"There are pros and cons to this program. It will sound in my case as if the cons greatly outweigh the pros, but many of them can be avoided or easily resolved by getting tips and tricks from a current student or recent graduate. I'll start with the pros that keep me enrolled: I've had only excellent experiences with Student Services Coordinators. I see a lot of reviews where students had a rough time. That has not been my experience. No issues with disbursements. No issues with CACREP accredidation since I started in January of 2022. Disabled Student Services has been excellent. I get two extra weeks to turn in major assignments and extra time to complete tests. The application process for accomodations is simple. I've had a few superb professors who went above and beyond to make themselves available to support students. It was a professor who turned me on to several above-board ways to use AI to make my life as a student easier. For example, I like to upload every syllabus as soon as it becomes available to request a simplified version. Most professors are adequate.Cons: The syllabi, particularly the assignment instructions, are oftentimes vage where they need to be concise and wordy to the point of being confusing and overwhelming where less words will do. Repetitive as well. Just tell me what to do! The ebooks are supplied through Bibliu. I hate it. You have to view the books by section instead of by page and it's easy to get lost. I need TTS on account of a disability and the function in Bibliu is atrocious. I usually end up buying or renting an old edition of the assigned textbook so I can use a decent TTS program and at least have a chance to comprehend the material. I've had a couple of terrible instructors. Most of them don't hold virtual office hours or provide any lecture materials. I had one professor who decided to give me 'F' grades on 3 assignments, reassign them so I could make corrections with the hope of raising my grade to a C AT MAXIMUM, and give me 'A' grades in the end. I returned to school after a very long hiatus and have shortcomings that I did not experience in undergrad, so I did not appreciate being played with like that. I was so panicked that I would fail to turn in perfect revisions and receive 'D' grades or worse that I had a nervous breakdown and nearly quit the program. My SSC talked me down. Additionally, this instructor reassigned 7 of 8 assignments back to me. Who has time to redo nearly every major assignment while trying to meet deadlines? I've never had any other professor reassign work back to me, let alone threaten me with a MAXIMUM 'C' grade. She also gave no feedback on assignments. Ever. Any time I make an adjustment to my schedule, it resets all courses following to a default schedule I do not want. I now set reminders for 2 weeks prior to the end of each course to ask my SSC to fix it.As much as I appreciate Disabled Student Services, they did a terrible job of informing me of all the free resources at my disposal to further accommodate my shortcomings. For example, if I indicate that I need TTS to "read" successfully, you should tell me there's a free amazing TTS program provided by the university up front or at least make it easy to find! I'm sorry to be one of those people, but many of the students cannot grasp basic spelling, grammar, and syntax. It is a bit irritating. I mean, it's a graduate program...I've unintentionally caught a few copy-paste discussion question posts. I'm pretty sure many of them are turning in AI-generated work. There are a few tip-offs I've caught onto. The LopesWrite plagiarism checker is absurdly finicky. I make sure I finish assignments at least 12 hours before the deadline to ensure I have time to revise my assignment repeatedly to get it through that thing successfully.You cannot access assignments turned in to previous classes 4 weeks after each class ends. SAVE EVERYTHING AND BACK IT UP!Overall, I have come to appreciate the program. It's forced me to push myself to get creative and motivated to work around and with my shortcomings. If you truly apply yourself, keep procrastination to a minimim, and refrain from cheating, you can probably get through it. I was certain I wouldn't make it through countless times and I'm now much closer to graduation than I ever expected to be. I WILL complete this program despite my disabilities. Believe in yourselves, peeps."

Sylvia

Reviewed: 3/28/2023
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2025

"Please believe these students when they tell you this is the worse school ever! What Jennifer stated is exactly true! I am going through the same thing now. I have not received my disbursement and it's going on 2 months. When I asked for thr financial aid department they said that they did not have one and I could only talk to my studen service counselor which handles both. I asked how is this legal?? How can you call yourself an university with no financial aid department! I was appalled. I even called my Mohelia to let them know what was going on. They also couldn't believe this. I don't understand how schools can get away with things like this. I already had a rough time last year with ending up homeless because of my lender and had to go to court over it now I'm trying to further my education and got scammed!! I even asked do I need to fly to the school just so I could get my check because I will if I have to because this is ridiculous. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THIS SCHOOL, IF YOU DO YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET IT AND THEY ARE GOING TO KEEP YOUR MONEY."

