Grand Canyon University Wins Prestigious National Business Award

PHOENIX, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Canyon University was awarded the Gold Stevie for Company of the Year from the American Business Awards, the nation's premier business awards program.

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The ABA announced this year's national winners during The 11^th Annual American Business Awards banquet last night in Chicago. More than 3,200 Stevie Award nominations were submitted in 2013 for consideration in a wide range of categories.

GCU received the Gold Stevie for its contributions in driving Arizona's economy, while making a quality higher education accessible and affordable to a burgeoning population of students. The university's impact on the local and state economy recently earned it "Company of the Year" honors from the Arizona Business Leadership Association and the Large Business of the Year Award from the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, as well.

"Investing time and resources in our community, our state and most importantly, our students, has never been more important," said Brian Mueller, GCU's president and CEO.

As the sputtering economy has made tuition increases, budget cuts and program eliminations commonplace at public and private universities nationwide, GCU has bucked the trend and entered a golden age: Hiring is up; student enrollment is growing; a massive, multi-year, $300 million renovation and expansion is under way; and the school has set its sights on spreading its quality liberal arts education throughout the Southwest.

At the same time, GCU has reinvented its academic programs, aligned its curriculum with high-growth fields, invested $80 million in new technologies, and increased its workforce by 16 percent in 2012.

GCU's greatest contribution is its ability to provide a strong academic and affordable college education to students from all walks of life. The average student attending the university pays approximately $7,800 annually in tuition, which is less than most public and private universities.

Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 and is Arizona's premier private Christian university. GCU is regionally accredited and emphasizes individual attention for both traditional undergraduate students and the working professional in seven colleges: the Ken Blanchard College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Theology, the College of Fine Arts and Production, and the College of Doctoral Studies. GCU offers traditional programs on its growing campus, as well as online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs.  The University's curriculum fuses academic and clinical rigor with Christian values to prepare its students to be skilled, caring professionals. For more information about GCU, visit www.gcu.edu.

SOURCE Grand Canyon University