Although rankings and honors are not the only ways to measure a university’s quality, Creighton University is often recognized by outside groups for its education, mission, community outreach and academic excellence.
Creighton University is a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic institution located in Omaha, Neb., nationally recognized as the leading comprehensive university in the Midwest. The University offers more than 50 majors in the undergraduate divisions of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration and the School of Nursing, plus six prestigious professional schools: medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy and health professions, graduate school and University College. More than 4,000 undergraduate and 2,900 professional school and graduate students are enrolled.
Outlined below is a brief summary of Creighton University’s most recent rankings and awards.
Creighton University’s academic profile places it among the top Catholic universities in American and among the top five private universities with enrollments or 3,000 or more.
U. S. News and World Report’s American Best Colleges
For more than 20 years, Creighton has been a top-ranked Midwestern university in U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.” For the seventh year in a row, Creighton was No. 1 in the rankings of Midwest Master’s universities. The 2010 issue put Creighton No. 1 in the Midwest for "Great Schools, Great Prices" and identified it among its "Schools to Watch" for making "the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus, or facilities."
Creighton was also recognized for undergraduate research and creative projects. Of the 50 universities and colleges listed, many of which are elite institutions, Creighton is the only Jesuit and the only Catholic institution honored. The ranking recognizes opportunities offered undergraduates for intensive faculty-mentored research that results in original works worthy of formal presentation on or off campus.
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review listed Creighton among the nation’s top institutions in its “Best 371 Colleges 2010” guide. The review features comments from more than 120,000 students and a two-page profile on each school. Respondents noted that Creighton students are incredibly balanced in their work and play, and are “over-the-top involved" with activities and community service while maintaining full academic loads.
Barron’s Best Buys in College Education
The most recent edition of Barron’s Best Buys in College Education lists Creighton University as one of more than 240 accredited American colleges described with reference to academic programs, campus environment, financial aid resources — and, of course, costs.
President’s Award for Community Service
In 2008, Creighton University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. It is the second-highest award presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Creighton is one of only 127 schools nationally recognized in this category and one of three colleges in Nebraska honored.
Guide to Service-Learning Colleges and Universities
Creighton University is included in the “Guide to Service–Learning Colleges and Universities” showcasing higher education institutions that provide educational experiences through projects and courses outside the university or in partnership with other organization and groups.
Saviors of Our Cities Recognition
Creighton was once again recognized in 2009 as a “best neighbor” for its community impact. Creighton ranked in the top 10 at No. 6. "Best Neighbors" are exemplary examples of community revitalization and cultural renewal, economic drivers of the local economy, advocates of community service and urban developers.
Fulbright Program's Fellows Program
Creighton University is included in the list of colleges and universities that produced the most 2009 - 2010 U.S. Fulbright Fellows. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program equips future American leaders with the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly global environment by providing funding for one academic year of study, research or assistant-teaching abroad.
Goldwater Scholarships
Four Creighton University undergraduate students were awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. Creighton is one of eight universities in the nation to have four winners. The four students joined 321 other sophomores and juniors throughout the country selected by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, on the basis of academic achievements, to receive one-to-two year scholarships in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
Outstanding Community Service Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges
Creighton University was the first Catholic higher education institution to receive the prestigious Community Service Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges for its work in the Magis Clinic. This clinic, founded and run by students, is a free clinic for uninsured and underinsured people, staffed by volunteer physicians.
PC Magazine’s “Top Wired” List
Creighton University ranked fifth in PC Magazine’s 2006 Top Wired Colleges, an annual analysis of colleges throughout the nation. The recognition honors colleges with the most comprehensive – in terms of size, scope and quality – computing and technology offerings. Creighton was the only college in Nebraska and the only Jesuit, Catholic school in the nation recognized.
Accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
Creighton University voluntarily sought accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA) in 2006-2007. The University was reaccredited until 2017 with no interim visits or reports. Besides assessing formal educational activities, it evaluates such things as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.
Promising Practices Award
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) awarded Creighton University and its Faculty Partners Program the Promising Practices Award for 2008. This national award recognizes college and universities for their outstanding partnerships between student affairs professionals and academic affairs.
Nebraska Professor of the Year
Creighton University psychology professor Isabelle Cherney, Ph.D., was named Nebraska’s 2007 “Professor of the Year,” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Cherney was one of the 50 top professors chosen for their state’s highest honor from among nearly 300 professors nominated nationwide.
American School and University Campus Awards
Creighton’s California Mall was chosen for a citation in Landscape Architecture, and the University was recognized for Outstanding Project in the Master Planning category by American School & University.
National Institute on Drug Abuse Center of Excellence for Physician Information
Creighton University School of Medicine was named a national Center of Excellence for Physician Information for the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2007. These centers serve as national models for educating future physicians about drug abuse and addiction so they can better identify, prevent and treat patients at risk.
Center of Excellence by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ABS)
Creighton University Medical Center was named a Bariatric Center of Excellence by ABS in 2007. This designation recognizes surgical programs with a demonstrated track record of favorable outcomes and a complication rate of less than 1 percent in bariatric surgery.
5-Star Ranking for Carotid Surgery
Creighton University Medical Center received a top, five-star ranking by Healthgrades, an independent hospital and physician ranking system.
First TeamSTEPPS Training Site
In 2008, Creighton University Medical Center became the first hospital in the country to train other hospitals and health organizations from across the nation on a federal program called TeamStepps (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety). The program was created by the Department of Defense to reduce preventable medical errors.