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Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ 73,371 Undergrads 43.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$33,674
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,509
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,682
5yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$21,509
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$77,682Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+53%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$50,609Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate43.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)31.0
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients50.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time34.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
78.9%
SAT Avg
1,077
SAT Reading
25th: 51854575th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 48851075th: 533
ACT Composite
25th: 202175th: 22
ROI Sensitivity AnalysisAssuming 4 Years to Graduation
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$665k
+$195k
+$179k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$588k
+$118k
+$101k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$544k
+$74k
+$57k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
37
131%
Full Cost$34k/yr
44
47%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return181%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-6%
Program ROI Analysis
These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →
Certificates
Computer Programming
CertCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$25,488
Earnings (4yr)
$67,067
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,082
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,821
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,419
Earnings (4yr)
$54,433
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$23,423
Earnings (4yr)
$65,828
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (4yr)
$79,175
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$24,562
Earnings (4yr)
$54,622
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Community Organization and Advocacy
BachCIP: 4402
Median Debt
$35,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,973
Natl Median: $51,936
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$28,430
Earnings (4yr)
$85,864
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Computer Programming
BachCIP: 1102
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,894
Earnings (4yr)
$88,308
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,600
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$23,517
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,142
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
$21,227
Earnings (4yr)
$52,783
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$24,052
Earnings (4yr)
$43,469
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,124
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$31,504
Earnings (4yr)
$60,328
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$32,600
Earnings (4yr)
$54,209
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$22,916
Earnings (4yr)
$84,553
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$22,669
Earnings (4yr)
$49,703
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Human Services, General
BachCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,766
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,986
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,661
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,303
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$86,834
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,490
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,284
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,495
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,335
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (4yr)
$103,884
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Religious Education
BachCIP: 3904
Median Debt
$31,334
Earnings (4yr)
$45,165
Natl Median: $43,633
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$25,986
Earnings (4yr)
$59,281
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Security Science and Technology
BachCIP: 4304
Median Debt
$27,906
Earnings (4yr)
$57,384
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$30,229
Earnings (4yr)
$53,716
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$40,128
Earnings (4yr)
$50,892
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,597
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Median Debt
$32,898
Earnings (4yr)
$49,531
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
$23,337
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
Visual and Performing Arts, General
BachCIP: 5001
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,219
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$31,885
Earnings (4yr)
$86,862
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$89,393
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$31,002
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$35,525
Earnings (4yr)
$107,641
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Median Debt
$33,187
Earnings (4yr)
$93,798
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$39,791
Earnings (4yr)
$61,712
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$18,543
Earnings (4yr)
$58,811
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,699
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$29,870
Earnings (4yr)
$73,501
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
$20,350
Earnings (4yr)
$75,799
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$48,530
Earnings (4yr)
$78,310
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,699
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$45,436
Earnings (4yr)
$58,045
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Psychology, Other
MastCIP: 4299
Median Debt
$36,008
Earnings (4yr)
$59,759
Natl Median: $61,796
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$38,961
Earnings (4yr)
$76,752
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$43,200
Earnings (4yr)
$68,242
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
$38,753
Earnings (4yr)
$123,688
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$408k
Religious Education
MastCIP: 3904
Median Debt
$39,714
Earnings (4yr)
$52,623
Natl Median: $54,328
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$33,272
Earnings (4yr)
$60,336
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
$34,674
Earnings (4yr)
$56,764
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Median Debt
$21,668
Earnings (4yr)
$63,874
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
$19,630
Earnings (4yr)
$69,839
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Graduate Certificates
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Gr-CertCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$42,222
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,888
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Gr-CertCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$56,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,780
Natl Median: $60,655
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Psychology, Other
Gr-CertCIP: 4299
Median Debt
$35,092
Earnings (4yr)
$56,601
Natl Median: $62,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$140,016
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$680k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,257
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
Gr-CertCIP: 1314
Median Debt
$48,282
Earnings (4yr)
$65,245
Natl Median: $71,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Doctoral Degrees
Median Debt
$80,959
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$83,375
Earnings (4yr)
$91,300
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Psychology, General
DocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$83,023
Earnings (4yr)
$94,079
Natl Median: $98,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
$57,818
Earnings (4yr)
$150,205
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$387k
Median Debt
$81,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,876
Natl Median: $81,822
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
Professional Degrees
Theological and Ministerial Studies
ProfCIP: 3906
Median Debt
$78,240
Earnings (4yr)
$46,690
Natl Median: $63,395
Lifetime Value Added
-$392k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.
Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.