[12] Catholic laymen Francis Boucher, John Meehan and Peter Sampo[13][14][15] founded "Magdalen College" in 1973, responding to the Second Vatican Council's call for the education of lay Catholic leaders, and with the encouragement of the Bishop of Manchester, Ernest John Primeau.

The initial staff consisted of two professors, and three assistants teaching Latin, Philosophy, Mathematics, Science, and Music.

[18] Under the presidency of co-founder John Meehan, the college followed a policy of standing in loco parentis and closely supervised students' dress, manners, and behavior in order to maintain a moral atmosphere.

[25][26] During the same period, the college underwent a process of reform to shed its image of severity; the student handbook was revised.

It modified its curriculum to include studies of ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and post-Modern culture, and a four-year cycle of music and art courses.

[2][30][31] In 2011, the students and faculty of the Erasmus Institute of Liberal Arts, founded by Magdalen's first president Peter V. Sampo, joined the college, bringing with them the institute's four-year liberal arts curriculum inspired by educators Donald and Louise Cowan.

"[33] The curriculum merger led to the introduction of concentrations and the optional study of Greek into the great books Program.

Coincident with the renaming, the college announced five majors—great books, theology, philosophy, literature, and politics—a new Career Pathways Program, and new co-patronage under Pope John Paul II.

Senior faculty of the college were also invited to lead seminars as part of retreat organized by the journal First Things in New York City.

[44] On June 22, 2020, George Harne announced that he would resign as president of Magdalen College to become the Executive Dean for School of Arts & Sciences at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

[62][63] In January 2018, the college announced that Michael Gaitley, MIC, and his Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy would take over campus ministries.

[64] Commencement speakers included Ovide Lamontagne (2012),[65] George Weigel (2013),[66] Dan Burke (2014),[67][68] and Ralph Martin (2015).

[70][73] The college offered curricula based on studying the great books of Western civilization both within the curriculum’s core and in its five majors.

[35] In the college's Program of Studies the faculty primarily employed a Socratic pedagogy of questioning and discussion in small seminars.

[10] On October 17, 1983, the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy issued a rescript[note 1] granting the college authority to award the "Diploma for Religious Instruction".