MHWGrad

Reviewed: 3/10/2020
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2019

"There are some good things to say and some not so good things to say. One disappointment I noticed early on in the program is the quality of students enrolled at the graduate level. At this point of an academic career, students should be able able to write in complete sentences. I have been embarrassed by some of the class posting by how poorly they are written. With that said, you get out of the program what you put into it. Like anything in life, you reap what you sow. I personally enjoyed the journey. The one negative aspect to the university is how they process financial aid. I never had an issue getting textbooks and needed materials for classes when I was an undergraduate, but at the graduate level, financial aid is not disbursed for at least 4 weeks after a semester starts at the very earliest. One semester, I had to take out a personal loan to get books and then pay the loan back after I received my financial aid. If you can get by without the university's assistance, you are better off."

Fran

Reviewed: 10/23/2019
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2020

"This school is great! the staff and teachers really care about your success. I love the curriculum. I started my Bachelor's degree there in 2016 and completed it on time. They have a wonderful math tutoring service to assist in a wide range of hours for online students. The tutors are very patient, and will make sure that you are confident prior to ending your session. I am glad that I continued on to my Master's program there as well and will be graduating soon. I get random calls to check up on me to see if I have any concerns. I would recommend this school to friends and family."

Paul E

Reviewed: 7/5/2019
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2019

"I found the quality of the instruction to be excellent. The quality of some of the student online assignments could have been better but I got the most I could out of the program. I was hired at my practicum site after completing my last course. I received a raise in pay because of the M.S. and was put in charge of a new outpatient program. Thanks GCU."

