By Ethan Faverino |
Grand Canyon University (GCU) is moving forward with plans to establish two new colleges focused on law and skilled trades as the university begins another record-breaking year.
GCU announced this week that it expects to serve approximately 141,000 students during the 2026-2027 academic year, representing a 6% increase from the previous year.
The university said the growth comes as it works to expand its academic offerings and respond to workforce demands in Arizona and across the country.
The planned College of Law and College of Construction and Industrial Technologies would become GCU’s 11th and 12th colleges.
“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,” he added.
GCU is moving forward with plans to establish a College of Law that would incorporate a Christian worldview into its curriculum while emphasizing Constitutional law, free-market principles, and the rule of law.
The proposed law school has not yet received all of the necessary approvals. Its establishment remains subject to approval or accreditation from the Arizona Supreme Court justices, the Higher Learning Commission, the Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education, and the American Bar Association.
If those approvals are obtained, GCU said it would welcome its first law students as early as fall 2027 or spring 2028.
If the program ultimately receives American Bar Association 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 and expects to make a selection 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 proposed college would expand GCU’s focus beyond undergraduate education and provide students with a pathway into the legal profession while emphasizing service and leadership.
GCU is also preparing to launch its College of Construction and Industrial Technologies (CCIT), which will focus on workforce development and skilled trades.
The college is designed to offer multiple pathways into the workforce, ranging from short-term credentials and apprenticeships to bachelor’s degrees and eventually graduate-level education.
GCU said the goal is to allow students to enter the workforce after completing shorter-term programs and potentially return later to pursue additional education while already employed.
“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.”
The college will focus on fields including manufacturing, electrical work, microchip technology, and construction.
GCU mentioned it is working with companies including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Amkor, Lux Precision Manufacturing, Benchmark, and McCarthy Building Companies as part of its workforce-development efforts.
The partnerships are intended to help address labor shortages by combining academic instruction with hands-on technical training.
Mueller said Arizona’s continued growth in semiconductor manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and construction has created demand for workers at multiple levels, including engineers, technicians, electricians, machinists, and construction professionals.
“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.”
The expansion comes as GCU prepares for another record enrollment year.
The university projects approximately 141,000 students for the 2026-27 academic year, including more than 24,000 students on its Phoenix campus and approximately 117,000 online students.
GCU said fully admissible students entering its Phoenix campus in 2025 had an average GPA of 3.6, while the Honors College reported an average weighted incoming GPA of 4.1.
The Honors College now has more than 3,400 students.
The university currently offers approximately 400 degrees, emphases, and certificates across 12 colleges.
As GCU expands its academic offerings, university officials said the two proposed colleges are intended to address different areas of eduction while supporting the same broader goal, preparing students for careers and encouraging them to contribute to their communities.
“America has historically been a nation of builders, and we want to help bring that back,” added Mueller. “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.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
