Creighton University (CU) Academics and Admissions

Academics

Creighton University, founded in 1878, is a private Jesuit college located in Omaha, Neb., and serving 7,350 students, about 4,100 of them undergraduates.

About 35 percent of Creighton students are enrolled in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences. In addition to that college, Creighton offers a College of Business, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, School of Nursing, College of Business, School of Dentistry, School of Law, School of Medicine, and the University College, for returning and adult students. Graduate students attend classes at the Creighton Graduate School.

More than 50 undergraduate programs are offered at Creighton, along with 20 different graduate programs. The school’s most popular majors are biology, chemistry, psychology, exercise science, English and international business.The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is considerably low at 11 to 1, and the university is served by 759 full-time and 226 part-time faculty members.

The College of Arts and Sciences, the largest and the oldest of Creighton’s nine colleges and schools, offers more than 65 majors and 32 minors to students. The college offers opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct original research and present their work at regional and national conferences. The college also offers its Magis Program, a two-year, post-graduate program centered on Ignatian spirituality that prepares teachers to serve in under-resourced Catholic schools.

The College of Business, which has awarded more than 10,000 degrees, offers its students more than 3,000 local and national internship opportunities a year. Students can enroll in a four-year undergraduate degree program, the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and four graduate degree programs: Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Information Technology Management, a dual Master of Business Administration/MS-Information Technology Management program, and the Master of Security Analysis and Portfolio Management. The Anna Tyler Waite Leadership Scholars Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to study and practice leadership in the college setting, and the Master of Business Administration program offers a concentration in leadership.

Each undergraduate college or school at Creighton has a core curriculum which consists of general, liberal arts classes. All students who earn an undergraduate degree will take classes in English, history, theology, mathematics, philosophy, science and literature.

Study Abroad Options

About 250 Creighton students participate in study-abroad programs each year at Creighton, and the university’s students have studied in more than 30 countries. Programs range from study at as traditional university in Europe to living with subsistence farmers in the Dominican Republic. Students pay the normal tuition, fees, room and board to Creighton while studying abroad, and financial aid and scholarships transfer with the student. The Encuentro Dominicano (Dominican Encounter) program sends students for a semester to the Dominican Republic, where they live with a host family and complete a service project. Studying and traveling are also part of this program, which exposes students to life on a subsistence farm.

Other programs include a semester-long program at the University of Limerick in Ireland, an Honors Program at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and two- to four-week faculty led programs in places like China, England, India, El Salvador, and Italy. Creighton also participates in direct student exchange programs with Seoul’s Sogang University in South Korea, and Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.

Creighton also features its own academic medical center, Creighton University Medical Center, which has been recognized for its programs in cardiovascular and digestive medicine and research.

Students at Creighton receive academic support services that include early morning and evening classes, a learning center, remedial instruction, accelerated study programs, distance learning, study skills, and a university-run tutoring center and writing center.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Information Summary

Ranks 2nd in Nebraska and 160th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	93.8
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$54,952
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	30 / 1350
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	13 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	89% / N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)	8,910

Admissions

Creighton University students are admitted to the school based on a number of factors, and it’s important to note that the most recent freshman class numbers available show that the median weighted grade point average is currently at 3.75, the mean ACT score among incoming students is 26.5, and the mean SAT score is 1210. About 32 percent of Creighton’s freshmen graduated in the top five percent of their high school class, and another 49 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their class.

Creighton is rated by U.S. News and World Report as a “more selective” college, with an acceptance rate of 81.8 percent and a freshman retention rate of more than 87 percent, which is high.

According to the university, its academic profile places it among the top six private universities in the midwest with more than 4,000 undergraduates, surpassed only by Notre Dame, the University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve, Northwestern, and Washington University in St. Louis. U.S. News and World Report also ranks Creighton as number one among the country’s regional universities, those that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs. Other regional universities include Villanova University, Elon University, Butler University, and San Francisco State. Creighton is also consistently ranked among the top 10 Catholic universities in the country, based on admissions data.

