"Great Ph.D. program! The finished product is well respected and well worth the painstaking task of completing it. GCU takes the time to provide you with a dissertation template that provides a strong foundation for writing. As with everything you get out of it what you put into it!"

harpreet kaur

Reviewed: 4/7/2021
Degree: Public Health
Graduation Year: 2022

"I've had a great experience with this university. The instructors are great and always available for help. The online classes are easy to navigate. I would highly recommend this school to others. I'm very satisfied with the career services offered by the school."

KSR1000

Reviewed: 3/24/2021
Degree: Public Administration
Graduation Year: 2021

"I have attended both in-person classes and online classes at GCU. In-person classes were considerably better. Online instructors seem preoccupied with day jobs and do not seem invested in the success of their students. After graduating the masters program, I found out that GCU does not give honors or class rankings to graduate students. This would have been a deciding factor in choosing a school, so I am not very happy to learn this after the fact. I worked hard and very likely would have been top of my class. Honors are valuable on resumés, so this is pretty upsetting. Overall, I learned a lot and the school is good for people who are working. But personally, I wish I had gone to another university."

Abigail Milam

Reviewed: 3/16/2021
Degree: Liberal Studies
Graduation Year: 2025

"I'm currently attending GCU as a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health Science program. So far, my experience has been amazing! My university counselor was extremely helpful when I was applying for GCU. He walked me through the process step-by-step and answered all of my questions quickly and efficiently. My academic advisor is also amazing! She handles all of my financial documents, and ensures that I am on track for my upcoming courses. The online program itself is great. It gives me the ability to work on school whenever and wherever I want because it's online. In addition to this, the workload is the perfect amount! It's challenging and definitely requires time, but I still have plenty of time for my job, hobbies, and social life. Finally, I am actually learning a lot. The program curriculum is very detailed and GCU provides so many different student resources to help you learn including the Student Success Center and the library. I hope you look past all these negative reviews (most of them are really old or have to do with money issues) and choose GCU! I'm seriously so proud and excited to be a student here! Go Lopes!"

Meredith

Reviewed: 3/16/2021
Degree: DNP
Graduation Year: 2020

"Run as fast as you can from this school. Horrible, worst decision I made. I chose a Christian school to get the best education and its been nothing but anxiety, frustration, anger, etc. The head of the nursing doctorate program is a foul-mouthed bully, they have instructors who have no idea what they are doing, one tells you one thing and the others say nope change it all. You can get to the end of your two year program and be told nope on your thesis when you have been submitting it for approval in almost each class. You can have your last day of your program, but oh no, you're not done yet. It can take an additional 1-2 months for them to approve your project as they send it back for correction and then have pretty much a week and a half to get it back to you. Out of 60 in our cohort only 3 would recommend this program if that does not summarize the experience at this school. Pay the extra money and go to Chamberlain or Walden as students I know who have attended have had amazing experiences that this should be. Mine was ruined."

Jackie

Reviewed: 3/14/2021
Degree: Nursing
Graduation Year: 2022

"I am unsure why there are so many negative reviews here. I work full time rotating shifts on an ICU and this program is completely doable with that. In fact, it's actually enjoyable. The professors are highly accessible and really engage with the students. You can also tell the other students actually care about the program making group projects easy and I have never had an issue before. The content is interesting too. I think those that are complaining just don't want to put the work in because I can't recommend this program enough. Also, my counselors are amazing and respond to be almost immediately via e-mail. They have been so helpful and I feel like this program will truly prepare me for success. Go here! It's worth it and the cost is amazing!"

Val

Reviewed: 3/4/2021
Degree: Elementary Education
Graduation Year: 2022

"I honestly have no complaints. You get what you put into the program . I’m currently working full time at my local health department and I have manage to complete two courses at a time . Time management is crucial to your success in the program. This program has gone into depth about concepts that my undergrad school briefly went over . It definitely is a substitution for a credentials program and at the end you will have earned a masters . I started the program August 2020 and will begin student teaching in the fall. Like I mentioned you get what you put into the program ."

