Grand Canyon University

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The university offers degrees in over 200 areas of study and is administratively divided into nine colleges. As of September 2023, more than 100,000 students were enrolled online and in person, making it one of the largest Christian universities by enrollment. The Arizona Southern Baptist Convention established the institution in 1949 as Grand Canyon College. During the 1999–2000 academic year, the university ended its affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention, and became non-denominational Christian. The university competes as the Grand Canyon Antelopes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Mountain West Conference. Having become the first for-profit Christian college in the United States in 2004, Grand Canyon has faced controversy over its for-profit status, and over its subsequent attempts to be reclassified as non-profit, which were approved by the United States Department of Education in 2025. It has also faced lawsuits from LGBTQ employees over claims of denial of spousal benefits.