Institutions funded primarily by dollars generated from Nebraska residents via tuition and taxes have less economic impact since a high share of these dollars are diverted from industries and individuals in Nebraska. Creighton's direct expenditures produce impacts that affect the overall level of community economic activity. The most obvious direct impact of Creighton on the economy comes in the form of salaries to faculty and staff, and purchases of supplies from vendors in the region. Additionally, spending by Creighton students and their visitors produce direct impacts in the region. All of these expenditures are then re-circulated throughout the economy by suppliers of goods and services to produce another round of impacts.
Researchers use multipliers to estimate the direct and indirect impacts of the initial spending.
Furthermore, Creighton University's job force of 2,569 makes it the twenty-third largest private employer in the state. Moreover, Creighton University, through its annual spending, supports another 5,234 jobs at other Nebraska employers. None of these estimates includes the economic impact of visitors to Creighton such as parents, and academic and business visitors. For the latest fiscal year, CUMC provided over twelve million dollars in indigent health care for the Omaha Metropolitan Area making it one of the largest providers of uncompensated, or charity care, in Nebraska. Creighton also provides patient care services to 48 communities in every part of Nebraska.