Elizabeth

Reviewed: 2/16/2021
Degree: Business Administration
Graduation Year: 2022

"In my opinion GCU had one of the best setups for an MBA program. As each course is a prerequisite of the other, you can only take one class at a time. The downside is the amount of work you have to get done each week, as each course is only eight weeks. There is a LOT of self-learning involved in the online program. The majority of classes were pretty challenging, and professors also post a variety of content material, including short recorded lectures. If you're not able to learn well on your own, this is probably not the program for you. Another downside is that GCU is quite expensive. However, during my time here I never felt like a number. My student services counselor stayed in touch with me the duration of the program through calls and emails. I feel like the University is generally respected around the city."

Wendy

Reviewed: 2/14/2021
Degree: Special Education
Graduation Year: 2022

"So, I'm 18 credits into my Master's, which is a 44 credit degree, and I have to say it has already benefitted my career quite a bit. The Special Education Law classes were particularly helpful. From reading other reviews, I think it helps that I was already working in Special Education when I started. I am an Alternative Routes to Licensure (ARL) candidate in Utah. Recently, ARL program candidates where changed from being considered a fully professional license to an associate educator license, which is a downgrade. I was concerned about that happening, so I enrolled in the GCU Master's program this last April. The first course was helpful because I haven't been in college for 18 years, and I didn't know what APA style was. We used something else when I went, and I didn't remember how to do it anyway. My enrollment advisor tipped me off to citation generators, which was also new. They reviewed educator ethics, which I think is always helpful. People act like they don't need this class, but if you don't think you need to pay conscious attention to your ethics, then you probably aren't very self-aware. A reminder about why we're here and what we're trying to do is always relevant. Then next class surveyed the disabilities and the SpEd categories, information I have used frequently in my job. Then, the Law classes hit. I worked very hard at them and earned an A and a B+ (89.8%. Sheesh). Halfway through the first law class, I took my PRAXIS test for Special Education Mild to Moderate. The few classes I'd taken made all the difference in the world to passing that test. I fully expected to need to take it more than once, as I had heard of educators failing the first time though they had more experience than I. I passed it the first time! My principal was impressed, and it gave me a legitimacy at my work that I had not had before. It asked specifically about content that was exactly what was covered in my GCU courses. Without those classes, I would have failed, I'm sure. I use information I learned at GCU for every IEP I write and hold meetings for. Yes, it is largely self driven. If you want someone to hold your hand, you'd better not take an online course. It was a shock when I saw how much I had to figure out for myself, but, I wouldn't know what to research or write about without the course curriculum. The teachers I've had so far have been responsive to my e-mails and questions. Right now, I have a 3.8 GPA, which hasn't been easy. People complain about the writing, but that's the only way to do an online course. You can cheat at a traditionally-styled test if you take it at home, online. You can't cheat at a benchmark that requires you to make tables and write 750 word reflections, etc, at least not without a much greater risk of getting caught. I'm pretty happy with what I've learned. It doesn't teach you everything, but Professional Development is a lifelong process. I plan on locking down my Master's degree and then supplementing it with additional classes every year. It is an investment, but if you're wanting to be rich, don't be a teacher. I'm a single Mom, paying my own way, and this is just how it is, no matter what college you go to. College is expensive in the U.S. But, for people like me, who can't get to a brick-and-mortar classroom, GCU gets the job done. I didn't want to be a banker, or an admin assistant, or a public relations manager, all of which I'm qualified to be. I wanted to be a teacher, and this is the cost of being a teacher. It's my favorite job ever, though it is definitely not an easy job. Sorry to people who had a bad experience. I've already had a very beneficial one, and I'm not even halfway through."

