Press releases

In an open letter, GCU President Brian Mueller writes about the conversations he has had with Black students and employees and stresses the importance of acting on those talks.

To the Grand Canyon University community: In times of tragedy such as the inexplicable death of George Floyd and the racial tensions that have engulfed this country, it is helpful to focus on a core belief at GCU – that all persons are created in God’s image. Every single person you come in contact with, whether at the grocery store or at school or your place of work, is a unique creation of God and has immeasurable value. He loves them, and you, with all of His heart. We are all children of God and there is no place for racism, for we are all one in Christ Jesus. We stand with our GCU community to denounce such acts against marginalized people and know that, beyond those words, we are committed to affecting societal change through the actions of our united efforts. As your television screen gets filled with the images of Mr. Floyd’s reprehensible death, your emotions may be filled with anger, fear, sadness and confusion. Other images of violence, rioting and looting in various cities may add to those feelings. As you process that, always remember this: Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart […]

A class-action lawsuit against Grand Canyon University has been dismissed by the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The court ruled on May 11, 2020, that GCU’s Enrollment Agreement “clearly stated” that the plaintiff’s academic program would not lead to licensure in Georgia and that the plaintiff would have known that “had she read the Enrollment Agreement.”

(April 24, 2020) – Grand Canyon University will confer 26,096 degrees for its traditional-aged and working adult students in the 2019-20 academic year, the largest graduating class in its 71-year history. The accomplishments are something not even a global virus could stop. “Dealing with the challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic is not how our graduating seniors on campus nor our working adult students online envisioned their college careers finishing up,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “But they met those challenges with true Lopes spirit and persevered. This has truly been a historic year and they should feel extremely proud of their accomplishments.” GCU, a leader in online education with more than 85,000 students studying remotely, was well prepared for the challenges that COVID-19 presented. “The transition was seamless for our 20,000-plus on-campus students,” Mueller said. “Because we have invested over $200 million into a learning management system that serves both ground and online students, our students on campus were already familiar with that infrastructure. We were able to maintain the same continuity of instruction and learning, the same educational outcomes, the same small class sizes and the same curriculum within the same learning management system that students had already grown […]

GCU will begin production next week of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and respirators, for both its campus and community partners. It also is providing housing in GCU Hotel for first responders who are serving on the front lines in the fight against this pandemic and is in discussions with the Phoenix Veterans Administration Medical Center to use the Canyon Activities Center as an overflow area for non-COVID patients.

Grand Canyon University announced that the entire $22.3 million it is receiving from the federal government as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (or CARES Act), will go directly to students in the form of emergency cash grants.

GCU is continuing to expand its philanthropic efforts with the hiring of Dr. T. Kale Gober as Vice President of Advancement. Gober joins GCU after spending the past four years rebuilding the Division of Advancement at the University of Central Arkansas. “GCU is making a tremendous impact through Christian education, and I’m excited to lead a team that is committed to engaging alumni, donors and friends who will be excited to be part of what God is doing at Grand Canyon University,” he said.

PHOENIX (Nov. 12, 2019) – For the 12th year in a row, Grand Canyon University has remained committed to its students by freezing tuition costs. The private Christian university’s ground campus tuition will remain at $16,500 for the 2020-21 school year. A large majority of students – more than 90% – receive institutional scholarships that bring the average tuition cost to approximately $8,700, which is comparable to public universities and well below other private schools. That total does not include federal aid such as Pell grants and subsidized student loans or external scholarships that lower students’ out-of-pocket expenses further. According to “Trends in College Pricing” released by the College Board, the average annual cost to attend a four-year public college in 2019-20 rose 2.3% to $10,440, while tuition and fees at four-year private institutions increased by 3.4% to $36,880 during the same period. GCU also remains very competitive when it comes to room and board. The average cost of room and board at a four-year public college rose to $11,510 in 2019-20 and to $12,990 at a four-year private institution. GCU’s average room and board cost is just $8,038 per year even though roughly 50% of the university’s beds are […]

Grand Canyon University prepared a statement in response to a letter issued by the Department of Education regarding GCU’s transaction of July 1, 2018, to revert to its historical status as a nonprofit university.

A $3.2 million grant from the Kern Family Foundation will help GCU develop an accelerated pastoral training program in which students will be able to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Divinity in five years. GCU is matching the Kern Family Foundation’s investment by providing the other half of the $6.5 million needed to launch and build out the program over the next five years.