History of GCU
History of GCU
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Grand Canyon College was chartered on Aug. 1, 1949, with 16 faculty and approximately 100 students in Prescott, Arizona. In 1951, the college relocated to a 90-acre tract in West Phoenix and was accredited in 1968 by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Established as a Baptist-affiliated institution with an emphasis on religious studies, the school initially offered bachelor’s programs in education. Programs expanded to include the sciences, nursing, business, music and fine arts. It was during this time when the college started to develop a reputation for producing effective teachers, nurses and healthcare professionals in the Southwest.
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While planning to change in institutional organization and status to Grand Canyon University, Grand Canyon College identified several landmark events during this transition: organizing programs and departments into colleges, offering graduate degree programs, establishing the Grand Canyon University Foundation and the generosity of those who pledged or gave unrestricted gifts valued at $1 million dollars or more. In May of 1984, college trustees voted to prepare for transition to university status on the school’s 40th anniversary. Then GCU moved from being owned and operated by the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention to being self-owned by the Board of Trustees.
By the early 2000s, GCU struggled with maintaining its operations in light of dwindling financial support. The university faced a critical juncture in September 2003, teetering on the verge of insolvency and facing the prospect of bankruptcy. A small group of investors acquired the university and refocused on online education for working adults. With an improving financial structure, the university recruited a new leadership team in 2008 to envision a future that centered around a hybrid campus strategy — combining traditional students with non-traditional students (primarily working adults studying at the graduate level). The university completed an initial public offering in 2008 to generate the capital necessary to improve its online infrastructure and expand its campus.
In 2018, GCU transitioned back to a 501(c)(3) institution, which provided faculty and students with equitable opportunities to:
The university grew its campus student body from fewer than 1,000 students in 2009 to over 24,600 campus students in 2024. GCU’s non-traditional student body increased from approximately 22,000 students at the start of 2009 to over 98,300 online students in Fall 2024.
In Fall 2024, GCU had over 81,700 bachelor’s-level students, nearly 36,500 master’s-level students and over 4,700 doctoral-level students.1
Between 2009 and 2024, the university invested over $1.9 billion dollars — and today, continues to invest in full-time faculty, improved technology infrastructure, new facilities and programmatic expansion in areas such as engineering, computer science and IT. The university has been able to self-fund these investments with only nominal increases in tuition for non-traditional students, while not increasing campus tuition in 15 years.
GCU's campus continues to grow to meet the needs of students and cultivate higher education learning experiences. Here's a snapshot of the campus today — a home away from home for our Lopes:
West Phoenix is where GCU calls home. That's why GCU stands committed to transforming the surrounding neighborhoods into a safe, thriving place for those in the community. Along with providing academic excellence and a vibrant campus life, GCU believes its purpose is to partner together to implement initiatives in the area that open educational opportunities for all, create jobs, restore housing and reduce crime. GCU calls this United by Purpose.
One aspect of this transformative endeavor started with the development project at 27th Avenue and Camelback Road. Developed to be the gateway into West Phoenix, this development serves as a commercial hub featuring:
This development was only the beginning for reshaping West Phoenix into a destination of economic, tourism, business, employment and educational growth. The university, with support from Grand Canyon Education (GCE), has launched 10 business enterprises that employ nearly 500 people. Tremendous transformation is happening now, and the future looks even brighter.
These enterprises include:
Havoc House
Grand Canyon Beverage Company (four locations)
Lope Shops
GCU Golf Course
Canyon Promotions
Cañón 49
Grand Canyon University Hotel2
