Is Creighton a Good Medical & Dental School? An In-Depth Guide for 2026 Applicants

Is Creighton a Good Medical & Dental School? An In-Depth Guide for 2026 Applicants

When students research professional schools, they often focus on rankings, average MCAT or DAT scores, tuition and acceptance rates. Those numbers matter, but they do not tell the entire story.

Creighton University is an interesting case because its strongest selling point is not necessarily a flashy position in a national university ranking. Instead, Creighton has developed a reputation around clinical education, patient care, service, professional ethics and preparing students for careers in healthcare.

That makes the university worth a closer look for anyone considering medical or dental school.

So, is Creighton a good medical school? Is Creighton a good dental school?

The short answer is yes.

But there is an important qualification: Creighton is a better fit for some students than others. Applicants who want a highly personalized, clinically oriented education may find it particularly attractive. Students whose primary objective is to attend a medical or dental school built around enormous research funding, large laboratory operations and a globally dominant academic brand may have different priorities.

The cost also deserves careful attention.

For 2026–27, Creighton's published medical tuition is $70,094 per year, while dental tuition is $78,858 per year, before the full range of fees and living expenses.

That means Creighton should be evaluated not simply by asking whether it is "good," but by asking whether the education, clinical opportunities and career outcomes justify the investment for a particular student.

Creighton University Has a Major Healthcare Identity

One of the most important things prospective students should understand about Creighton is that healthcare is deeply embedded in the university.

Medicine and dentistry are not peripheral programs.

The university has schools and programs spanning medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other health professions. That creates opportunities for interprofessional education and exposes students to healthcare professionals outside their own discipline.

For students who want to become practicing physicians or dentists, that environment can be valuable.

Healthcare increasingly operates through teams rather than isolated professions. Physicians work with nurses, pharmacists, therapists, dentists, social workers and other specialists.

Creighton's educational model reflects that reality.

Its dental school specifically emphasizes interprofessional education and describes its community as collaborative and close-knit. The School of Dentistry reports a 6-to-1 student-faculty ratio.

That is a meaningful advantage for students who prefer access to faculty rather than an impersonal academic environment.

Is Creighton Medical School Respected?

Yes.

Creighton University School of Medicine is an established MD program with a national footprint that extends beyond Nebraska.

One unusual feature is that the medical program operates across Omaha and Phoenix, giving students exposure to two substantially different healthcare environments.

Omaha provides the traditional Creighton setting, while Phoenix offers students the opportunity to train within a major and rapidly growing metropolitan healthcare market.

The medical school is also clearly attracting academically accomplished students.

For the class of 2030, Creighton reports:

• 7,253 applications

• 999 students interviewed

• 251 students accepted

• 512 average MCAT

• 3.88 median cumulative GPA

• 3.85 median undergraduate science GPA

The entering class studied 69 different undergraduate areas at 93 universities, illustrating that Creighton does not simply recruit from one narrow academic pipeline.

Those numbers tell prospective students something important.

Creighton is not a safety school for medical applicants.

A student with a strong academic record should still expect a competitive admissions process.

How Competitive Is Creighton Medical School?

There is a major difference between meeting a medical school's minimum requirements and looking like a competitive applicant.

Creighton's current entering-class statistics provide a useful benchmark.

A median cumulative GPA of 3.88 and a median MCAT of 512 indicate that successful applicants generally have strong academic credentials.

However, medical-school admissions are not simply a numbers game.

Creighton places considerable emphasis on the broader applicant.

That is consistent with its Jesuit educational tradition and its focus on service, ethics and patient-centered medicine.

For an applicant, this means that a high MCAT score alone should not be viewed as a substitute for meaningful clinical exposure, service activities, leadership, research where appropriate and a coherent explanation of why medicine is the right career.

A student with a 515 MCAT who has never meaningfully interacted with patients may not necessarily be a stronger Creighton candidate than a student with slightly lower statistics and a compelling record of healthcare and community involvement.

Creighton's Medical School Culture Is a Major Part of the Experience

This is one of the areas where Creighton differs from many large research universities.

Creighton is a Jesuit institution.

That doesn't mean every medical student has to be religious. Instead, the educational philosophy places significant emphasis on concepts such as ethics, service, human dignity and caring for the whole patient.

For future physicians, that can translate into a distinctive educational culture.