Creighton University holds a number of opportunities for students who would like to visit the Omaha campus. CU Sunday Open Houses are are larger group visit days where you can visit with faculty, speak to admissions representatives, learn more about majors at the CU Majors Fair, tour the campus, enjoy lunch on the university, and learn about college life from current students. Jay Days are smaller-group sessions held on weekdays with a specific agenda of events while classes are in session. This more detailed visit includes a tour of the campus, meetings with faculty, an admissions and financial aid session, and a free lunch. Admitted Student Days are held on weekdays in March and April each year. The agenda includes information about advising and registration, summer orientation, housing selection, financial aid and scholarships, a campus tour, meetings with current students, and the opportunity to stay overnight on campus with current students.

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Financial Aid

More than 90 percent of Creighton University students receive financial assistance, including scholarships, grants, work-study and loans. The university also offers the option of a monthly electronic transfer interest-free payment plan for families.

Creighton student can apply for the federal Perkins Loan, Stafford Loan, Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, PLUS Loan and the Nursing Loan, a need-based loan awarded to nursing students after freshman year. Grants are awarded to students who have filled out the Free Application for Student Assistance, and amount vary based on funding and family contributions. They include the Pell Grant for students with exceptional need, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and the Nebraska State Grant.

The university awards merit scholarships based on factors that include academic achievement, community service, athletic abilities, artistic abilities, special talents and leadership. Creighton’s merit scholarships include the University Award, Founders Award, Magis Award and Ignatius Loyola Scholarship.

Other scholarships awarded by Creighton include its most prestigious Presidential, Scott and Muchemore Scholarships, generally awarded to students who have achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.9 and a 32 ACT score or an SAT score of 1410. The Presidential Scholarship is $25,000, the Scott Scholarship is a full tuition award, and the Muchemore Scholarship is $25,000 and limited to Nebraska students.

Supplemental scholarships include the College of Business Administration Ethics and Social Responsibility Scholarship, the Christina M. Hixson Scholarship in Business Administration, the Grace Keenan Scholarship for Excellence in the Arts, the William Jennings Bryan Debate and Speech Scholarship, the Leo Vincent Jacks Scholarship in Classical Languages,

Creighton’s Diversity Scholarships are $25,000 tuition scholarships awarded to students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity through their extracurricular activities and leadership roles. Diversity Scholarships for Native Americans are also available to Native American Scholar recipients, students with proof of tribal enrollment and a high school grade point average of 3.3 or higher.

An NCAA Division I school, Creighton also awards scholarships based on athletic ability. Scholarship amounts vary by a student’s sport and athletic ability.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 1064th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Nebraska.

Students

Creighton University offers its students more than 180 student clubs and organizations, 700 intramural teams, and nine residence halls and apartment buildings, eight of them coeducational. There are two main dining halls and a big fitness center on the campus as well.

The coed residence halls include Gallagher Hall, which houses 190 freshmen; Kiewet Hall, which houses 480 freshmen and is home to the Freshman Leadership Program; Swanson Hall, which houses 310 sophomore and 140 freshmen and is home to the Honors Scholars learning community; McGloin Hall, which houses 260 sophomores; Heider Hall, which houses a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students; and Keneflick Hall, which houses 200 sophomores. Deglman Hall houses 160 freshmen and is an all-female hall, the Davis Square Apartments are home to about 256 upperclass students, and Opus Hall Apartments house 276 upperclass students.

Living and Learning Communities also exist for Creighton students who want to live with other students with similar interests or majors. The Freshman Leadership Program is housed at Kiewit Hall and focuses on students who want to serve in leadership roles and service to others. The Honors Scholars Community is housed on a floor in Swanson Hall and students inducted into this community live together and attend a number of academic courses together. The Cortina Community is an academic living-learning community for sophomores that is housed in McGloin Hall.

Dining Options

Creighton has two main dining halls: Becker Dining Hall, which is at the west end of campus and is connected to Kiewit Hall, and Brandeis Dining Hall, at the east end of campus between Deglman and Swanson Halls. The two dining halls offer students with to-go or sit-down meals that include main entrees, vegetarian entrees, a deli, grill, pizza, soup and a salad bar for lunch and dinners. At every meal, you also get a waffle bar, fresh fruit , desserts, ice cream, and beverages. Irma’s Bistro in the Lower Becker Dining Hall is a sit-down restaurant that also offers cooking classes for students. Jack and Ed’s, located on the ground floor of the Skutt Student Center, offers Godfather’s Pizza, sandwiches, salads, candies, pastries, drinks and convenience store items. Jack and Ed’s also has three large screen TVs and computers. The Wareham Court Cafe, also in the Skutt Student Center, offers quick foods ranging from wraps to hamburgers to sushi.