J. Moore

Reviewed: 10/29/2018
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2021

"I chose GCU because I remember the quality of education that was provided years ago. The fact that it was a Christian university also added to my decision. I chose GCU because I work a very demanding full-time job and wanted something that was a hybrid. Well, my experience has been less than pleasurable and for the most part has added a large amount of extra stress to my life. First complaint is regarding financial aid. Students are NOT allowed to speak to anyone in financial aid, at least that is what I have been told by my student counselor and has been my personal experience. I have been told SHE is also that contact person. Every question or concern I take to this "counselor" receives one word responses and basically everything is shut down. I have given up seeking help from her. As to my financial aid, I have recently sent an email to the people listed as the contact person through the Department of Education. It has been four days and I have yet to get a response from anyone. We are well into the Fall semester and I have yet to get any school monies and there has been no movement from GCU on the certification. They continue to blame the Dept. of Ed., while the Dept. of Ed. continues to say GCU has not done anything on their part according to what they are seeing in their system. And so, I wait. Secondly, the professors ... out of eight classes, only about three of them have been worth anything. For reference sake, I have a Master of Education already, so I am not saying this simply because I am being irrational or am immature. I have standards, especially at this level and GCU falls way short!! The teaching has added nothing to my educational career. Every new class I enter with a great attitude and every new class never lets me down with the fact the content and teaching stinks!! On occasion, a teacher has come a long that has been exceptional, but that is NOT the norm at all for GCU! I just finished a class with a teacher so bi-polar she sparked my PTSD so significantly that I could barely attend classes. For example, we could never tell if a reaction we had to something or a question was going to warrant a professional caring response OR if she was going to demean us and criticize us. By the end of the class I refused to even engage and simply attended so I didn't get dropped from the class. Third, this summer I parked in parking area right outside my class due to a health issue that came about suddenly that prevented me from walking a long distance. After the class ended that night I immediately went to an ER for care where the doctor wrote an excuse for me as I had gotten a ticket for parking in an unauthorized space for my parking decal. I appealed the ticket based off my health condition and temporary disability. In my appeal I provided them the appropriate proofs and supports. My appeal was denied and the $50.00 ticket stands. I have attempted to contact security over and over again via phone and email. Once again as is the case with GCU, they DO NOT and have not responded! They simply refuse! I took this concern to my student services counselor in the hopes of getting help or the name and contact information for someone in that area to assist. I got nowhere, which did not surprise me, but I tried. GCU has a level of sentries set up that prevents you from speaking to anyone who might have the power to change or rectify a situation. Just another example of how GCU conducts themselves and treats their students. The Master of Counseling program I am in currently is not CACREP. Over the summer we heard they were bringing a new CACREP program and so we all had questions and concerns. Student service counselors were flooded with calls and concerns. We were directly lied to about the program not even existing. In fact, they got angry and became rude with us in our questioning and in voicing our concerns. On the LAST NIGHT of class a student services counselor showed up with the news that there was in fact a new CACREP program starting and if we wanted to switch we had to make the decision THAT night! We were also informed that if we were using financial aid to pay for school that we would lose two classes of tuition and have to pay out of pocket to start the new program. So in essence, our borrowed money would need to be repaid for two classes we NEVER took, GCU got paid for and we would STILL need to pay out of pocket for the next two classes. Professionalism at its finest, don't you think? Some of us stayed with the old program simply because we could not afford to lose all that money and have to pay out of pocket, while others were able to transfer. Those of who stayed were subjected to worry over whether our cohort would even remain to exist since our numbers had dwindled so significantly. Out of approximately 28 who began our cohort in September 2017, there are now only 6 of us left. You figure it out and do the math. Why do I stay? Frankly, because I don't trust them not to say I owe a large amount of money should I try and dis-enroll and go somewhere else. I feel I am stuck at GCU with no way out. There is no one I trust to talk to about my concerns. I feel I am in this degree program alone and have to fight for everything I get; there is absolutely NO support!! It feels terrible and I am angry my money ultimately is paying for this education and their salaries. The Good: I have great classmates. The teachers that are good are GOOD. The facilities are ok, not great. You get free access to Microsoft Office. The Bad: The e-books stink. You can't print them nicely if you want to. There have been classes where the books have been changed, but the online assignments haven't so they do not coincide with each other; the instructor even said she had taken this to the higher ups and they had ignored her. Financial aid department is a mystery and you can never talk to someone directly. The student services counselors are a joke. There is no support."

Ripped Off

Reviewed: 9/27/2018
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2018

"Dont be fooled . The nice but very annoying counselor will NOT be with you through out your program. This place is ALL about the money. They will offer free textbooks ebooks that will not load. And a scholarship to Alumni another joke. Please dont choose this school and waste your time and money ."

Yuppie

Reviewed: 5/13/2018
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2018

"My experience was mediocre. I can say that my experience was not bad but I did encounter to much turn around. This school uses Christianity to sell a product,your money. Keep in mind for people pursuing a grad degree in counseling. It would be better to choose a school that is CACREP. Unfortunately this school is not. Personally I should had did the social work program at another school"

Psyched OUT

Reviewed: 7/3/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2050

"I read the poor ratings before signing up for classes. I figured that the students who wrote poor comments were most likely poor students and that I would surpass those students because I did very well in my bachelor degree programs and career. I was so wrong and have a huge student loan to prove it! I never had the same counselor or instructor for very long. Many did not make it through the semester. Students without jobs, careers, or ambition tend to perform best. They were able to sign into the computer every morning making meaningless, uneducated comments for "points". Other students are supposed to comment on their ignorant posts. The whole progam is a joke. It is established for attendance, not content. There graduation rate seems to be very low for a reason. I wonder if there is a noted graduation rate for their online campus only? I am sure that it is very low. None of my friends graduated from their masters program either. They have great marketers for their online program, but that is all!"

Frustrated

Reviewed: 6/12/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2018

"Very poorly run! Very disorganized. Definitely don't care about the students. They will change guidelines in the middle of the program making it next to impossible to finish the degree! Not worth the time or money! Most professor just give a grade without any explanation or even reviewing the work. I have had five different advisors in two years."

