The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has unanimously voted to drop its lawsuit against Grand Canyon University (GCU), its marketing partner Grand Canyon Education, Inc., and university president Brian Mueller.
The decision ends a nearly two-year legal battle that began under the Biden administration, when the FTC alleged deceptive advertising and illegal telemarketing by the Arizona-based Christian university.
Background on the Allegations
The 2023 lawsuit accused GCU of:
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Misleading doctoral students about the length of its accelerated program.
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Marketing itself deceptively as a nonprofit institution.
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Making illegal telemarketing calls to prospective students who requested not to be contacted.
The Department of Education had also denied GCU’s nonprofit status — despite recognition from the Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education, the IRS, the State of Arizona, and the Higher Learning Commission.
FTC Chairman Explains Decision
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson acknowledged the agency’s repeated setbacks in court:
“This case, which we inherited from the previous administration, was filed nearly two years ago and has
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