Grand Canyon University Reviews 11

GCU is actively obstructing my academic progression. By failing to process my clinical paperwork in a timely manner and failing to provide adequate student support, they are causing me severe financial and academic harm through sheer administrative negligence.

I have attended GCU since 2023 in the RN to BSN program and have successfully completed 30 credits. While I appreciate the online format and user-friendly interface, that is where the benefits of this institution completely end.

I completed my second-to-last course in July of 2025. It is now April of 2026, and I am still trapped in administrative limbo, unable to start my final practicum. As a working level 2 Registered Nurse, I have aggressively done the legwork myself, reaching out to dozens of local institutions. Unfortunately, many facilities will not allow a GCU student in, do not accept the university's insurance, or are deterred by GCU's notoriously convoluted processes.

When I finally secured a willing preceptor, GCU's administration completely dropped the ball. I have been waiting for my field experience counselor to simply 'review' my current lead since January. I am ready and willing to complete my shadowing any day of the week, yet GCU has spent three months failing to process a single preceptor review. My counselor's only response after weeks of silence is that he is "working on it."

This is not the first time my file has been neglected, and I doubt it will be the last. GCU makes it infinitely more difficult than it needs to be for dedicated nurses to progress in their careers. I should have gone with any other school. My suggestion to anyone reading this: do not waste your time, money, or academic potential with GCU. Choose a university that actually supports its students across the finish line.

Between August of 2025 to present day, my assigned student service counselor Grand Canyon University and their lack of communication, has placed me in a position where I now have money owed being sent to collections. At first communication between her and I had been fine, but once I started Introduction to Statistics, I request to be withdrawn because of a family emergency that was taking up all my time. They did not withdraw me from the class at the beginning like I had requested, they withdrew me at week 8. I was using my G.I Bill and exhausted the benefits of that avenue for continuing my classes, I'm a veteran. I had sent emails and tried returning phone calls various times to try to withdraw, try to work out a payment plan after the class, and trying to complete FAFSA for 2026-2027, the lack of communication on her part and her supervisor has become a disaster for me in furthering my education. Between October, November and December of 2025, almost 2 full months, I did not hear back from my counselor. I sent emails and placed messages over voicemail to no avail. When in contact through emails I asked to request to schedule a time to discuss my issues with my counselor, they wouldn't work with me and they would contact me when I was as at work or dealing with my caregiving responsibility. My student service counselor dismissed my attempts at trying to discuss the debt owed before the beginning of January, she pushed for me to keep checking the IRS website. Between October and January, she never brought up payment plan options for me, she said I was eligible for a scholarship to help with the debt. She never applied a scholarship to help me, she would only help me if It was related to FAFSA and getting my 2023 tax refund transcript, the topic of debt settlement never came up from her end. I am disappointed and appalled how this college has gone about this situation, very unprofessional!

The communication is terrible at this school.
My daughter was just told that her financial aid situation changed, but it's already 3 weeks into the semester so now we are stuck paying $4K extra if she stays in school, she can't go online to save $$ because they notified her after the cutoff dates for that and getting a refund if you drop all classes.

I think they purposely notified her late so we couldn't get either option. This school is a total scam system and I do not recommend it. Communication has been pretty poor from day one, but my daughter really wanted to go, so we gave it a shot. I can't recommend them based on any of her experience so far. She's only in her second semester and already hates being there because of the various issues.

We tried talking to the school and even a manager in charge, but they are not budging on "school policy" despite the fact that the notification of a change in her financial status did not come until the 3rd week of school. Many of the questions we asked were ignored and not addressed when the counselors/advisors replied. We instead got many canned answers straight from some script they must have on their desk. This seemed hugely impersonal and dismissive, which made my impression of the school even worse than the original offense. There were lots of emails and discussions the past week, which resulted in the school basically hanging us out to dry because of their poor communication of my daughter's status. Everyone is very unprofessional and have a double standard for "timeliness" for students vs GCU staff.

If the school had notified us during the past 6 weeks of BREAK that my daughter had been on for winter, then we would have made arrangements prior to the new semester starting. Notifying us 3 weeks in is completely unacceptable.

