Grand Canyon University will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year with the largest enrollment in its history. GCU will have a projected enrollment of more than 125,000 students when classes begin this fall, an increase of nearly 6% from 2023-24. That includes more than 25,000 students studying at GCU’s ground locations and roughly 100,000 studying online.

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“To look at how far we have come from our humble beginnings in 1949 to where we were 15 years ago to becoming the largest Christian university in the country, it is clear that God has his hand on this place in a very special way,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “With everything going on in the world today, I am convinced God’s plan was for us to be at this university, at this time, and in these circumstances.”

The theme of GCU’s 75th anniversary, captured in this commemorative book, is “75 Years of Purpose: 15 Years of Transformation.” It exemplifies the faith-based principles that have helped GCU students find their purpose for 75 years and highlights the remarkable renaissance that began in 2008 when Mueller and his administrative team arrived.

In 2008, GCU was only a few years removed from nearly declaring bankruptcy and closing its doors. Enrollment on the Phoenix campus, which was surrounded by one of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in Phoenix, was less than 1,000 traditional students as the University focused on growing a new online platform to reach working adult students.

Since then, the university has:

  • Grown from 4 to 10 colleges and tripled the number of academic offerings by focusing its curriculum on high-growth job fields such as engineering, computer science, cybersecurity and business while also making significant investments to address nationwide workforce shortages in areas such as teaching, nursing, counseling and even trade industries.
  • Frozen tuition prices on its Phoenix campus for 16 straight years with only a modest average annual increase of 1% in online tuition.
  • Invested $1.8 billion into a campus that has expanded from 100 acres to over 300 acres and is ranked No. 24 out of 1,387 college campuses in the U.S. by niche.com.
  • Embarked on an extraordinary construction blitz that has seen 72 new buildings and major renovations, including 30 of the 32 on-campus residence halls, eight GCU-affiliated parking garages, five colleges, three administrative and support buildings, and about a dozen athletic, recreation and entertainment facilities. Those don’t include an additional 32 on-campus dining options.
  • Dramatically increased both ground and online enrollment while also raising admissions standards.
  • Created flexible hybrid learning modalities that allow students to study online and in person depending on the type of information that must be learned.
  • As part of its Christian mission, launched an ambitious and first-of-its-kind five-point plan that builds upon the university’s already robust community outreach efforts. GCU’s community initiatives are having profound impacts on its inner-city Phoenix neighborhood.

When we arrived in 2008, we thought this could become something special,” Mueller said, “but we never expected it to happen this quickly.”

The key, Mueller said, was to stay true to GCU’s Christian mission, embrace free market principles to grow the university, focus on attracting high-quality students, and ensure that private Christian education is affordable to all socioeconomic classes. In doing so, GCU has become an American success story and a driving force in higher education that now produces roughly 30,000 graduates on an annual basis.

“Teaching from a Christian worldview perspective produces graduates who are known for their integrity, servant leadership and ability to solve problems in a collaborative environment,” Mueller said. “We have become very attractive to students and families because we teach from that perspective, but we also have many students who don’t come from a faith background and wish to come here for other reasons. Whether that is our high-quality academics, the community culture on campus that we are known for, the plethora of on-campus student activities and community outreach initiatives, our location in Phoenix, or opportunities to engage with some of the 500 companies that are represented on our advisory boards, there is no shortage of interest in attending GCU.”

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, GCU has several events planned during the school year, including a Week of Service in October dedicated to numerous community outreach projects and a gala event during Homecoming festivities in the spring.

Move-in for students begins Aug. 26, with fall classes starting on Sept. 3.

75th Anniversary Fun Facts

• Grand Canyon College was originally located in the city of Prescott when it opened in 1949, becoming Arizona’s first Christian liberal arts college. It relocated in 1951 to what was then farmland at 3300 W. Camelback Road in Phoenix.

• GCU’s original school colors were maroon and gold, but students voted to change it to purple and white when the school moved to Phoenix to distinguish it from Arizona State University. Purple is significant in that it represents Christ’s royalty and divinity.

