Grand Canyon University (GCU) vs Waldorf University

Grand Canyon University (GCU) and Waldorf University stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each catering to unique student aspirations. GCU, a private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona, boasts a significantly larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Waldorf University, a private liberal arts university in Forest City, Iowa. While GCU offers a wider range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Waldorf University prides itself on its smaller class sizes and personalized attention. Both universities offer online learning options, but GCU's extensive online programs may appeal to students seeking flexibility. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, helping you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Grand Canyon University	Waldorf University
Overview
Location	Phoenix, Arizona	Forest City, Iowa
Campus setting	City: Large	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Private (For Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	71.0%	46.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	82.8%	72.3%
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	1,097
Total number of admissions given out	30,534	793
Admitted students who chose to enroll	7,620	192
Yield rate	25.0%	24.2%
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	$32,100	$36,380
Average net price	$21,644	$21,483
Tuition	$16,500	$22,434
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,300 Meal plan: $3,800	$8,062
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $10,225	95.0% Average amount $14,314
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,346	73.0% Average amount $5,263
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $12,937	10.0% Average amount $10,090

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	65,870 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%	2,088 Men 61.5% Women 38.5%
Graduate students	37,202 Men 22.5% Women 77.5%	432 Men 62.3% Women 37.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	73.1%	N/A
International students	1.2%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	15,937	591
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arizona California Washington Colorado Minnesota	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Computer and Information Science	Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Engineering Technologies Health Professions Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	24:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.7%	31.2%
Dropout rate	52.9%	62.3%
Transferred out	N/A	6.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,071 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $77,816 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,915 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $46,542 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,024 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,470 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,975 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,432 Year 2: $35,954 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,817 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fire Protection (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $67,267 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,510 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,459 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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Grand Canyon University (GCU) vs Waldorf University

Grand Canyon University

Waldorf University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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