Reviewed: 2/11/2021
Degree: Nursing
Graduation Year: 2022

"This school is a joke. The nursing department heads do not care about fairness when the college screws up. They try to spin things on you and blame you for mistakes that the advisors made that jeopardize your entire education. Even when advising management verbalize that the mistake isn’t your fault. The nursing department backpedals to not accept any fault in anything. Absolutely would NOT recommend this college to anyone who is actually looking to gain knowledge and advance their career."

Simi Joseph

Reviewed: 1/30/2021
Degree: Nursing
Graduation Year: 2020

"The worse program I can think of. The professors who run that has no clue when you reach to the DPI project my assigned chair had no experience and after I completed they took four months to sign the DPI project. In the mean time you will be threatened to take an extension course for them to make money actually you are waiting for them to figure out the correct APA format . one professor will say oh this is wrong the other one will say no this is correct the editors makes lot money who they recommends. After your wait game they will finally sign the project then you will get a official transcript which will the withdrawal date the date you completed they will put as withdrawal and will not get that changed that's the punishment for students. The program lead is rude and arrogant there is no other word to describe her. The emails from her are all threatening to the students. Don't do the DNP program at GCU please."

lon

Reviewed: 1/26/2021
Degree: Special Education
Graduation Year: 2020

"Dishonest! Everything that has been said in the reviews regarding the integrity of this school and their staff is true. They only care about making money and do not follow the "Christian" beliefs they shove down your throat. Do not waste your time with them."

Grand Canyon University

Reviewed: 1/19/2021
Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Family)
Graduation Year: 2020

"The FNP program lacks instructors with full knowledge or desire to teach. Furthermore, the school promises assistance in finding clinical sites when in reality they send their students “cold calling” offices in attempt to find their own preceptors. The school will not back their NPs after graduation and after passing boards if you need any sort of letter to help with credentialing. Do Not Attend GCU!"

Trapped Student

Reviewed: 1/8/2021
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2021

"I would not recommend this institution. I maintained a 4.0 throughout the entirety of my program and maintained an A throughout my research methods class. The course was online and the professor had a final exam in which she disclaimed that if the test had a glitch she would not reset it, which is an unfair policy with the current conditions of COVID. During the exam there was a glitch and the professor refused to reopen the test and let me complete it due to concerns with integrity of test. I asked for another question set or an alternative assignment and was ignored. I submitted an academic appeal and was denied. Do not attend this university if you value your education or GPA, or want to be treated fairly."

Jean

Reviewed: 1/5/2021
Degree: Organizational Leadership
Graduation Year: 2022

"GCU allows doctoral learners to complete 2 years of course work then convinces student's the dissertation is only a year or two away. Don't fool yourself. There are very few dissertations or graduates within a 5 or 7 year period. Doctoral learner's are given false hopes all along 'you are really close' but in fact it's a ploy to keep you paying for extended writing classes. The newest money making gig is to add unexpected writing assignments and PowerPoints that are never good enough until you've spent at least an additional $2000-$3,000. The time and money you waste would be better spent where there is more accountability, actual graduates and published papers."

John Scheuerell

Reviewed: 12/31/2020
Degree: Homeland Security
Graduation Year: 2022

"Let me start out by saying that my counselors started out by being helpful and friendly. My first is that I am 43 military retiree with that just received by associate degree with a 3.92 GPA and I was forced into a useless and nontransferable class called University Success. It is a complete waste of time for anyone other than someone who is 18 and has no idea where they are going. I barely tried and managed a 995/1000 points for the course. That is when things took an odd turn. My next class was called "Christian Worldview." This class was explained to me as way of understanding how Christians interact with other religions. I downloaded the syllabus and noticed right off that I would require a Bible and no other religion's books. This struck me as odd. The I realized I would be forced to analyze Chapters of the bible and no other's religion's views. In addition I also noticed that a 101 level course was being taught by a PHD in theology and there were several 1000+ word essays due over the course of the 7 weeks. All of this seemed a little extreme for another MANDATORY and nontransferable course at the 101 level. When I spoke to my counselors they actually told me to suck it up even though they understood my views did not align with the course. They continued this for almost a week in what I think was an attempt to get me into the second week which would be my course was nonrefundable. As it stands I still owe 25% or around $550 for this silliness and waist of my time and my GI Bill time. I literally felt as though I was having the school's views shoved down my throat. I do not recommend this school and say avoid at all costs."

