The largest Christian college in the United States has been cleared of federal allegations after university officials said the school was unjustly targeted by the Biden administration.
Grand Canyon University announced last week that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted unanimously to drop its lawsuit against the school.
In 2023, the FTC under the Biden administration filed suit in federal court against GCU, its marketer Grand Canyon Education, Inc., and its president and CEO, Brian Mueller, claiming the defendants used deceptive advertising and engaged in illegal telemarketing. In addition to providing marketing services, Grand Canyon Education, Inc., provides recruiting and support services to the university.
"This case, which we inherited from the previous administration, was filed nearly two years ago and has suffered losses in two motions to dismiss," FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said. "These losses are compounded by recent events: Grand Canyon secured a victory over the Department of Education in a related matter before the Ninth Circuit; the Department of Education rescinded a massive fine levied on related grounds; and the Internal Revenue Service confirmed that Grand Canyon University is properly claiming 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation designation."
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The Biden FTC previously complained that the Arizona-based school misled prospective doctoral students about the amount of time it would take to finish its accelerated program, deceptively marketed the school as a nonprofit, and illegally called prospective students who submitted their contact information on the school's website but requested not to be contacted.
The Department of Education under the Biden administration denied GCU's nonprofit recognition after it was approved by the Arizona Board for Private Postsecondary Education, the Internal Revenue Service, the State of Arizona, and the Higher Learning Commission.
Mueller said the FTC dropping the charges ends "years of coordinated lawfare by government officials under the Biden Administration against the largest Christian university in the country."
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Mueller praised current FTC officials for taking what he called an objective look at the case and recognized the numerous agencies and courts that have already ruled in GCU's favor on the same allegations.
"As we have stated from the beginning, not only were these accusations false, but the opposite is true," Mueller said. "We go above and beyond what is required in our disclosures and are recognized as a leader in this area."
Mueller previously told Fox News Digital that he believes the university was being unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, saying multiple federal agencies were involved in a coordinated attack against the school.
"They threw everything they had at us for four years, and yet, despite every unjust accusation leveled against us, we have not only survived but have continued to thrive as a university," Mueller said in a press release.
The charges dropped by the FTC come after the U.S. Department of Education rescinded a $37.7 million fine in May 2025 against Grand Canyon for alleged deceptive practices.
