Expansion comes amidst another record enrollment year with a projected 141,000 students

PHOENIX, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Grand Canyon University begins another academic year with record enrollment and plans to expand its academic offerings in two dramatically different but equally important areas: law and the skilled trades.

GCU expects to serve a record 141,000 students during the 2026-27 academic year, continuing a period of remarkable growth that has positioned it as the largest Christian university in the country and a major provider of talent to Arizona and the national workforce.

As thousands of students return to GCU’s Phoenix campus this fall, the university is also moving forward with plans to establish a College of Law and a College of Construction and Industrial Technologies (CCIT).

Together, the announcements of GCU’s 11^th and 12^th colleges reflect the university’s continued commitment to expanding educational opportunities, responding to workforce needs and creating pathways that allow more students to pursue meaningful careers, upward mobility and lives of purpose.

“At a time when higher education is facing enormous disruption and uncertainty, GCU continues to grow because students and families are looking for something different,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “They want a quality education grounded in Christian worldview principles that prepares them for a meaningful career, but they also want to be part of a community that helps them grow as people and understand the purpose behind their work. Whether a student wants to become a lawyer, an engineer, an electrician, a nurse, a pastor, a teacher or a construction professional, we believe all work is sacred and has purpose.”

COLLEGE OF LAW

GCU is moving forward with plans to establish a College of Law that would integrate the Christian worldview throughout its curriculum while emphasizing Constitutional law, free-market principles and the rule of law.

The College of Law remains subject to approval or accreditation by the Arizona Supreme Court Justices, Higher Learning Commission, Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education and American Bar Association (which is a multi-year process).

Pending approvals, GCU could welcome its first law students as early as the fall of 2027 or spring of 2028. Upon achieving ABA accreditation, GCU would become the third ABA-accredited law school in Arizona, joining Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.

The university is currently conducting final interviews for the founding dean of the College of Law, with a selection expected in the coming weeks.

“The legal profession plays a critical role in preserving the institutions and principles that make a free society possible,” Mueller said. “We believe there is an opportunity to create a law school that produces outstanding attorneys while also grounding students in a Christian worldview, a deep understanding of the Constitution and an appreciation for the principles of free markets, individual liberty and the rule of law.”

The College of Law would build on GCU’s mission of preparing graduates not only for careers, but also to serve their communities and bring principled leadership into the professions where they work.

COLLEGE OF CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES

While the College of Law represents a new frontier for GCU in graduate and professional education, the College of Construction and Industrial Technologies represents a significant expansion in the university’s approach to workforce development.

CCIT is designed to create a comprehensive education-to-employment ecosystem with multiple entry and exit points — from short-term workforce credentials and apprenticeships to bachelor’s degrees and, eventually, graduate-level education — all within one college.

“For decades, students have been told they had to choose between college or the trades,” Mueller said. “CCIT is unique in that we offer both — an opportunity to experience life on a major college campus while also getting instruction specifically devoted to manufacturing, electrical work, micro-chip technology and construction. Those students might enter the workforce immediately after completing short-term credentials or an apprenticeship, then return later with a job in hand to pursue a four-year degree.”

CCIT partners with industry leaders such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Amkor, Lux Precision Manufacturing, Benchmark and McCarthy Building Companies to solve labor shortages by creating accelerated education pathways that incorporate fundamental academic skills and hands-on technical training that lead to careers in skilled trades.

Such a model is rare among four-year universities – particularly being housed under one college — but Mueller said GCU is embracing the approach as a way to serve students, employers and Arizona’s rapidly expanding economy.

“Arizona is attracting billions of dollars in investment in advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production, construction and other industrial sectors,” Mueller said. “Those investments are creating significant demand not only for engineers and other professionals with four-year degrees, but also for thousands of highly skilled technicians, electricians, machinists, construction professionals and other tradespeople.”

“There is tremendous dignity in building, making, repairing and creating,” Mueller added. “America has historically been a nation of builders, and we want to help bring that back. These are high-skilled, in-demand, good-paying professions that can provide tremendous opportunities for students and their families while strengthening the communities and economy around them.”

As GCU begins another record-breaking academic year, the university’s plans for the College of Law and College of Construction and Industrial Technologies underscore the university’s commitment to a Christ-centered and workforce-oriented academic approach.

From the courtroom to the construction site, GCU is continuing to expand the ways students can prepare for meaningful careers, contribute to their communities and pursue a life or purpose.

AT A GLANCE:

• Total projected enrollment: 141,000 (a 6% increase from 2025-26)
• On-campus enrollment: More than 24,000 
• Online enrollment: Approximately 117,000 
• Students Living on Campus: Nearly 16,000 in 33 residence halls
• 2025 Average Incoming GPA: 3.6 for fully admissible students on Phoenix campus
• Honors College Average Incoming GPA: 4.1 weighted (Honors College now has more than 3,400 students)
• Tuition Freeze: 18 straight years on ground campus, with only nominal increases in online tuition during that time
• Best College Campuses in America: No. 20 out of 1,394 in niche.com rankings
• Best College Dorms in America: No. 3 out of 1,369 in niche.com rankings
• Academic Offerings: 400 degrees, emphases and certificates are offered in 12 different colleges

About Grand Canyon University: Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona’s premier private Christian university. GCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and offers 400 academic programs, emphases and certificates for both traditional undergraduate students and working professionals. The University’s curriculum emphasizes interaction with classmates, both in-person and online, and individual attention from instructors while fusing academic rigor with Christian values to help students find their purpose and become skilled, caring professionals. For more information, visit gcu.edu.

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SOURCE Grand Canyon University