78.9%
Acceptance Rate
$17,850
Avg Cost (In-State)
$17,850
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
43.3%
Graduation Rate
73,371
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling admissions
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
0
Letters of Rec
0
Interview
Not required
Essays: No essay required for standard admission
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$47,280
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$42,186
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
43%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $92,781 | $103,884 | 6063 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $53,770 | $65,828 | 1547 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | $40,682 | $49,531 | 1230 |
| Human Services, General. | $35,433 | $48,766 | 641 |
| Special Education and Teaching. | $43,258 | $50,892 | 478 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy. | $36,445 | $46,973 | 381 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services. | $46,773 | $60,328 | 354 |
| Social Work. | $39,017 | $53,716 | 291 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Grand Canyon University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Grand Canyon University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
ASU Obama Scholars Program
Tuition + fees + housing + meal plan for AZ low-income
universityAZ residents with EFC under ~$60k and Pell eligibility. Full ride.
Deadline: Apply with FAFSA + ASU admission
Learn more ↗Northern Arizona Lumberjack Scholarship
$1,500-$10,000/year
universityNAU incoming freshmen via automatic merit grid.
Deadline: November 1
Learn more ↗Greater Phoenix Foundation Scholarships
$500-$5,000
localPhoenix metro students.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Arizona LEAP Grant
Up to $2,500
stateAZ residents with significant financial need attending AZ private nonprofit colleges.
Deadline: Determined by school
Learn more ↗Arizona Excellence Award
$10,000-$32,000/year (4-year)
universityAutomatic tiered grid by GPA + test score; covers significant portion of OOS tuition.
Deadline: December 1 (priority)
Learn more ↗Arizona State University President's Award
Up to full tuition + fees + summer enrichment
universityTop ASU incoming freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Northern Arizona University NAU Lumberjack Scholar Award
$2,000-$8,000/year
universityNAU incoming freshmen with academic merit; auto-determined.
Deadline: Through admission
Learn more ↗University of Arizona Wildcat Excellence Award
$5,000-$22,000/year
universityTop UofA incoming freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Phoenix Suns Foundation Scholarship
$1,000-$5,000
localAZ Latino youth from underserved communities; Suns Foundation partnership.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $18,557 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $18,763 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $21,712 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $24,471 |
| $110,001+ | $25,701 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Grand Canyon University →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 78.9% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
78.91%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
45.9%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
47.4%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
43.2%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
72.1%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
43.5%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
78.2% acceptance
Both admit around 78% of applicants, with 38k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
80% acceptance
Both admit around 80% of applicants, with 47k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
80% acceptance
Both admit around 80% of applicants, with 39k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC
81.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (82% vs 79%) but out-of-state cost runs $9k — meaningfully less than $18k.
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
84.5% acceptance
Similar selectivity (85% vs 79%) but out-of-state cost runs $11k — meaningfully less than $18k.
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL
69.8% acceptance
Similar selectivity (70% vs 79%) but out-of-state cost runs $13k — meaningfully less than $18k.
Reaches above this college
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
11.6% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but more selective (12% vs 79%) — a stretch target if Grand Canyon University is already on your list.
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
11% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but more selective (11% vs 79%) — a stretch target if Grand Canyon University is already on your list.
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
9.8% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but more selective (10% vs 79%) — a stretch target if Grand Canyon University is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
Portland State University
Portland, OR
90.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but higher admit rate (91% vs 79%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
91.3% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but higher admit rate (91% vs 79%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
California State University-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA
93.9% acceptance
Same u setting in the West, but higher admit rate (94% vs 79%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
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