Administrative Services
Rank: #114
Economic score: 0.72
Religious Education
Rank: #2
Economic score: 1.08
Criminal Justice
Rank: #85
Economic score: 1.08
The average full-time graduate completes their degree in 4.2 years. 57% of all students graduate within 8 years including part-time students. The graduation rate at Grand Canyon University is 6% higher than the state average, and 10% below the average for all national universities in the country.
At Grand Canyon University, Pell Grant recipients represent 43% of the measured graduating class, 8% higher than the national average of 35%. The average Pell Grant recipient at Grand Canyon University graduates within 4.3 years.
Grand Canyon University is in the top 50% of schools for graduating Pell recipients.
We calculate this performance by adjusting the graduation rate of Pell students by their percentage of the student body. This adjustment is made to prevent schools with large numbers of Pell students from underperforming in comparison to schools with few Pell students but high graduation rates.
Grand Canyon University’s economic mobility score of 2.9 is calculated by adjusting the 13.92 economic score of lower-income students by the 43% pell grant recipients within the student body. Grand Canyon University’s EMS of 2.9 ranks in the bottom 5% nationally.false
Economic Mobility
To calculate economic mobility of low-income (household earnings below $30,000) students, we adjust each institution’s economic score by their percentage of Pell Grant students. The logic of this Pell-adjusted calculation is derived from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI).
Bottom 5%
The average Title IV recipient at Grand Canyon University pays $20,585 a year, $11,515 less than the $32,100 advertised. See below the cost breakdown for students who receive Title IV grants, broken down by income level.
Average net price
The average net price shown by income level for all students that receive Title IV aid. Calculated by deducting the average grant and scholarship aid from tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Limited to first-time, full-time students. Public institution figures are calculated using in-state tuition figures.
Median net price $20,585
Much of the gap between net price and sticker price is filled by institutional and government grants. At Grand Canyon University, 100% of students receive some grants and scholarships, compared to the national average of 87% for all colleges and universities. The average amount of federal, state, and institutional grants that students receive is shown on the right.
This leaves a total of $20,585 on average to be covered by the student – be it through loans or out of pocket. In total, 60% of students take out loans, federal or private, at an average amount of $7,010. This is 6% more than the national average.
Federal grants
$5,346
Pell grants
$4,798
State grants
$808
Institutional grants
$8,127
Grand Canyon University offers 43 online bachelor programs, 38 of which are held exclusively online. At the master’s level Grand Canyon University offers 50 programs, all of which are held exclusively online. We use the IPEDS July '20 — July '21 Distance Education report to determine which programs are online. EarningsPlus data is provided when available.
Online programs
93
Hybrid programs
5
Percentage of programs online
76%
Grand Canyon University's very inclusive admissions are indicated by their 83% acceptance rate. In 2021, the school had 36,861 applicants, of which 30,534 were admitted and 7,620 enrolled. Grand Canyon University has a rolling admissions policy, which means applications are reviewed as they arrive until all spaces are filled.
While Grand Canyon University has a recommended testing policy, their average test scores are not made public.
Full time
19%
83%
Female
74%
59%
First time
19%
59%
In-state
28%
68%
1st generation
47%
35%
White
48%
52%
Black
16%
14%
Hispanic
23%
15%
Asian
3%
5%
American Indian
1%
1.6%
Pacific Islander
1%
0.3%
Other
9%
12%