• When GCU opened, the first students narrowed down the choices for the school nickname to the Antelopes or Donkeys. Thankfully, the students chose Antelopes, which are native to the Prescott area.

• GCU’s fun-loving and athletic mascot, Thunder, originated in 1981 as Andy the Antelope and then Johnny Lope before becoming Thunder in 2008. The previous mascot was a furry, purple blob called the Purple People Eater.

• Grand Canyon College became Grand Canyon University in 1989.

• The popular Lopes Up hand symbol was created in 1996 by a student, Jim D’Apice, who felt the campus needed a way to show its spirit.

• GCU’s campus is known for its 60- to 70-foot tall palm trees that line the Promenade and Camelback Road. In all, there are 361 palm trees on campus.

• Grand Canyon won 10 NAIA national titles and two NCAA Division II championships before jumping to Division I in 2013.

What they’re saying

As part of its 75th Anniversary commemorative book, GCU asked people for their thoughts on the university’s history and impact. Here is just a sampling of their comments:

“This is an amazing story of leadership and teamwork in building a world class university and having billions of dollars in economic impact to the local economy. I am proud to be associated with this institution.” – Jerry Colangelo, an advisor to GCU and namesake of the Colangelo College of Business who is also thegodfather of professional sports in Arizona as the former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks and director of USA Basketball

“This is a true Arizona success story. … In the private sector, we have a saying that when government gets out of the way and lets innovation do its work, we see business models that are transformative – and in this case of GCU, very unique as well.” – Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey at ceremony celebrating opening of GCU’s commercial hub at 27th Avenue and Camelback

“GCU has given me the hope that private Christian education is attainable and affordable to all who seek it. It has been a gift to my family in preparing my two daughters to serve Christ both in industry and in their now adopted local Arizona community.” – Matt Doretti, Global Financing Executive, IBM

“I’m a big fan of the school – the students it touches, the impact on the surrounding community, the opportunities it provides students in developing ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills, and the sense of purpose and meaning it tries to nurture is something we need more of.” – Milt Coleman, Retired Director, Intel Corp.

“GCU has grown in enrollment and stature as one of the premiere faith-based universities in the United States. … I salute you Grand Canyon University on your 75 years and am proud to have been a very small part of your success.” – Don Andorfer, GCU Board of Trustees Emeritus and former GCU President

“What a success story this university is and continues to be. GCU’s impact in the innovation of higher education and how it can bring change is a model for all of us to learn from. … I love the attitude of all at GCU that ‘if it is needed, we can find a way to make it happen!’” – Dean Barrett, retired Senior VP of Global Marketing, McDonalds, and GCU advisory board member

“GCU’s desire to be a business with a higher purpose is embodied from the top leadership down, and we are honored to have GCU as one of our largest, most impactful and longstanding partners.” – Jason Barlow, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona

“The servant heart leadership of GCU has made the Arizona community recognize its potential value and has started a transition of hopefulness in and around the community. … I am humbled to be a part of the efforts of the GCU family as we continue growing as Neighborhood Hope Dealers!” – Travis Hardin, Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank

“GCU has revitalized the community around them, provided educational opportunities for first generation college students, and has supported Christian high school students from around the country with affordable college education. Very proud to be associated with GCU.” – Ken Ellwein, Former Executive Director, Orange Lutheran High School and father of four GCU students

“I’m living a blessed life because of the foundation that was built at GCC back in 1989. My faith in Christ was established, I found my soulmate in Marci my wife of 34 years, and the groundwork for my success as a professional baseball player was established in my 3 years as a Lope!” – Tim Salmon, 14-year MLB veteran with Anaheim Angels, 1993 AL Rookie of Year and 2002 World Series champ

“The spiritual warfare that’s happening right now is plain to see, and what Grand Canyon is doing is one of the most important things happening around the world.” – Shawn Boskie, GCU alum and advisory board member who pitched in MLB for nine years, during 2021 interview with GCU News