The question becomes whether that culture matches the student's personality.

Some applicants actively seek a medical school where patient relationships and service are central to the educational mission.

Others want an environment dominated by laboratory research, biotechnology, computational medicine or highly specialized academic medicine.

Neither preference is inherently better.

It simply means applicants should look beyond numerical rankings.

The Residency Match Is One of Creighton's Strongest Arguments

If there is one metric that prospective medical students should pay particular attention to, it is what happens after medical school.

Creighton's recent residency results are impressive.

In the 2026 Match, 226 Creighton students participated. The university reports that 95% matched into their No. 1 specialty of choice, while 100% pursued residencies or research fellowships across 20 specialty areas.

The results covered an unusually broad range of fields.

Students matched into internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, anesthesiology, diagnostic radiology, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, emergency medicine, neurology and orthopedic surgery, among others. The class also included matches in dermatology, ophthalmology, urology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery and neurological surgery.

That matters because medical students should ultimately care about what opportunities their degree creates.

A medical school does not need to have the same research profile as Harvard or Stanford to produce graduates who successfully obtain competitive residency positions.

Creighton's recent results demonstrate that its students can compete nationally.

Does Creighton Prepare Students for Competitive Specialties?

The answer appears to be yes.

The 2026 match included students entering several competitive specialties, including orthopedic surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, urology, plastic surgery and neurological surgery.

That does not mean every Creighton student will match into a highly competitive specialty.

Nor should applicants interpret one year's Match results as a guarantee.

Residency outcomes depend on individual grades, clinical evaluations, board performance, research, recommendations, specialty choice and the national residency market.

But the results do demonstrate something important:

Attending Creighton does not automatically limit a student to primary care or regional residency programs.

Creighton's Medical School Is Not Primarily a Research Powerhouse

This distinction is important.

There are medical schools whose identities revolve heavily around biomedical research.

Institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Stanford, UCSF and other major academic medical centers have enormous research ecosystems and global scientific reputations.

Creighton's identity is different.

A student who wants to spend significant amounts of medical school time pursuing laboratory research, developing biotechnology or building a physician-scientist career may want to compare Creighton carefully against research-intensive alternatives.

But a student whose primary goal is becoming an excellent practicing physician may place considerably greater value on clinical education, mentoring and residency preparation.

That is where Creighton's model becomes attractive.

What Is Medical School at Creighton Like?

The experience depends on campus and clinical rotation, but the overall model emphasizes integrating scientific knowledge with patient care.

Students eventually move from classroom and laboratory learning into increasingly sophisticated clinical environments.

That progression is important.

Medical education is not simply about memorizing anatomy, physiology and pathology. Students must eventually learn how to take histories, perform physical examinations, communicate difficult information, construct differential diagnoses and work with other healthcare professionals.

A clinically oriented school can be particularly appealing to students who learn best through direct patient interaction.

Creighton Medical School Cost: Is It Expensive?

Yes.

This is probably the biggest drawback prospective students should consider.

Creighton's 2026–27 medical-school tuition is $70,094 annually. The university separately lists a $1,676 university fee, $646 technology fee and additional program-related costs.

The true financial commitment is therefore considerably larger than tuition alone.

Students also need to account for housing, food, transportation, health insurance, books, equipment and financing costs.

Medical school debt can influence a physician's decisions for years after graduation.

A student choosing between Creighton and a substantially cheaper public medical school should therefore calculate the actual four-year difference rather than simply asking which school has the better reputation.

For a student receiving substantial financial aid from Creighton, the calculation can look very different.

Is Creighton Dental School Good?

Yes. Creighton School of Dentistry is one of the university's most distinctive professional programs.

Its biggest strength is its emphasis on clinical education and service.

The school reports more than 4,000 alumni and describes itself as a program centered on clinical excellence and service learning. It also reports serving approximately 4,300 Omaha-area pediatric patients annually and creating more than 300 dentures for people experiencing homelessness.

Those statistics illustrate something important about the program.

Students are not being educated exclusively in a classroom.

The curriculum is closely connected to actual patient care and community needs.

For a future dentist, that can be enormously valuable.

Creighton Dental School Admissions: What Does It Take?

Creighton's dental applicants are academically strong.

