[5] LMU enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, making it the largest Catholic university on the West Coast.

In 1865, the Vincentian Fathers were commissioned by Bishop Thaddeus Amat y Brusi to found the school in Los Angeles.

Classes were held for two years in the Lugo Adobe on the east side of the Plaza while a new campus building remained under construction.

[16][11] Alongside campus expansion, the athletic program grew, and the Catholic Collegiates competed against Occidental College's Presbyterians and the University of Southern California's Methodists.

During this era, from St. Vincent's College graduated numerous notable alumni, including Isidore Dockweiler, Eugene Biscailuz and Leo Carrillo.

Over time, the historic buildings of old St. Vincent's College have been torn down and replaced by developments such as the Grand Olympic Auditorium (1924) and parking lots.

[citation needed] Graduate instruction began in 1920 with the foundation of a separate law school, the only program into which women were admitted.

Loyola Law School did not move with the rest of the university, but in 1964 was reestablished at a Frank Gehry-designed campus in downtown Los Angeles.

[24][25] Despite stonewalling from Casassa, the Black Student Union of Loyola pledged that it would "work through established channels, to dialogue, and to present our case in an intelligent, cohesive, and non-violent fashion.

"[24] When the campus newspaper The Loyolan surveyed students, most were generally supportive of introducing inclusive courses such as Black history.

[citation needed] Father Donald Merrifield, who first assumed the presidency of Loyola University in 1969, continued his role after the merger.

[28] Father Merrifield oversaw the expansion of Loyola Law School's campus in Pico-Union, near downtown Los Angeles.

[28] Merrifield and the university commissioned architect Frank Gehry to design the new campus, which was needed to accommodate increased enrollment.

[29] Lawton cited health problems, including a slow recovery from a 2009 back surgery, as the main reason for his departure.

The building, which houses the university's Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, is constructed of steel and concrete and is divided into seven structures above ground.

Carnegie gives this ranking to “institutions that awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees and had at least $5 million in total research expenditures (as reported through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research & Development Survey (HERD)).” U.S. News & World Report classifies Loyola Marymount's selectivity as "more selective" with a 2023 acceptance rate of 40% and an early acceptance rate of 52.4%.

[citation needed] Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley teaches playwriting in the Theatre Department.

[67] The Playa Vista campus includes three greenscreen studios, eight Avid editing rooms and a Foley stage.

In the spring of 2020, dean Peggy Rajski broke ground on the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion, a 25,000-square-foot structure equipped with a screening theater, a camera-teaching stage and a motion-capture workspace, which is due to open in the fall of 2021.

The Marymount Sisters sponsor the Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture, and the Arts which attempts to preserve the transformative educational tradition of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and promotes a dialogue between faith and culture as expressed in fine, performing, literary and communication arts.

The same year, the university asked her to address the class of 2008 at the undergraduate commencement exercises and she was awarded an honorary doctorate.

[77] Located at the north end of the university, Sacred Heart Chapel is the main worship space on campus.

The Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination (ACTI) at Loyola Marymount University is a hub for scholarship, interdisciplinary research, pedagogy, and outreach on LMU's campus and in the southwest United States.

ACTI sponsors and co-sponsors events, supports interdisciplinary dialogue within the university, and publishes academic work promoting its mission.

[78] Founded in 1991, the Marymount Institute encourages interdisciplinary and intercultural scholarly and artistic activity in the form of research, publication, exhibits, performances, conferences, seminars, and lectures.

Itself an imprint of Tsehai Publishers and Distributors, the MIP was founded by the Ethiopian-born journalist, publisher, and social activist, Elias Wondimu, and already has two publications to its credit: "Panim el Panim: Facing Genesis, Visual Midrash" and "A Journey into Love: Meditating with Piers Plowman".

While LMU has had success in several sports, it is probably best remembered for its men's basketball teams between 1985 and 1990, with Paul Westhead as coach and for the death of star player Hank Gathers (#44), who collapsed during the second round of the WCC tournament on March 4, 1990, and for his friendship with teammate Bo Kimble (#30).

Playing for their fallen teammate, the Lions advanced to the Elite Eight (regional final) of the NCAA tournament before falling to eventual champions UNLV.

The members of these organizations make themselves available for on-campus service as well as on-going commitments to serve at specific non-profit agencies in Southern California.

[86]LMU EMS is the on-campus emergency medical services program, consisting of volunteer full-time undergraduate students who are nationally certified EMTs.