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Creighton University

#1 Best Colleges in Nebraska
Private nonprofit Omaha, NE · Urban · Plains · 100% data
A Earnings A- Graduation C+ Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
82% A-
Most students who enroll finish their degree here
Earnings (10yr)
$73,911 A
Top 6% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$31,568 F
84% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
80% C
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +81% vs avg
Graduation +43% vs avg
Net Price 84% vs avg
Mobility Top 43%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 14.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $14.2 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Colleges in Nebraska.

14.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $14.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,662,378.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduates earn 81% more than the national college median.

  3. A 82% graduation rate — 43% above the national average.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $14.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Economic Footprint

World Rank
#226-250
Times Higher Education
Research Score
11/100
Times Higher Education

Why Creighton University Matters

Creighton University is a private research university in Omaha, NE ranked #226-250 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong research base and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 6% of all U.S. colleges.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private Research University
Carnegie Class
R2 · High Research
Enrollment
4,348
Setting
Urban
Designations
30
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, Psychology

Why students choose Creighton University

Research-intensive environment
Active labs and research-active faculty
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Exceptional earning outcomes
Graduate earnings in the top 6% of colleges

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 44% overall
A
Earnings
$73,911 median
C
Value
2.3× net price
F
Affordability
$31,568/yr net
A-
Graduation
82% graduate
C+
Social Mobility
1.6% climb Q1→Q5
C
Selectivity
80% admit rate
C-
Diversity
0.50 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With around 4,300 students, Creighton University in Omaha is a solid choice for those leaning toward health professions, business, or social sciences. The 80% acceptance rate means that if you're a good fit for their community, you have a strong chance of getting in. Students here often dive into majors like biology, psychology, and business, shaping their futures in fields that have significant demand.

The financial outlook for graduates is promising, with a median earning of about $73,911 ten years after finishing their degree. That’s a decent number, especially for a school where 12% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating it supports a diverse economic background. Graduates typically find themselves moving up in their careers, and while we don’t have the mobility rate, the earning potential suggests that many do well after leaving.

When it comes to the costs, the net price after aid stands at $31,568, with a median debt of $25,000. This is a manageable figure for many, especially considering the earnings potential. Students who thrive here often come from backgrounds that value education and are motivated to make the most of their college experience. If you're looking for a supportive environment that prepares you for real-world success, Creighton might just be the right fit.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Creighton University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Creighton University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Creighton University, located in Omaha, Nebraska, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 80%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,321. The graduation rate is roughly 82%.

Acceptance Rate
80%
Retention Rate
94%
SAT Average
1321
ACT Midpoint
28
SAT Range
1243–1428
ACT Range
26–31
Full-Time Faculty
69%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$10,809
Student–Faculty Ratio
11:1
Diversity Index
0.50
First-Gen Students
18%
Applicants
7,977
Admitted
6,038

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25

The acceptance rate tells you how hard Creighton University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 18% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate
18%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
10%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
41%
of enrolled freshmen

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 51% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: Creighton University's Common Data Set, 2024-25 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Creighton University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Creighton University is $48,856, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $31,568. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,472 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$48,856
Out-of-State
$48,856
Avg Net Price
$31,568
Median Debt
$25,000
Pell Grant Rate
12%
Federal Loan Rate
42%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$20,472
Family Income $30K–$48K
$22,095
Family Income $48K–$75K
$23,405
Family Income $110K+
$35,090

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Creighton University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Creighton University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Creighton University earn a median of $73,911, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

6 Years After Entry
$63,090
8 Years
$69,364
10 Years
$73,911
Debt-to-Earnings
0.34x
Earning > $25K
83%

Earnings Trajectory

$63,090 6yr $69,364 8yr $73,911 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (723)
71%
100% (723)
71%
100% (723)
71%
100% (723)
71%

Where Grads Go

Top employers of Creighton University’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.

How Creighton Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation82%Earnings 10yr$74KNet Price$32KRetention94%Median Debt$25KPell Grant Rate12%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$20K$0-30K$22K$30-48K$23K$48-75K$35K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%3.0%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%53.4%MOBILITY1.60%

College ROI Calculator

Is Creighton University Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Creighton University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $31,568/year ($126,272 total). Graduates earn $73,911 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,788,650 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,662,378 (14.2× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 82% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$126,272
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,788,650
Net Return
$1,662,378
ROI Multiple
14.2×
Cost Per Year
$31,568
Median Debt
$25,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
82%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Creighton University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Creighton University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.60%, well above the typical college. Access is narrower: only about 3% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 53.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $119,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.60%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
53.4%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
3.0%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$161,951
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Creighton University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Creighton University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.78, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.78
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
7.8%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

Research Score
11/100
Times Higher Ed
Academic Influence
56/100
Citation impact (THE)
Industry Engagement
24/100
Knowledge transfer (THE)

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$-69,950,000

Top Programs

The fields Creighton University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Creighton University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Creighton University, located in Omaha, Nebraska, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 80%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,321. The graduation rate is roughly 82%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Creighton University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Creighton University is $48,856, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $31,568. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,472 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

Is Creighton University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Creighton University earn a median of $73,911, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

Does Creighton University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Creighton University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.60%, well above the typical college. Access is narrower: only about 3% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 53.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $119,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Creighton University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Creighton University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.78, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

How Research-Intensive Is Creighton University? World Rank, Teaching & Citations

Times Higher Education places Creighton University at #226-250 worldwide. Its profile spans a research score of 11/100, teaching at 44/100, and citation impact of 56/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.

Does Creighton University offer Early Decision?

No. Creighton University does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).

Is Creighton University really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 51% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Creighton University (2024-25 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at Creighton University?

About 18% of admitted students choose to enroll at Creighton University — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys