Grand Canyon University
63%
Acceptance rate
$16,500
Tuition/yr
7,500
Enrollment
20:1
Student:Faculty
About Grand Canyon University
Private Christian university in Phoenix, AZ. Strong business, engineering, and education programs.
Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a private, for-profit Christian university founded in 1949 and located in Phoenix, Arizona. It holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and has maintained that accreditation continuously since 1968. GCU serves approximately 133,000 students across on-campus and online modalities as of the 2025-26 academic year.
GCU's strongest programs are in nursing, business, and education. The College of Nursing and Health Care Professions is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and nursing is the university's most-enrolled field, with over 4,800 graduates annually. The Colangelo College of Business holds ACBSP accreditation, and the university also offers programs through a College of Engineering and Technology and a College of Natural Sciences.
GCU's physical campus spans over 300 acres in central Phoenix, with roughly 25,000 students studying on-site and nearly 17,000 living in university-owned housing, one of the largest on-campus residential communities of any private university in the United States. The Phoenix location gives students access to a large metro-area job market and a warm, dry climate.
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
AZ
Urban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- GCU's annual on-campus tuition has been frozen at $16,500 since 2009, one of the lowest sticker prices among private four-year universities in the US, and over 92% of traditional campus students received institutional scholarships in 2025-26, bringing the average net tuition down to around $8,900 per year, making it a genuinely affordable option for cost-conscious Nepali families.
- Nursing and business are GCU's flagship programs, both areas where Nepali students have shown strong demand; CCNE-accredited nursing degrees can lead directly to US licensure (NCLEX), a credential also recognised internationally.
- International F-1 students at GCU are eligible for the standard 12-month OPT work authorisation after graduation, and students graduating from designated STEM programs (engineering, computer science, natural sciences) may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension, providing up to three years of US work experience.
- GCU's 78% acceptance rate and rolling admissions process make it accessible for Nepali applicants who may have slightly non-traditional academic profiles, and the large on-campus residential community provides a structured living environment that many first-time international students find supportive.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.
Does my profile match Grand Canyon University?
Enter your GPA and IELTS score for an instant admission likelihood check.
Uses published minimum requirements. Final decisions are always at the university's discretion. Use our GPA converter to get your score on the 4.0 scale.
Guides for studying in United States
View allSimilar universities in United States
Want us to verify Grand Canyon University’s current requirements?
Our counselors can confirm the latest deadlines, tuition, and requirements directly with the admissions office — free, no signup required.