The nation's first for-profit Christian University has ultimately succeeded over 100 competitors by securing a $20 million-worth historical campus of western Massachusetts for free of cost.

The owners of the Northfield campus announced Friday that they have decided to give away the university to the Christian University based in Phoenix, Arizona which is eventually planning to host around 5,000 students in newly acquired campus, reports the HuffPost.

The University was left standing alone after its close competition, North American Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, decided to back out.

Nearly 100 organizations from culinary schools to TV ministries reportedly showed interest in the 217- acre give-away campus, but in the end Grand Canyon University emerged as the winner.

It was founded in 1949 as a private Christian university and was saved from bankruptcy in 2005 by a group of Christian investors.

The owner of the property Steve Green told that the 'financial strength, growth and vibrant Christian life' of the university made the choice easier.

The Greens brought the Northfield campus in 2009, which was originally home to the Northfield Mount Herman prep school, founded by 19th-century evangelist D.L. Moody in 1879. The campus was abandoned in 2005 when the prep school consolidated with some other nearby school. The Green bought it and spent around $5 million to renovate the deteriorating campus building so that they can start a new college in the name of Christian scholar, C.S.Lewis. But, the project ran into financial difficulties when the Greens decided to give it away free of cost to the organization which they think would best honor the commitment of Moody.

Grand Canyon is primarily an online university with its online students numbering around 40,000 and its traditional student strength does not exceed 7,000. Hence, it needs a campus on the northeast to increase it student strength.

The institution wants to welcome students to its new campus by 2014 and hence, is planning to spend around $150 million on infrastructure to improve the campus. The institution says it is open to suggestions from local community and it will consult them before deciding on the athletics, arts and academic programs it is planning to begin in the campus.

But, the Northfield community is still skeptical about the impact such conservative religious institution can have on the small community of 1,100.

The Green family hopes to settle the deal by the end of 2012.