Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona · Private For-Profit · 78.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 25/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Grand Canyon University, a massive private-for-profit Christian university with 73,371 students (the bulk online), scores 25 (Below Benchmark tier). The institutional scale is large: 3,721 nursing graduates, 1,595 business administration graduates, 1,069 teacher education graduates, and 1,014 human services graduates per year. Tuition of $17,850 is moderate, but average net price is actually higher at $22,472 - reflecting limited institutional aid and that net price includes room/board for the residential cohort. Four-year cost runs $89,888. Average earnings six years out are $36,000 with only modest growth to a median $42,186 by year ten - a flat earnings curve that signals graduates aren't seeing the wage acceleration typical of strong-ROI degrees. Median federal debt of $22,114 looks reasonable, but the five-year repayment rate is 35.9%, so about a third of borrowers are reducing principal at the five-year mark. The payback period is 32 years. Completion rate of 43.5% is weak and reflects the heavy online-student mix. The honest read: GCU's nursing program (3,721 grads at B+ ROI, $92,781 starting earnings) is genuinely strong and singlehandedly props up institutional aggregates. The much larger non-nursing cohort - especially teacher education ($47,180 debt with F grade), human services, social work, and ministry - face debt-to-earnings ratios that produce structural payback failure. Several programs post F grades with debt-to-earnings ratios above 1.0.
How Grand Canyon University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score25/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period32 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Grand Canyon University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $17,850/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,850/yr |
| Average net price | $22,472/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,888 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,186 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,114 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $234 |
| Estimated payback period | 32 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 43.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 73,371 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $17,850/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $22,472/year, or roughly $89,888 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $18,557/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,701/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,114, which works out to about $234 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,000) and comes to 0.61, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg 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 by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $18,557 net annually, totaling about $74,228 over four years. The discount off published net price is small.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $21,712 per year, about $86,848 over four years - close to full sticker.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income families ($110,001+) pay $25,701 per year, totaling $102,804 across four years - exceeding the published 4-year cost figure, reflecting that the institutional total assumes some discounting. For high-income families, GCU should be evaluated only on programmatic fit (nursing, specific business tracks) rather than as a general value play.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Grand Canyon University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $103,884 | B+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $65,828 | C |
| Teacher Education | $49,531 | D |
| Human Services, General | $48,766 | D |
| Special Education and Teaching | $50,892 | F |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $51,490 | F |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | $46,973 | F |
| Social Work | $53,716 | D |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $60,328 | D |
| Marketing | $60,303 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is GCU's flagship program, with 3,721 graduates per year. Median 1-year earnings of $92,781, $103,884 at 4 years, $25,500 in median debt, and a 0.275 debt-to-earnings ratio earn a B+ grade - genuinely strong outcomes. Students who finish the nursing track here see fast payback and reliable career trajectories.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is GCU's second-largest program at 1,595 graduates with $53,770 starting, $65,828 at 4 years, $29,916 in median debt, and a 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio for a C grade. Earnings are workable for online and adult learners advancing within existing careers, but for traditional undergraduates the math is tighter. The scale (1,595 grads) means GCU is producing a meaningful share of the regional MBA-prep workforce.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education is GCU's third-largest program at 1,069 graduates - and the data is sobering: $40,682 starting, $49,531 at 4 years, $36,334 in median debt (well above school average), and a 0.89 debt-to-earnings ratio for a D grade. The high debt load combined with constrained teacher salaries produces structural payback challenges. Mission-aligned candidates should consider lower-cost teacher-prep paths.
Special Education and Teaching
Special Education produces 600 graduates with $43,258 starting, $50,892 at 4 years, $47,180 in median debt - an extraordinarily high debt load - and a 1.09 debt-to-earnings ratio for an F grade. Special education is critical workforce, but this debt level relative to earnings produces a structural payback failure. The data is a serious warning for prospective students.
Human Services, General
Human Services graduates 1,014 students per year - GCU's fourth-largest program - with $35,433 starting, $48,766 at 4 years, $30,509 in median debt, and a 0.86 debt-to-earnings ratio for a D grade. The combination of low post-graduation wages in social services and meaningful debt loads produces difficult payback math. Mission-driven students should weigh this against community-college pathways that produce credentials at much lower cost.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 35.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 37.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Grand Canyon University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 78.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 488-533 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 518-580 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-22 |
| Enrollment | 73,371 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 45.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,563 |
GCU admits 78.9% of applicants. SAT mid-range (Math 488-533, Reading 518-580) and ACT composite of 20-22 reflect a student body skewing toward the academic middle. The 43.5% completion rate is far below what the academic profile predicts and is dominated by the school's massive online cohort, which has structurally lower persistence than residential students. For prospective residential students at the Phoenix campus, the on-the-ground completion rate is meaningfully higher than the institutional aggregate suggests.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon University (this school) | 25 | $22,472 | $42,186 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
| Herzing University-Kenosha | 23 | $23,066 | $36,909 |
| DeVry University-Ohio | 23 | $25,001 | $45,987 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Online | 21 | $20,252 | $43,418 |
| DeVry University-Florida | 21 | $29,477 | $45,987 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Grand Canyon University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
GCU fits two very different students: the residential undergraduate at the large Phoenix campus seeking faith-based community, and the working adult online student seeking degree completion. Pell rate of 46% indicates a working-class student body. The fit case is strong for nursing applicants who finish - the BSN program is genuinely high-quality and the labor-market output is excellent. For non-nursing programs, especially the ministry, human services, and teacher education tracks, the financial math is genuinely problematic.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Grand Canyon University scores 25/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,472 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,186 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 32 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 43.5% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,114 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Grand Canyon University: Common Questions
Is Grand Canyon University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Grand Canyon University scores 25/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,472 a year after aid against $42,186 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 32 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Grand Canyon University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $22,472 a year, or roughly $89,888 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Grand Canyon University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,186 ten years after enrolling, roughly $386 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Grand Canyon University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 32 years for Grand Canyon University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Grand Canyon University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,114, against average earnings of $36,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Grand Canyon University?
The six-year graduation rate is 43.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.