Creighton named a ‘Dream School’ by bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo
Creighton Recognized as a ‘Dream School’ by Jeffrey Selingo
Creighton University has been named one of 75 “new dream schools” in Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You, the latest book by New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo.
In Dream School, Selingo encourages students and families to expand their definition of what makes a college “good,” shifting focus away from prestige and name recognition toward personal fit, meaningful experiences and long-term outcomes.
Building on insights from his previous work, Who Gets In and Why, Selingo and his team analyzed 2023–2024 data from more than 3,900 U.S. institutions. From that pool, they identified nearly 1,200 four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates — ultimately highlighting 75 schools that excel in areas like student engagement, job placement, financial accessibility and long-term value.
Creighton: A ‘Hidden Value’
Creighton appears in the “Hidden Values” category, a group of private universities that combine exceptional student outcomes with high-impact experiences, often overlooked due to their lack of national brand recognition.
Selingo notes that Creighton “provides the advantages of a small college with a bigger university feel,” pointing to hands-on learning and close faculty mentorship as key differentiators.
Those advantages are evident in Creighton’s nationally recognized outcomes:
- Nearly 83% of students participate in experiential learning, including internships with Fortune 500 companies, faculty-guided research and service projects.
- More than 400 student research projects are presented on campus and at national conferences each year.
- 98% of recent graduates are employed, enrolled in graduate or professional school, or serving in volunteer programs such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Peace Corps.
- Over the past decade, Creighton has averaged a 98.5% outcomes rate.
Parents surveyed for Dream School ranked experiential learning and job placement as the top two indicators of a strong college, both of which are areas where Creighton continues to lead.
Pathways to Professional Success
The book also spotlights the Creighton Pre-Professional Scholars Program, an advising and assurance program offering defined pathways to professional schools in medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
Through the program, students gain access to one-on-one mentoring, early exposure to their future fields and a clear path toward graduate success.
For sophomore Tressa Sehi, the opportunity to join the program was a defining factor in her college decision.
“It offers a clear and supportive path toward my ultimate goal of attending physical therapy school,” she says. “Knowing that Creighton believes in my potential and wants to help me reach that goal is incredibly comforting and was encouraging as a first-year student starting college.”
