Grand Canyon University (GCU) vs Biola University

Grand Canyon University (GCU) and Biola University stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique educational experiences. GCU, a private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona, boasts an acceptance rate of 88%, welcoming a diverse student body of over 20,000 students. Biola University, a private Christian university in La Mirada, California, maintains a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 67%, fostering a close-knit community of approximately 6,000 students. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, GCU excels in business and healthcare fields, while Biola University shines in the arts, sciences, and theology. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover further distinctions between these two esteemed universities and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Biola University	Grand Canyon University
Overview
Location	La Mirada, California	Phoenix, Arizona
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (For Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	88.0%	71.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	60.8%	82.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1103 - 1348	N/A
ACT range	22 - 29	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%
Total number of applicants	4,354	36,861
Total number of admissions given out	2,646	30,534
Admitted students who chose to enroll	655	7,620
Yield rate	24.8%	25.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$59,500	$32,100
Average net price	$29,123	$21,644
Tuition	$44,382	$16,500
Room & board	$10,202	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)	100.0% Average amount $28,421	100.0% Average amount $10,225
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $4,897	60.0% Average amount $5,346
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $15,279	8.0% Average amount $12,937

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,596 Men 38.0% Women 62.0%	65,870 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Graduate students	1,955 Men 54.5% Women 45.5%	37,202 Men 22.5% Women 77.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	28.6%	73.1%
International students	9.2%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,750	15,937
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Oregon Texas Colorado	Arizona California Washington Colorado Minnesota

Academics
Popular study areas	Theology Health Professions Education Philosophy and Religious Studies Psychology	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.9%	44.7%
Dropout rate	6.1%	52.9%
Transferred out	22.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,482 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $86,424 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,587 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $72,963 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,111 Year 2: $44,711 Year 3: $53,447 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,980 Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $52,274 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,574 Year 2: $26,585 Year 3: $44,140 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,811 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $43,156 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,228 Year 2: $35,772 Year 3: $41,681 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,993 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $41,017 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,448 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,971 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,443 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $40,650	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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Grand Canyon University (GCU) vs Biola University

Biola University

Grand Canyon University

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Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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