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Private · Jesuit (Roman Catholic) · Urban · Omaha, NE

Creighton University

4,350 undergrads · 11:1 student-faculty ratio · NCAA I (BE)
Pre-health pipeline to top medical schools with Jesuit mentorship. Omaha location fosters collaboration over competition. School breathes healthcare preparation. Research and clinical opportunities begin before junior year.
72%
Acceptance RateRoughly 72 of every 100 applicants are admitted.
1300–1480
SAT RangeThe middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A quarter scored below it, a quarter above.
29–33
ACT RangeThe middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A quarter scored below it, a quarter above.
3.70
Avg GPA (unweighted)Average unweighted GPA of admitted students.

What a friend would tell you

What Creighton is looking for

Creighton is a pre-health factory, and admissions knows it. Applications that articulate a specific healthcare career path and connect it to Creighton's clinical opportunities (early hospital rotations, the ILAC health missions, or specific research faculty) stand out. The Jesuit service narrative matters here: frame your healthcare interest through the lens of helping people, not career prestige.

What students wish they'd known

Omaha is not a college town, and the social scene outside campus is limited for 18-to-22-year-olds. The student body skews white, Catholic, and upper-middle-class Midwestern, which can feel culturally narrow. If you're not pre-health, you may feel like a second-class citizen on a campus that breathes medicine. Nebraska winters are harsh, windy, and long.

Creighton might be a fit if...

  • You want a direct pipeline to medical, dental, or pharmacy school with clinical exposure starting early
  • You value Jesuit mentorship and service-oriented education over research prestige
  • You're comfortable in Omaha and don't need a coastal city or major metro to be happy

Creighton Admissions Strategy

Application Info
Plans: EA, RD
Deadlines: EA November 1 · RD Rolling (scholarship priority dates)
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Considered
Considered, not formally logged. A specific 'Why us' is the lever that matters.
Interview
Optional
Yield Rate
29%
Only 29% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Creighton, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
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Cost & Financial Aid at Creighton

$63,900
Sticker Price
$16,500
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 92% receive financial aid.
For context: Creighton spends about $17,500 per student per year on instruction and student resources, right around the $15K national average.

What Creighton Graduates Get

$65,000
Avg Starting Salary
98%
Employed or in Grad School
77%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (84%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.

Creighton Campus & Culture

The Campus

Creighton's 140-acre campus sits just north of downtown Omaha, anchored by St. John's Church and the Reinert-Alumni Memorial Library in collegiate Gothic limestone. The Hixson-Lied Science Building and CHI Health Center (home to Bluejay basketball) bookend the campus. The medical school and dental school buildings line the north edge, giving the campus a distinctly health-sciences feel. Omaha's Old Market district is a 10-minute walk south.

The Social Scene

Pre-health focus creates collaborative atmosphere, Omaha offers growing urban scene
60% on campus8% Greek74% out-of-state6% international42% study abroad

Creighton Traditions & Trivia

Christmas on the Mall
Every December, students gather at St. John's Church for the flipping of the switch, when thousands of lights and a Nativity scene flood the Mall, kicking off the holiday season with hot cocoa and carols.

Academics at Creighton

What Creighton is known for

Pre-health powerhouse, Jesuit education, strong medical school pipeline

Most popular majors at Creighton

Health SciencesBusinessEngineeringBiologyChemistry

Standout programs

Pre-Med, Business, Engineering, Biochemistry

How the curriculum works

Core curriculum (32 credits), major (36-54), electives

Recommended high school courses

4 years English, 4 Math, 3-4 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language

Notable Creighton Alumni

J. Joseph Ricketts
Founder of TD Ameritrade, Creighton class of 1968
Gail Devers
Three-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field
Bob Gibson
Baseball Hall of Famer who dominated the 1968 World Series, played basketball at Creighton
Mike Johanns
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Nebraska Governor, Creighton Law

If you like Creighton, also consider

Loyola University Chicago
Same Jesuit mission with a bigger city and comparable pre-health programs
Saint Louis University
Jesuit peer with strong health sciences in a larger metro
Marquette University
Jesuit school with Milwaukee access and broader program range
University of Notre Dame
Higher prestige Catholic option for students who can compete at that level
Case Western Reserve University
Stronger research profile with Cleveland Clinic proximity
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