Creighton University () is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergraduate students on a  campus just outside Omaha's downtown business district. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

History 
The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878, through a gift from Mary Lucretia Creighton, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment. In 1958, the college split into Creighton Preparatory Schools and Creighton University.

Academics 

The schools and colleges at Creighton are:
 College of Arts & Sciences
 Heider College of Business (formerly known as the College of Business Administration)
 College of Nursing
 School of Dentistry
 School of Medicine
 School of Pharmacy & Health Professions
 School of Law
 Graduate School
 College of Professional Studies

The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school, containing about 28% of the university's enrolled students.  Creighton's acceptance rate is 72.7%.

In 2018, the university announced a Phoenix Health Sciences Campus, which opened in 2021.

Athletics 

Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Big East. Nicknamed the Bluejays, Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports.

Notable basketball players at the university were Paul Silas, Benoit Benjamin, Kyle Korver, and coach Greg McDermott's son Doug McDermott, while popular Bluejays coaches included Eddie Sutton, Willis Reed, and Dana Altman.

The women's basketball team won the WNIT championship in 2004. It plays all home games on campus at D. J. Sokol Arena.

The men's soccer team maintained 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances between 1992 and 2008. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). It plays home games on campus at Morrison Stadium.

Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in the College World Series (1991). Jim Hendry, the former general manager of the Chicago Cubs, was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson.

The women's softball team has had two appearances in the Women's College World Series (1982 and 1986) and appeared in six of eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007–2010), the best pitcher in MVC history, was a three-time league Pitcher of the Year and finished her career with conference records for wins, innings pitched, starts, appearances, strikeouts, and complete games. She remains the only student-athlete in Bluejays history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons.

Demographics 

, Creighton's enrollment was 8,435, of whom 4,163 were undergraduates. From Creighton's Class of 2020, 14% count themselves as first-generation college attendees in their families. 26% are students of color, and 56% of the class is female; 82% of the class have taken part in volunteer service.

Student clubs and organizations 
The university has more than 200 student organizations:

Residence halls 
There are eight residence halls: Davis Square, Deglman Hall, Heider Hall, Kenefick Hall, McGloin Hall, Opus Hall, Swanson Hall, and Graves Hall. They are all co-educational. Graves Hall, completed in August 2023, accommodates up to 400 first-year students.

Student government 
 Creighton Students Union (CSU) is Creighton University's comprehensive student government, consisting of students from each of Creighton University's schools and colleges, founded in 1922.
 Inter Residence Hall Government (IRHG) was formed in 1984 to represent Creighton's residence halls.

John P. Schlegel, S.J. Center for Service and Justice 

The John P. Schlegel, S.J. Center for Service and Justice (SCSJ) promotes service projects and education about justice. The center helped develop the Cortina Community, a sophomore intentional-living community named for Jesuit priest Jon de Cortina.

Performing arts 
 Several vocal groups exist. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts, within the College of Arts and Sciences, houses a Chamber Choir (selective), Gospel Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and University Chorus. The men's a cappella ensemble is known as the Creightones.
 The Creighton Dance Company's repertoire draws on classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance, jazz and musical theatre dance.
 The Department of Fine and Performing Arts offers undergraduate degrees in Art History, Studio Art, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Musical Theatre.
 Several theatrical productions are held each year in the university's Lied Education Center for the Arts.

Student media 
 The student newspaper is called The Creightonian. The Creightonian was a finalist for the 2007 and 2010 Pacemaker Award for college journalism.
 Shadows is Creighton's literature and arts publication.

Notable alumni

There are more than 68,470 alumni of Creighton University living in 93 countries. Nearly 30 percent live in Nebraska. The largest number of alumni outside the United States reside in Canada, Japan, and Malaysia.

Alumni include
 Marcia Anderson, the first African-American woman to attain the rank of major general in the United States Army Reserve
 Michael P. Anderson, an astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
 Mary Nicholas Arnoldy, CSJ, PhD, one of the first women to study at Creighton, and a rare woman mathematician before 1940
 Bob Gibson, Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher
 Ron Hansen, novelist
 Cathy Hughes, first African American woman to head a publicly traded corporation (Urban One) and second wealthiest African American woman ;

 Mike Johanns, former Governor of Nebraska, former United States Senator, and former United States Secretary of Agriculture
 Donald Keough, once president and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola
 Kyle Korver, professional basketball player
 Doug McDermott, professional basketball player
 Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade and owner of the Chicago Cubs
 [Symone Sanders]], Democratic strategist and spokesperson for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign
 J. Clay Smith Jr., former interim head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and former dean of Howard University School of Law
 Anthony Tolliver, professional basketball player
 Mark Walter, founder and chief executive officer of Guggenheim Partners, and part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers
 Theodore Wheeler, novelist

Notable faculty

Raymond J. Bishop
Virgil Blum
Patrick Borchers
Raymond A. Bucko
Judith M. Burnfield
John Calvert
Edward P. J. Corbett
Frank Crawford
Blase J. Cupich
Ross Horning
Henry T. Lynch
D. S. Malik
Francis I. McKenna
R. R. Reno
Joseph F. Rigge
William J. Riley
Robert F. Rossiter Jr.
Roger Lawrence Schwietz
Hugh Sidey
Constantine Joseph Smyth
William O. Stephens
Lyle Elmer Strom
LaNada War Jack

See also

 Education in North Omaha, Nebraska
 List of Jesuit sites
 Saint Joseph Hospital at Creighton University Medical Center

Notes

References

External links

 
 Official athletics website

 
Jesuit universities and colleges in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1878
Landmarks in North Omaha, Nebraska
Buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska
Education in Omaha, Nebraska
Catholic universities and colleges in Nebraska
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
Creighton family
1878 establishments in Nebraska
Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission