Creighton University Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix

Rising in Phoenix

As one of the largest Catholic health professions educators in the nation, Creighton is preparing students for a workforce that demands innovative care amid a rapidly changing world.

To extend the reach of this transformative education, to infuse more communities with our singular sense of service, Creighton opened its Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix in 2021.

We are responding to a need in the Phoenix community and in the Southwest to help with workforce development — but to do so as a faith-based institution that molds our health sciences students in Jesuit tradition and recognizes our participation in the healing mission of Christ and the lives of others.

  — Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD

Creighton’s nearly $100 million health sciences campus — located at Park Central in midtown Phoenix — can accommodate as many as 1,000 students, including future physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, pharmacists and physician assistants. 

History was made in 2025 when the first class of medical students completed all four years of their degree programs on the Phoenix campus. The campus also celebrated the inaugural pharmacy and physical therapy commencement ceremonies. 

To date, more than 70% of Phoenix campus graduates have remained in Arizona to help meet the needs of the state’s growing population. 

With the support of alumni, donors and friends like you, Creighton will continue to change the face of health care in the Southwest and form a new generation of compassionate, well-trained professionals ready to meet the needs of our communities. 

You can make a gift today to support one of the most exciting and impactful projects in Creighton history. 

A state in need

Creighton’s new campus arrived in Phoenix at a critical time, with Arizona requiring more health care professionals to meet the state’s population boom and the growing demands of aging and diverse demographics. 

Phoenix is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, poised to double in population by 2040. Maricopa County alone added a nation-leading 38,000 housing units between 2023 and 2024. 

This has put immense pressure on Arizona’s health care system, and the problem is projected to get worse. 

Arizona ranks 43rd nationally in primary care physicians per capita — it will require more than 1,500 primary care physicians by 2030 to meet estimated demands. Additionally, the state is at least 12,000 registered nurses short of meeting current needs. 

Such deficiencies can result in dangerous delays in diagnosis and treatment of residents. 

Arizona needs health care professionals, and Creighton is positioned to help.

A commitment to serve

Creighton has long been an academic mainstay in the Phoenix area, sending medical students to Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center for rotations. 

In 2009, Creighton teamed up with St. Joseph’s to establish a School of Medicine in Phoenix. More recently, Creighton and St. Joseph’s partnered with District Medical Group and Valleywise Health to form the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance. The Alliance aims to increase the number of physicians and other health care professionals in the state. 

In 2018, Creighton graduated its first class of accelerated nursing students in Phoenix. 

In 2025, the first full class of medical students, pharmacists and physical therapists completed their full programs on the Phoenix campus and participated in commencement celebrations. 

Now, the health sciences campus — this modern facility with cutting-edge technology, equipment and spaces — will further enrich Creighton’s Jesuit education, preparing our students to work in a wide variety of clinical settings and transforming the face of health care in the Southwest. 

In its first 10 years, the campus' economic impact in Phoenix is projected to include thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic output.