The school's published class profile reports 2,072 applications and 117 first-year DDS students. The entering class has a mean undergraduate GPA of 3.72 and mean science GPA of 3.64. The mean DAT scores are 21 Academic Average, 21 Perceptual Ability and 20 Total Science.

Those statistics make the level of competition clear.

Prospective applicants should not look at Creighton as a dental school where simply meeting minimum requirements will make them competitive.

The university currently requires at least 65 hours of dental shadowing. It also establishes minimum DAT scores for applicants to be considered.

The shadowing requirement is particularly relevant because dentistry is an extremely hands-on profession.

Creighton wants applicants to demonstrate that they have actually explored the profession before committing to four years of dental school.

The Dental School's Clinical Philosophy

Creighton describes its dental education around hands-on, compassionate clinical care.

That philosophy has several implications.

First, students need to become comfortable interacting with patients.

Second, they need to learn how to make clinical decisions rather than simply reproduce information from textbooks.

Third, they need exposure to patients with different needs, backgrounds and levels of access to healthcare.

That last point is particularly important.

Dentistry is not simply cosmetic dentistry in an affluent private practice.

Dental students encounter patients with untreated disease, financial limitations, complicated medical histories, developmental needs and significant preventive-care requirements.

Community-based education can therefore provide an important complement to traditional dental-school training.

Creighton Dentistry and Community Service

Community dentistry is one of the program's defining features.

The university highlights experiences involving underserved populations and describes a broad network of clinical and service opportunities.

That is consistent with Creighton's larger institutional emphasis on service.

For students who want a career that incorporates public health, community dentistry or care for underserved populations, this may be a particularly attractive aspect of the school.

Students interested primarily in private-practice cosmetic dentistry may still benefit from the training, but the service component should be understood as part of the school's identity.

Does Creighton Dental School Have Good Faculty Access?

This is another area where Creighton stands out.

The dental school reports a 6-to-1 student-faculty ratio.

A ratio like that can be meaningful in a profession where students need frequent feedback on technical skills.

Dental education involves developing tactile abilities that cannot be learned simply by reading a textbook.

Students need instructors who can watch them work, identify mistakes and help them improve.

A close faculty environment can therefore be more consequential in dentistry than prospective students sometimes realize.

How Much Does Creighton Dental School Cost?

This is where applicants need to be extremely careful.

Creighton's 2026–27 DDS tuition is $78,858 per year.

But tuition is only part of the equation.

For the first year, Creighton lists a university fee, technology fee, supplies/instruments/materials, health insurance, housing, food, transportation, books, uniforms, loupes and other expenses.

The school's estimated first-year cost of attendance is $131,363.

The estimated fourth-year cost of attendance rises to $144,071.

Those numbers demonstrate why prospective dental students should never compare schools using tuition alone.

A dental student could graduate with a very large debt burden even before accounting for undergraduate loans.

Is Creighton One of the More Affordable Private Dental Schools?

Creighton itself describes its School of Dentistry as one of the nation's most affordable private dental schools.

That is an important distinction.

"Affordable private dental school" does not mean inexpensive.

Private dental education remains expensive compared with many public options.

The better question is whether Creighton's total cost is competitive with other private dental schools and whether the student is receiving scholarships or other financial assistance.

An applicant should compare the four-year estimated cost of attendance, not merely the annual tuition number.

Omaha vs. Phoenix: A Major Difference for Medical Students

The location question deserves more attention than it usually receives.

Creighton offers medical education in two very different metropolitan environments.

Omaha

Omaha is the traditional home of Creighton University and provides a more contained college-city environment.

For students who want to concentrate on school without the cost and distractions associated with a major coastal city, Omaha can be appealing.

Housing and everyday expenses may also be more manageable than in places such as New York, Boston or San Francisco.

Phoenix

Phoenix offers an entirely different experience.

The metropolitan area is large, rapidly growing and culturally diverse, and students encounter a major Southwestern healthcare market.

For students who prefer a large metropolitan environment, Phoenix may be especially attractive.

The two-campus structure gives Creighton a geographic reach that is unusual for a medical school of its size.

Who Should Consider Creighton Medical School?

Creighton could be an excellent choice for students who:

Want strong clinical preparation.

Students who learn best through patient interaction may appreciate Creighton's approach.

Care about residency outcomes.

The 2026 Match results are a major positive.

Value mentorship.

Students looking for a close academic environment may prefer Creighton over a massive medical institution.

