Ashford University vs Grand Canyon University (GCU)

Ashford University and Grand Canyon University, both prominent online institutions, offer diverse educational opportunities to students seeking flexible and accessible higher education. While they share some similarities, there are key differences that set them apart. Ashford University boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students with varying academic backgrounds. Grand Canyon University, on the other hand, has a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process. In terms of popular majors, Ashford University excels in business and healthcare programs, while Grand Canyon University is known for its strong offerings in education and psychology. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and goals.

	Ashford University	Grand Canyon University
Overview
Location	San Diego, California	Phoenix, Arizona
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (For Profit)
Calendar system	Non Traditional	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	31.0%	71.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	82.8%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants		36,861
Total number of admissions given out		30,534
Admitted students who chose to enroll		7,620
Yield rate		25.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$30,665	$32,100
Average net price	$23,585	$21,644
Tuition	$13,280	$16,500
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $5,300 Meal plan: $3,800
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $4,803	100.0% Average amount $10,225
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $6,400	60.0% Average amount $5,346
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	8.0% Average amount $12,937

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	33,084 Men 36.6% Women 63.4%	65,870 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Graduate students	7,278 Men 30.6% Women 69.4%	37,202 Men 22.5% Women 77.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	73.1%
International students	0.2%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	15,937
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Arizona California Washington Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Psychology Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	21:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	9.5%	44.7%
Dropout rate	72.0%	52.9%
Transferred out	17.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,719 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $60,293 Military Applied Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $58,856 Public Administration (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,833 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $58,095 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,012 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $57,228 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,455 Year 2: $51,179 Year 3: $49,905 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,247 Year 2: $48,911 Year 3: $49,817 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,178 Year 2: $50,149 Year 3: $49,671 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,321 Year 2: $45,618 Year 3: $49,490 Educational/Instructional Media Design (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,651 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $47,089 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,533 Year 2: $43,872 Year 3: $45,202	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $117,397 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $125,189 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,451 Year 2: $96,705 Year 3: $100,941 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,965 Year 2: $87,641 Year 3: $91,610 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,940 Year 2: $77,476 Year 3: $80,825 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,319 Year 2: $66,821 Year 3: $68,008 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,248 Year 2: $64,265 Year 3: $66,703 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,382 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,355 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,308 Year 2: $59,621 Year 3: $62,793 Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,625 Year 2: $60,082 Year 3: $61,171 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,083 Year 2: $55,605 Year 3: $59,588

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