The university is open to students of all faiths, while emphasizing its mission of Mercy, which incorporates respect, justice, integrity, compassion, and service.

In addition to the gardens, GCU has maintained much of the original architecture and the Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum.

[10] In March 2022, GCU announced that it had reached an agreement to sell 42 acres of mostly unused land at the edge of its campus and several administrative buildings along Lakewood Avenue to Beth Medrash Govoha for an undisclosed sum.

[11] The proceeds of the sale will be used to construct a new center for nursing and health sciences, to reimagine its Casino building (currently used as a multi-purpose office and event space) as a modern student center, to update its Mansion building (currently used for receptions[12]) to be used as an administration hub, and to modernize its student housing/dorm facilities.

[13] The Sisters of Mercy founded Mount Saint Mary College as a liberal arts school for women in 1908, in North Plainfield, New Jersey.

The full transition to a coeducational institution, admitting both women and men into all academic programs, became complete at the outset of the Fall 2013 semester.

GCU features a 67,000-square-foot Wellness Center equipped for athletic training, physical education and sports competitions.

[19] Women's sports include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field, and volleyball.