Grand Canyon University

Admission requirements

Test-optional — scores considered if submitted

Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.

Outcomes & value

Median earnings (10 yr)

$42,186

Value (earnings ÷ net price)

1.9×

Median debt at graduation

$22,114

Graduation rate

43%

First-year retention

72%

Reducing loan balance (3 yr)

35%

Pell (lower-income) share

71%

First-generation share

47%

Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.

Financial health

U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.

Top-earning majors

Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.

• Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$77,476
• Homeland Security$60,082
• Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions$59,124
• Finance and Financial Management Services$52,357
• Business Administration, Management and Operations$45,455
• Accounting and Related Services

Campus safety

On-campus violent crimes (2024)

17

Per 1,000 students

0.23

On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.

Climate

Pleasant days / yr

97

Summer high

105°F

Winter low

43°F

Annual rain

12.2"

Natural-hazard risk

Very High

Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.