Midwestern University's Downers Grove campus will guarantee interviews or acceptance into nine health-sciences programs for qualified Saint Xavier University undergraduates starting fall 2027.

The new articulation agreement, which Midwestern University announced in a post on Patch, covers six programs that will guarantee interviews to qualified SXU applicants: Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Optometry, Physician Assistant Studies, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Clinical Psychology. Three College of Graduate Studies programs go further, offering guaranteed acceptance in Biomedical Sciences, Public Health and Precision Medicine.

The distinction matters. A guaranteed interview secures a seat in the admissions process but does not guarantee admission, according to Midwestern University's articulation agreements page. Guaranteed acceptance means qualified SXU students who meet the stated criteria will be admitted.

GPA requirements vary by program. The Physician Assistant Studies track sets the highest bar: a 3.60 cumulative GPA, a 3.70 science GPA and 500 patient contact hours. Clinical Psychology and Occupational Therapy each require a 3.50 cumulative GPA. Pharmacy has the lowest threshold at 3.00. For the guaranteed-acceptance programs, minimums range from 3.25 to 3.30.

Midwestern University, at 555 31st St. in Downers Grove, already holds similar agreements with more than a dozen partner institutions, including Aurora University, Benedictine University, Elmhurst University and Illinois State University. A comparable deal with the University of New Haven took effect a year earlier, for fall 2026 matriculants.

When that agreement was announced June 11, Midwestern University Provost Y. Gloria Yueh said partnerships "help create additional opportunities for students pursuing healthcare careers." Yueh called the approach a way to "provide qualified students with clearer pathways into graduate and professional healthcare education …"

The SXU agreement arrives as Midwestern University holds tuition flat. The university's Board of Trustees approved a tuition freeze across all programs for the 2026–27 academic year, citing new federal borrowing caps for graduate and professional students under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Either party may discontinue the agreement with 12 months' written notice. Students already accepted under its terms would be allowed to finish their programs.

Program-specific requirements and application deadlines are listed on Midwestern University's SXU articulation agreement page.