Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon College was founded as a nonprofit institution in 1949 in Prescott, Arizona. Southern Baptists felt the need to establish a faith-based institution that would allow local Baptists the opportunity to obtain a bachelor's or master's degree without going east to one of the Baptist colleges in Texas or Oklahoma.

On October 8, 1951, Grand Canyon College relocated to its current location in Phoenix.[13]

In 1984, the college's trustees voted to transition the college to a university for the 40th anniversary of the school in 1989, becoming Grand Canyon University. At this time, it also changed governance from the Southern Baptist Convention to the GCU Board of Trustees.[13]

Suffering financial and other difficulties in the early part of the 21st century, the school's trustees authorized its sale in January 2004 to California-based Significant Education, LLC,[14] making it the first for-profit Christian college in the United States.[15] Significant Education was a subsidiary of education entrepreneur Michael K. Clifford's company.[14] Clifford became managing director of the privatized institution, with the former board of trustees serving in an advisory role.[14] Significant Education changed to a corporation in 2005 and became publicly traded under a new name Grand Canyon Education, Inc in 2008.[16] It trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "LOPE".[16][17]

After the infusion of capital, Grand Canyon University's size increased. After having fewer than 1,000 students enrolled in 2008, the university had 17,500 students in the spring of 2017.[18] A 2015 economic impact study revealed that the university was adding about $1 billion into the state's economy each year during its expansion.[19] In February 2017, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said that the neighborhoods surrounding the university have experienced a 30% increase in housing values while concurrently seeing a 30% decrease in crime rates.[20]

In 2008, the university was sued by the United States federal government for paying enrollment counselors according to how many students they had enrolled while at the same time accepting federal financial aid, a violation of the Department of Education's incentive compensation ban. GCU eventually reached a settlement in the case, and was forced to pay a $5.2 million fine to a former employee and the federal government.[21]

By 2014 the accumulated student loan debt of Grand Canyon students was estimated to be more than $5.9 billion.[22]

Due to GCU's for-profit status (and various other reasons), Arizona State University had refused to play against GCU in any sport, even though both are NCAA Division I schools and located only 16 miles (26 km) apart.[23][24] ASU eventually reversed its decision, and sporting events between the two universities recommenced in the fall of 2020.[25]

In fall 2014, the college announced the exploration of a return to non-profit status.[26] Grand Canyon's regional accreditation body, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), rejected the university's petition for conversion to non-profit status in 2016, stating that the school's proposed strategy, particularly its plan to outsource some of its activities (such as curriculum development and student support services) to outside vendors, did not meet the criteria for "such a conversion".[26][27][28] In 2018, the university submitted another application to HLC to change to non-profit status.[29] This second application was accepted on July 1, 2018.[30][31] Although some organizations have approved this transition, the U.S. Department of Education still classifies the university as a for-profit university. The government specifically stated that GCU is a captive client to Grand Canyon Education and the college is operating for the benefit of shareholders of a for-profit company.[32] Grand Canyon Education has also been accused of engaging in securities-law fraud with its relation to GCU.[33][34]

Grand Canyon University was alleged to switch from for-profit status to non-profit status due to its yearly $9.2 million property tax bill. Numerous school officials said this was unsustainable and was one of the key reasons a required switch from for-profit to non-profit status was made, to reduce that burden.[23] Some critics of for-profit education criticized the relationship between GCU and Grand Canyon Education, Inc. as being too intertwined.[35][36]

In 2021, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by GCU that claimed the university didn't receive all the coronavirus relief funds to which it was entitled because it was a non-profit entity.[37] That same year, GCU filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Education after being denied non-profit status twice.[38] The lawsuit was dismissed in 2022 after a federal judge rejected the university's claims.[39]

In October 2023, a Grand Canyon University press release alleged that there was a concerted effort by the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Veterans Affairs to punish the school for attempting to gain non-profit status.[40][41]

In 2006, the college spent USD $150 million to renovate the campus, adding a brick promenade, an aquatics center and a café.[42]

In 2009, Grand Canyon University's campus began work on a USD $60 million campus expansion project which includes a 500-bed dormitory, a 55,000-square-foot (5,100 m²) fitness and recreation center, 125-classroom facility, food court and bowling alley,[43] and a 5,000-seat arena. The GCU Arena, which opened on September 2, 2011,[44] is used for concerts, speakers, and other events. The arena is also home to the college's men's and women's basketball teams and women's volleyball games.[45] The arena was expanded to 7,000 seats with construction beginning in spring 2014 and concluding in August of the same year.[46][47] Grand Canyon University offers several fast food restaurants, coffee shops, student union, cafeteria, video game room, and six-lane bowling alley for student recreation.[48] In August 2016, the university announced it was establishing a campus police department, converting its Public Safety Department, a 177-member force.[49]

In August 2016, GCU announced its 10 in 2 initiative, the building of 10 on-campus athletic facilities in a two-year span. Highlights of the project included new facilities for the university's soccer, baseball, softball, tennis and beach volleyball programs. It also included a sports medicine expansion, an equipment room expansion, practice facilities for the basketball and golf programs, and a student-athlete academic center.[50]

In August 2017, Grand Canyon's Phoenix campus was ranked as one of the 10 Best College Campuses Across America by Town & Country.[51]

In 2020, the university opened their first two ABSN Locations; one located in Sun City, Arizona and the other in Tucson, Arizona.[52]

On May 9, 2022, GCU opened their first ABSN Location outside of Arizona in Sandy, Utah.[53]

On September 7, 2023, GCU Announced the opening of its 5th ABSN location in Chandler, Arizona.[52][54]

GCU opened their 6th ABSN Location, in Phoenix's West Valley with a grand opening ceremony on September 18, 2023.[52]

GCU's 4th ABSN location is located in Henderson, Nevada.[52]