Grand Canyon University
Private College in Phoenix, AZ. Six-year graduation rate 43%. Median 10-year earnings $42,186.
Ten years after entry, the median Grand Canyon University student earns $42,186 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. 44% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Debt at graduation runs to a median of $22,114, neither a bargain nor a burden.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Mobility score 0.9 — limited economic uplift documented
Admissions
An acceptance rate of 79% puts Grand Canyon University on the accessible end — a realistic target for a broad range of applicants. The applicant pool is large — 51,203 in the most recent cycle — so the published rate reflects genuine competition rather than a small-sample quirk. Yield is low at 18%, so most admitted students do not end up enrolling. 1% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score. The bands below describe the middle half of that group, not of the class.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 518–580 | 16 (1%) |
| SAT Math | 488–533 | |
| ACT Composite | 20–22 | 28 (1%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Grand Canyon University →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 44%, meaning about three in five students who enroll leave without finishing. 72% of full-time first-years come back for year two, so about one in four are gone before sophomore year. Retention runs well ahead of completion, which means students are not leaving immediately; they are leaving somewhere between the second year and the finish line. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 47% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. At 20:1, class sizes land in the normal range for an undergraduate institution.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 68,619 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price after grant aid is $22,928 a year — mid-range for a four-year institution. Income makes less difference than usual: $18,557 at $0–30k, $25,701 at $110k+. 76% of students receive grant aid, averaging $8,437 — common but not automatic. Borrowing is widespread: 55% take federal loans.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 6,950 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $18,557 |
| $30–48k | $18,763 |
| $48–75k | $21,712 |
| $75–110k | $24,471 |
| $110k+ | $25,701 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 37,603 of these 68,619 students, totalling $291,745,162 — an average of $7,759 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Maricopa County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)