Angry Student

Reviewed: 4/23/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2019

"These people showed up marketing at my job. Never heard of them. Not one person completed the program. Once the advisor gets you on board, you are on your own. They don't care about the quality of your work, only quantity. Don't waste your $!! Graduation rate is very poor for this financially failing college."

Rheanna Schmidt

Reviewed: 3/20/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2019

"I've always believed in the saying "the cream rises to the top." That thought is certainly true at GCU. Although most for profit schools are upon difficult financial times, GCU has found a way to rise above and continue to provide a excellent education for it's students. The school mascot is an antelope, and the motto of the diverse student body is 'rise up.' That motto is carried across all facets of the school. You see and feel it everywhere! Not only in the education you receive, but the friendliness of the staff and instructors. I would definitely recommend furthering your education at GCU!"

Julie Roeske

Reviewed: 3/12/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2019

"I have received excellent customer service from GCU and the professors have been great in preparing the curriculum as well as their commitment to the students. I would highly recommend Grand Canyon University to other students and peers. I have received excellent services and has met the requirements that I was looking for in an online education."

Julie Roeske

Reviewed: 2/20/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2019

"I have been pleased with the advising from the counselors at GCU and they have always made themselves available when needed to reach them for questions and/or advise. I have felt the course outline and material covered has been helpful and comparable to the what has been being covered. I would highly recommend GCU to others who are pursuing their degree."

SUSAN NARANJO-DOYLE

Reviewed: 2/16/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2018

"Grand Canyon University is one of the only schools that has aloud me to continue to work full time and pursue this degree online. I knew that this is what I wanted to do but had a very difficult time finding a school that would be a good fit for my schedule. I was originally going to attend on campus but when my work schedule changed, they were happy to convert me to the online program. They take the time to train you to navigate their online platform, check in on you regularly to ensure you are doing well or if they can be of more assistance should you need it. They also have great tutoring services both on campus and online as well! The enrollment advisors are great and very helpful. However, the financial aid office is not great at helping you pursue scholarship opportunities once you start classes. If you are military affiliated, they do give you a scholarship to start that is good for your entire degree plan as long as you do not take a prolonged leave of absence so I did give them 4 stars for that!"

Reviewed: 1/3/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2014

"I participated in the online Masters in professional counseling program through Grand Canyon University and it was great I really enjoyed that it was completely online everything I could do at my own pace and I learned a lot"

Anonymous

Reviewed: 1/3/2017
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2012

"I was very satisfied with the decision the attend GCU. Staff were knowledgeable and available when needed."

Carol Ryan

Reviewed: 11/8/2016
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2012

"This program and school are top-notch! Everything they said they would do, they did. I have no complaints with Grand Canyon and have recommended them to many, including family, friends, and colleagues. I learned an incredible amount in this program. I have been working in the field for 3 years now and find that I am as qualified as the rest of my counterparts that attended a brick and mortar school in person. I am very thankful for my education at GCU. Excellent program! Excellent university! Staff members (from financial aid to enrollment to professors) truly care about the student and their career goals. Thank you, GCU!"

Erika

Reviewed: 8/14/2016
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2018

"Most of the staff that I have contacted at GCU have been helpful & friendly; however, the student services advisor that I was assigned to has been somewhat rude and not very knowledgeable. I asked about completing my online degree in another state and the advisor replied I could not. I further investigated and found out I could. The advisor also mentioned that my learning and degree are meant for the state that I live in. I have big plans after I receive my degree and they do not involve working in the state I live in or for that matter in the United States. I do not feel that this counselor is motivating or encouraging and is just doing their job unlike other GCU staff that I have spoken with."

Mal88

Reviewed: 2/24/2016
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2016

"I absolutely dislike this school. I could never get in touch with my financial advisor even though I would schedule an appointment. Their advisors are not knowledgeable about their own programs and they charge for classes that I have not taken! Beware of this school."