Lina

Reviewed: 12/17/2020
Degree: Nursing
Graduation Year: 2021

"Words cannot explain the level of dishonesty and lack of transparency that occur here at GCU. What blows my mind is that they pretend to be a Christian University with Christian values, but they lie so much just to get you enrolled and take your money. NONE of the counselors care about your well-being. They all get paid at the end of the day. I understand this is a business but it's literally people's LIVES they toy with. I was told that I could fast track a 2 year master's program and complete it in 13-15 months. I took out loans to do this. I was then told that I cannot stack up credits and double up courses until X date. Once that date came, I was then told that actually I can't stack up credits or double up on courses BECAUSE ALL OF THE CLASSES ARE PRE-REQUISITES FOR THE FOLLOWING CLASS. In essence, this means that I am not able to complete this program faster than I was told. This is is MONTHS after I have been a GCU student. Why did it take MONTHS to communicate that to me? I was TRANSPARENT and CRYSTAL CLEAR when expressing my interest in completing my program sooner than 2 years. They went along with it until I was neck deep in debt to finally decide to be "honest" and tell me that it's impossible. Now they stopped answering my emails. HORRIBLE institution, do not go. The reputation it has is well deserved."

Vonna

Reviewed: 12/2/2020
Degree: Liberal Studies
Graduation Year: 2024

"I wouldn't recommend this school to any working adult that have responsibility or a family. The school is not flexible and doesn't fit around my schedule. With a total of ten posts due at the end of the week along with my other assignments it was easier when I took classes full time at my other university. I wish I would've known that before trying this school. I'm now at a better school that works with my schedule alot better. The instructor wasn't really friendly at all. The staff however was nice but don't really feel like they helped me much at all. I had a much better experience at Southern New Hampshire University program. I wanted to try the one class full time degree program but its not worth it the textbook fees and the cost of this school is a big rip-off in my opinion, it's very overpriced. I'm just glad I got out before it was too late."

Reviewed: 11/22/2020
Degree:
Graduation Year: 2022

"From a student in a doctoral class: The main concern with this program, is that if you do online classes you would assume that you would meet the professor live at least once per week. Here is the way classes go: You get assignments you read, interpret the information, you have 2 post a week, plus the assignment if there is one. The professor never gives interpretation of the reading, dialogue or anything else. Students submit opinions and everyone just writes their agreement to statements to get credit, never do you see anyone countering positions on their reading. Basically I will continue just to get the degree because it will impact my earning potential but if I wanted to learn by myself I would have gone to the local library and done just that. Professors with exception of a few have very little interest in knowing who you are, how you are doing or doing their job which would be lead a class. At the present time I don't think I am learning much of anything from the professor, just from what I am doing on my own. My grad school was online through another university and that experience was so much different. You had similar assignments but the professors would lead live discussions once a week and be much more available for communication. If a friend asked me if I recommended this program I would tell them to look for something with a better system of learning."

William Grant Hale

Reviewed: 11/19/2020
Degree:
Graduation Year: 2020

"The Master of Science in Chemistry with an Education Emphasis is challenging but not overwhelming. The courses were structured similarly throughout the program so I was not surprised of what to expect once a new class started. Overall, the professors were well-knowledgable and provided adequately feedback during weekly assignments. As so many other students have stated, online schooling is not for everyone and you must be motivated to learn the material and take the responsibility to learn it as well. I did not have any weak professors, but some were excellent. I think this is a perfect program for a science educator who wants to strengthen their credentials and overall knowledge in both chemistry and education."