Is GCU a good school for nursing?
What it does genuinely well
- Price. The published online RN-to-BSN rate is $340 a credit. That is a real number, not a promotional one.
- Accreditation. CCNE across the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral and post-graduate APRN certificates; HLC institutionally since 1968.
- Rhythm. Eight-week topics with dated deliverables. For a nurse who drifts without a deadline, that structure is worth paying for.
- Frequent starts. A rolling calendar, so you are rarely waiting months to begin.
Who it does not suit
Two groups, consistently. The first is anyone who cannot hold a fixed weekly pattern — moving shifts, caring responsibilities, an unpredictable roster. GCU's calendar does not flex, and two discussion questions plus an assignment inside seven days is unforgiving of a bad week.
The second is anyone for whom engaging weekly with a Christian ethical frame would grate. GCU is openly Christ-centred and says students are free to hold other views, which is fair — but the frame runs through general education rather than sitting in one module.
The question behind the question
"Is it good" is almost never what people mean. They mean will this work for me, and will it be respected afterwards. The second half is settled: CCNE accreditation is what boards and employers look for. The first half is what a conversation is for.
What a GCU week actually demands →
Common follow-ups
Is GCU accredited for nursing?
Yes. GCU's baccalaureate, master's and Doctor of Nursing Practice programmes and its post-graduate APRN certificates are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the university has held HLC institutional accreditation continuously since 1968.
Is GCU still a for-profit university?
No. The US Department of Education formally recognised GCU's nonprofit status on 15 December 2025, aligning with the IRS, HLC, the State of Arizona and others that had already done so.
Is GCU cheaper than other online nursing schools?
Generally yes at the undergraduate level. The published online RN-to-BSN rate is $340 per credit, which sits at the lower end of accredited options, though your total depends far more on how much transfer credit you bring.
Put your own situation to someone with nothing riding on it
Twenty minutes, free, and no one on this side earns anything whichever school you land on. We will tell you to stay where you are when that is the right answer.