PHOENIX (Aug. 28, 2023) – Grand Canyon University is expecting another record-breaking class of new students in 2023-24 despite the continued downward trajectory of college enrollments across the country.
GCU is projecting a more than 14% increase in new students from last year, including a class of more than 11,000 incoming traditional-age (21 and under) students attending both the Phoenix campus and online. That will increase total projected enrollment to more than 118,000 – approximately 25,800 on the ground campus and more than 92,000 studying online.
GCU President Brian Mueller attributed the continued enrollment growth to two primary factors.
“First, during the pandemic, we resisted the temptation to make cuts as many universities have done,” Mueller said. “In fact, we continued to hire additional faculty and staff, add new academic programs and build out our campus infrastructure, and we continued to freeze the cost of tuition on our ground campus, which we have now done for 15 straight years. When the country started to open back up after the pandemic, we were poised to continue the remarkable growth we have been experiencing for the past 15 years.
“Second, given the high inflation rates that are affecting middle- and lower-income families and the desire of people to now both work and learn from home, we are seeing more traditional college-age students who are choosing to save money and take classes remotely. These students may come to campus eventually or may decide to do the entire program from home. Either way, because of our experience and expertise in online and hybrid learning platforms, we are uniquely positioned to respond to this growing trend.”
In addition to a traditional on-campus learning environment and fully online programs, GCU also offers hybrid learning modalities and has worked with industry partners to launch its Center for Workforce Development to provide pathways for skilled trades training in careers that are experiencing workforce shortages.
Move-In for students begins today amid an eventful week of Welcome Week activities that culminates with the high-spirited Lope-A-Palooza pep rally on Friday night following a GCU women’s volleyball game vs. Long Island. On Labor Day, Sept. 4, there is a concert for students in GCU Arena by Jordy Searcy, a singer-songwriter who was a contestant on “The Voice” in 2014. And on Tuesday, Sept. 5, the popular Ignite worship service will take place on the Quad.
Classes begin Sept. 5.
Two new residence halls (Santa Cruz and Copper) open for the 2023-24 school year, bringing the total number of multi-story on-campus residence halls to 32. Approximately 17,500 students will live on campus.
The new residence halls feature suites with four single-occupancy bedrooms that share a common living area, kitchen and two bathrooms. GCU’s residence halls are rated No. 4 out of 1,363 schools in the country by niche.com based on student surveys, affordability and safety.
| At a Glance |
| Total enrollment: 118,000+ |
| On-campus enrollment: Approximately 25,800 |
| Online enrollment: 92,000+ |
| Incoming class of traditional age (21 and younger) new students: 11,000+ |
| Students living on campus: Approximately 17,500 in 32 residence halls |
| 2023 average incoming GPA: 3.6 for fully admissible students on Phoenix campus |
| Honors College average incoming GPA: 4.1 (Honors College now has more than 3,000 students) |
| Tuition freeze: 15 straight years on ground campus, with only nominal increases in online tuition during that time |
| Best College Campuses in America: No. 24 out of 1,387 in niche.com rankings |
| Best College Dorms in America: No. 4 out of 1,363 in niche.com rankings |
| Academic offerings: 312 degrees, emphases and certificates are offered in nine different colleges |
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About Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona’s premier private Christian university. GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 312 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University’s curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.