Are interested in service.

The Jesuit educational tradition places significant emphasis on serving others.

Want geographic flexibility.

The Omaha and Phoenix environments provide different clinical and lifestyle experiences.

Who Might Prefer Another Medical School?

Creighton may not be the ideal choice for every applicant.

A student who wants to maximize access to a massive biomedical research operation may prefer a major research university.

Someone who receives a large scholarship at a lower-cost public medical school should also carefully evaluate the financial difference.

And students who strongly prefer living in New York, Boston, Los Angeles or another major research hub may find Creighton's locations less attractive.

None of these are criticisms of Creighton.

They are questions of fit.

Who Should Consider Creighton Dental School?

Creighton dentistry could be particularly attractive to students who want:

Extensive patient interaction

Hands-on clinical education

A relatively close faculty environment

Community-service opportunities

Interprofessional healthcare education

Exposure to diverse patient populations

The school's 6-to-1 student-faculty ratio and extensive service infrastructure reinforce this identity.

Who Might Prefer Another Dental School?

The biggest issue is again financial.

A student offered a significantly cheaper dental education elsewhere needs to think seriously before taking on substantially more debt simply for the Creighton name.

Students who are primarily interested in laboratory research or academic dentistry should also compare Creighton's research opportunities with larger research-oriented dental schools.

And applicants who strongly prefer a major coastal city may not find Omaha appealing as a four-year home.

Creighton vs. Other Medical and Dental Schools

It is tempting to ask whether Creighton is "better" than another university.

But that is usually the wrong question.

The more useful comparison is:

What kind of professional do you want to become?

If you want an education centered around patient care, clinical competence and service, Creighton deserves serious consideration.

If you want a career as a biomedical researcher, the calculus may change.

If you have a choice between Creighton and a significantly less expensive school with similar residency or dental outcomes, finances become extremely important.

And if you have been accepted to Creighton with a major scholarship, its value can change dramatically.

The Bottom Line on Creighton Medical School

Creighton University School of Medicine is a strong, established medical school with a particularly compelling clinical and residency profile.

Its 2026 entering class had a 512 average MCAT and median GPA of 3.88, while the 2026 graduating class produced an impressive residency match.

The school is not trying to compete with every elite research institution on the planet.

Instead, its appeal comes from the combination of medical education, clinical exposure, service, mentorship and professional preparation.

For many future physicians, that is exactly what matters.

The Bottom Line on Creighton Dental School

Creighton School of Dentistry is also a strong choice, particularly for students who prioritize hands-on clinical education.

The school's academic profile is competitive, its faculty ratio is attractive, and its community-service infrastructure gives students opportunities to work with patients who have substantial dental needs.

The biggest concern is cost.

At $78,858 in annual tuition for 2026–27 and a published first-year cost of attendance above $131,000, prospective students need to approach the financial side of the decision with considerable caution.

Final Rating: Is Creighton a Good Medical & Dental School?

If the question is simply whether Creighton is a legitimate, respected and worthwhile place to study medicine or dentistry, the answer is yes.

But a more useful assessment is:

Creighton Medical School: 8.5/10 for clinical education and residency preparation.

Creighton Dental School: 8.5/10 for clinical education, patient exposure and service.

Cost/value: 6.5/10 without substantial financial aid, potentially much higher with a strong scholarship.

Research environment: solid, but not the primary reason to choose Creighton over a major research powerhouse.

Clinical orientation: excellent.

Student support and faculty accessibility: strong.

Professional preparation: excellent.

The most important takeaway for applicants is that Creighton should not be dismissed simply because it does not carry the same global brand recognition as a handful of ultra-elite universities.

A medical or dental school ultimately has to prepare students to take care of patients.

Creighton's greatest strength is that patient care is at the center of the educational experience.

For an applicant who values clinical skills, mentorship, service, ethics and strong professional outcomes, that makes Creighton a school worth putting high on the list.

For an applicant choosing primarily on research prestige or trying to minimize educational debt, the answer may be different.

Creighton is therefore best understood not as a "second-tier" alternative to famous medical and dental schools, but as a distinctive professional-healthcare university whose strengths are concentrated in clinical education, service and preparing students for actual practice.

And for many aspiring doctors and dentists, those may be exactly the strengths that matter most.

Read more: Creighton Further Reading