Nature of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Business

1. Nature of Business

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the “University”) was formed in Delaware in November 2003 as a limited liability company, under the name Significant Education, LLC, for the purpose of acquiring the assets of Grand Canyon University from a non-profit foundation on February 2, 2004. On August 24, 2005, the University converted from a limited liability company to a corporation and changed its name to Significant Education, Inc. On May 9, 2008, the University changed its name to Grand Canyon Education, Inc.

The University is a comprehensive regionally accredited university that offers over 160 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across eight colleges both online and on ground at our approximately 205 acre campus in Phoenix, Arizona, and at facilities we lease and at facilities owned by third party employers. Our undergraduate programs are designed to be innovative and to meet the future needs of employers, while providing students with the needed critical thinking and effective communication skills developed through a Christian, liberal arts foundation. The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The University’s wholly owned subsidiaries are primarily used to facilitate expansion of the University campus.