The GCU Academic Calendar 2026‑2027 brings together every deadline and key date from application and enrollment cut‑offs, tuition payment due dates, and course add/drop periods to campus holidays and final exam schedules.
The Grand Canyon University academic calendar helps students stay ahead of GCU term dates, track GCU registration windows, and never miss critical milestones such as the last day to withdraw with a “W” or the start of Summer Session add/drop deadlines.
GCU operates on a semester‑plus‑sessions model to fit diverse schedules:
- Fall and Spring Semesters each span approximately 15 weeks (14 instructional weeks plus one finals week).
- Summer offerings include two accelerated Session A and Session B blocks (each about 7 weeks), as well as a 15‑week Summer term, each with distinct registration, add/drop, and grading deadlines.
- Year‑round accelerated courses run in varying lengths from 1‑ to 16‑week formats, allowing you to tailor your pace and complete prerequisites or electives on your own timeline.
Whether you’re mapping out your 14‑week semester load, enrolling in a 7‑week summer block, or taking advantage of short‑term accelerated classes, the GCU Academic Calendar 2026‑2027 is your definitive guide to every date and deadline, so you can focus on thriving at Grand Canyon University.
Table of Contents
GCU Academic Calendar Fall 2026
- GCU Move-in date runs from Monday, August 31, 2026, through Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
- Labor Day is observed on Monday, September 7, 2026.
- GCU Fall 2026 classes begin on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. It is the first day of classes.
- Veteran’s Day is observed on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
- The final drop date is on Sunday, November 22, 2026.
- Instruction moves to asynchronous online for most courses from Monday, November 23, 2026, through Wednesday, November 25, 2026.
- Thanksgiving Break runs from Thursday, November 26, 2026, through Friday, November 27, 2026. Thanksgiving Day is on Thursday, November 26, 2026.
- Face-to-face instruction ends on Friday, December 18, 2026.
- The move-out date for fall-only students and living area closure for all students is on Sunday, December 20, 2026.
- The end of term is on Sunday, December 20, 2026.
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day occur on Thursday, December 24, 2026, through Friday, December 25, 2026.
- Christmas Break for current students runs from Monday, December 21, 2026, through Sunday, January 3, 2027.
- Final course grades are due on Sunday, December 27, 2026.
GCU Academic Calendar Spring 2027
- Move-in date is on Sunday, January 3, 2027.
- Face-to-face instruction begins on Monday, January 4, 2027.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on Monday, January 18, 2027.
- Presidents’ Day is observed on Monday, February 15, 2027.
- GCU Spring Break 2027 runs from Monday, March 15, 2027, through Sunday, March 21, 2027.
- Good Friday is observed on Friday, March 26, 2027.
- The final drop date is on Sunday, March 28, 2027.
- Face-to-face instruction ends on Friday, April 23, 2027.
- The end of term is on Sunday, April 25, 2027.
- Move-out deadline is on Monday, April 26, 2027.
- Summer break runs from Monday, April 26, 2027, through Sunday, May 2, 2027.
- Final course grades are due on Sunday, May 2, 2027.
For more on the GCU Academic Calendar 2026-2027, visit the Grand Canyon University Calendar website.