Davis Diner is a 24-hour eatery located on the ground floor of Davis Hall, and features entrees like country fried steak skillet, stuffed french toast, and milkshakes. Two on-campus coffee shops, Java Jay and the Brewjay, give students easy access to caffeine. The Birdfeeder Convenience Store, located in the Harper Center, is a convenience store that offers students a chance to purchase everything from laundry detergent to munchies.

Both PC Magazine and the Princeton Review recently ranked Creighton as number five in the country for “wired universities,” citing its student technology resources and assistance. The campus has numerous student technology labs, including labs in most residence halls, the Skutt Student Center and a number of classroom buildings. All labs are also connected to the university’s central printing system. In addition, many public spaces at Creighton are wireless, including all three campus libraries, the student center and residence hall lobbies. All residence hall rooms are equipped with broadband Internet access as well.

Student Organizations

Creighton’s student organizations include service clubs, sororities and fraternities, scholarship clubs, and cultural clubs. Cultural clubs include an African Students Association, Asian Student Association, Chinese Student Association, Latino Student Association, a Gay Straight Alliance, German-American Club, and a Native American Association. There are political clubs, 17 different honor societies and 11 sororities and fraternities.

Campus events tend to get everyone involved, and Creighton has some good ones. During Homecoming Week, the university holds a golf cart parade. And students get to enjoy two major concert events each year, Fallapalooza and Spring Fling, which have attracted big-name bands including the Black Eyes Peas and The Goo Goo Dolls. Wednesdays After Class, otherwise known as WAC, takes place every Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. outside on the campus mall or indoors at the Skutt Student Center and gives students a chance to unwind and participate in planned and impromptu activities.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

Creighton University, home of the Bluejays, is an NCAA Division 1 school, and is affiliated with the Missouri Valley Conference. The university fields 14 intercollegiate sports teams: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s volleyball, baseball, softball, and women’s crew.

Soccer and basketball at Creighton are popular with students and alumni, both sports attracting crowds for matches and games. The Michael G. Morrison, S.J., Stadium on the east end of campus is Creighton’s soccer facility, and the university’s men’s soccer team won the regular season title in 2008. In 2007, the women’s team won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship. The men’s soccer team has made 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Considered one of the best programs in the midwest, the Creighton women’s basketball team clinched the Women’s National Invitational Tournament championship in 2004, the first Bluejay squad in school history to win a national post-season tournament. In addition, during the 2006-2007 season, the men’s basketball team won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title and played in the NCAA Tournament. The men’s team has made seven NCAA appearances in the past 10 years and have set a Missouri Valley Conference record of 11 post-season appearances.

The basketball team plays at Qwest Center Omaha, which opened in October 2003, and the men’s basketball games average 15,333 fans.

Admission to all home games in every sport is free for Creighton students.

Creighton also has 12 popular club sports, including hockey, rowing, lacrosse, billiards, martial arts, outdoor adventure, skiing, ultimate Frisbee, and more. The university also sponsors hundreds of intramural sports teams including a 4-on-4 volleyball team and a flag football team.

If you want to work out, the Kiewit Fitness Center, located in the center of campus, is equipped with basketball and racquetball courts, an indoor track, an equipment room with treadmills and ellipticals, and a roster of aerobics classes.

Bibliography

Creighton Athletics. Creighton University. Web. 17 May 2011.

“Creighton University.” Test Prep: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, SAT, ACT, and More. The Princeton Review. Web. 17 May 2011.

“Regional University Midwest Rankings | Top Regional Universities Midwest | US News Best Colleges.” US News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals, and More. US News & World Report. Web. 17 May 2011.

Creighton University. Creighton University. Web. 17 May 2011.

Creighton University