In addition, they also changed her class schedule without notifying her based on her new status. So THEY were able to make changes without her consent, but she can't request changes. The entire thing is complete mis-management and puts students at a disadvantage for learning because of poor administration. I highly recommend seeking a different school if you have any sort of financial aid or work study that is needed for your college. If you are paying completely out of pocket because you have the funding for college through your own saved up college fund or something, you should be fine because you are rich. Anyone else, go to a more student friendly school that actually cares about the success and well-being of students. My daughter has an ESA on campus because of a documented mental health condition - this whole situation has made her exponentially worse and she's called me bawling and unable to even speak multiple times over just the past week. As a parent who is NOT local and it would take me 6-7 hours to drive to my daughter, this is also very distressing to ME. To have my daughter on the phone sobbing and having to text what's going on because she's so distressed she can't talk between the sobs - the school is doing something wrong. Every college I went to the staff and faculty were helpful, cared, and explained what they COULD do for me when anything went awry. This school's sentiment seems to be "not our problem" - even when it very much IS their problem they caused.

Other side points on the campus life:
- Looks nice on outside, shabby interior. Living spaces are very dirty and not maintained. On multiple days while visiting my daughter the public toilet on her floor was clogged to overflow with urine and feces. The floors are completely filthy all the time.
- There are only 2 washers and dryers per floor, so you have 100+ students trying to get laundry done with minimal machines to do so.
- Windows only open 2-4 inches which does not allow for proper ventilation of rooms, so they smell most of the time.
- No one is monitoring who comes and goes from any building, so there are lots of people bringing significant others into their rooms for "private time".
- Driving on campus is dangerous because of the number of students on scooters who do not watch for cars, they simply cut everyone off and come flying out of nowhere.
- The gate hours are subject to change without notice, so you are half guessing which gate you can get on/off campus through at any given time.
- Your student will have to meet you at a gate to get you on campus if you are visiting because there are no passes or ID's for family members. That can be a pretty long walk depending on where they are housed.
- Surrounding area is very run down and I do not recommend leaving campus on foot or alone. There are a lot of homeless and people wandering around on drugs. Stay in the walls unless you can drive.

GCU online system is horrible. I am disappointed in the school and their integrity. I had to leave the program in days after I realized I couldn't not get any help. I could not access the school resource ebook lecture or lab. After reaching out numerous documented time. I asked to be drop immediately because I couldn't get access to the work and lecture. After constantly calling I was told they will look into doing the right thing. I was charged over $1200+ for no help and lack of access to their labs, lecture and student counselor. I asked for a supervisor to call me numerous time and I got an email saying pay or go to collection. The only contact by the student service manager. I asked to speak to someone and still have 8 days I have not spoke to supervisor. This school is money hungry. I graduated from Walden university which is an online school my experience was wonderful from start to end. They offer an orientation forctheir online student any conselor can help on board you and new stdents are not left to figure out how to work their online system. I looked into gcu because Walden did not have a nutrition program for a master. Do better Gcu and do the right thing.

GCU online is a joke. I completed one of the classes (masters program) in 2 days and got an A. Some professors grade papers, others just give you a 100 and move on.

Dealing with the university is a total crap storm. I have paid around $10,000 in classes that I did not take and when I want a break (their 6 week pace per class, no break, is absurd) my advisor keeps trying to push me through and schedules me for courses, even after explaining I will be out of the country, trying to pressure me into taking courses while I am on a 1-month vacation in Africa.

I have attempted to explain that I didn't take - x class - and wasn't going to pay $2000, then they simply threaten me with collections and I am forced to pay (ironically, they are "Christian").

I have a very, very negative view of the online program for that university. It is probably different in-person, though

Incredibly egregious organization, their course content is absolute garbage, and their instructors are about as useful as a screen-door on a submarine. Furthermore, they attempt to collect student debt, despite NOT being licensed to do so through the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. They have also failed to furnish proof of debt owed, and other pertinent information related to an alleged debt they're attempting to collect from me. I've made several attempts to obtain this information over several years and multiple CFPB complaints, it has never once been furnished. They're now well passed the statute of limitations on this alleged debt, and still haven't provided any relevant information related to it.

The Best Online University I've ever attended. The Student portal is the easiest to follow. The faculty is also very hands-on with your learning. You feel connected to the professor and other online students.

This institution of learning is the best experience I have had in continued learning. The advisors are friendly and knowledgeable and the online program is very user friendly and designed for success. If you are looking for a college to attend this is definitely one to look at.

For a Christian school they are very unprofessional in their communication and pricing. When you ask questions no one knows the answer and when they do it's usually wrong. Would recommend the school train their counselors on criteria for certain degrees. Also they need to understand about diversity and understand how different cultures talk/behave and stop assuming people are rude or unprofessional.

They tack on hidden fees and then hold your transcripts hostage. They have very bad attitudes when they do not get paid their false debts incurred. This school is trash. Then your answering 50 questions. I record all calls when dealing with these people. Prepare for legal battle GCU its coming.

Great school! Good people. Fair tuition prices. I am working on my masters so this tells you everything!