Grand Canyon University
Former names | Grand Canyon College (August 1949 – May 1989) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Find Your Purpose |
| Type | Private for-profit university |
| Established | August 1, 1949 |
| Accreditation | HLC |
Religious affiliation | Non-denominational Christian |
| President | Brian Mueller |
| Provost | Randy Gibb |
Academic staff | 550 full-time faculty 5,801 adjunct faculty |
| Students | 101,816 |
| Undergraduates | 66,769 |
| Postgraduates | 35,047 |
| Location | , Arizona , United States |
| Campus | Large city, 300 acres (120 hectares) |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 20 to 1 |
| Newspaper | GCU Today |
| Colors | Purple, black, and white |
| Nickname | Antelopes ("Lopes") |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot | Thunder the Antelope |
| Website | gcu.edu |
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Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a private for-profit Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona. The university offers degrees in over 200 areas of study and is administratively divided into nine colleges. As of September 2023, more than 100,000 students were enrolled online and in person, making it one of the largest Christian universities by enrollment.
Although the U.S. Department of Education categorizes GCU as a for-profit school, the IRS classifies it as a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation, and the regional accreditation body, the Higher Learning Commission, classifies it as nonprofit. As of November 2024, a court has ordered the Education Department to re-evaluate its classification using a different standard.
The Arizona Southern Baptist Convention established the institution in 1949 as Grand Canyon College. During the 1999–2000 academic year, the university ended its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention.
The university competes as the Grand Canyon Antelopes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Western Athletic Conference.