Is Grand Canyon University Worth It?

Grand Canyon University's financial picture is mixed, and the median outcome is the weak part. A $42,186 median salary ten years out sits close to what many high school graduates earn, and it barely clears the net price you pay each year. With a 43% graduation rate, more than half of you won't finish, and dropping out with debt and no degree is the worst outcome here.

The programs split sharply. Nursing is the clear win: you graduate with the lowest debt of any listed major and earn near $77,000, a combination that actually pays off. Homeland Security and Clinical Lab Science land in the high $50,000s to $60,000s but carry heavier debt loads. Business Administration is the trap to watch. It pays under $46,000 while loading you with almost $25,000 in debt, the highest on the list paired with the lowest earnings. If business is your plan, weigh whether that math works for you.

The specific risk here is the for-profit structure combined with a low retention rate. Roughly a third of you leave after the first year. That churn, plus a sub-50% graduation rate, means the median earnings number is dragged down by people who never finished.

The net price barely moves by income. If your family earns under $30,000, you pay only about $6,000 less per year than a family earning over $110,000. That flat curve hits lower-income families hardest, because the discount for being poor is small and the sticker cost stays high across every tier.

This school fits you if you're set on nursing and will finish. If you're undecided or leaning toward a general business degree, the numbers say look for a cheaper option first.