It was originally located at 3201 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland[10] but was eventually forced to relocate in 1956 after the state took the property for constructing Interstate 90.

Faced with the decision to stay in Cleveland or move, the board of trustees finally decided on Canton, Ohio as a good location where the school could become a leader in higher education.

It was this fact, among others, that played a key role in the decision to move the school to Canton on a 150-acre (0.61 km2) property between 30th and 25th streets from north to south, and Cleveland Avenue and Harvard from west to east.

This was all a part of the overall mission of the board to use the forced move as an opportunity to grow the institution and become a regional leader in broader fields of professional and academic studies.

According to the institutional press release, the transition to Malone University reflected the institution's "mission and emphasized the potential for enhanced educational opportunities within the liberal arts context for the growing number of undergraduate students already studying in 90 different academic programs".

The university is a member of the NCAA and competes at the Division II level in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).

[14] Prior to Malone's NCAA Division II membership, the Pioneers participated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the American Mideast Conference (AMC).

The university met all requirements and graduated to provisional status before Malone became a full member of the NCAA in July 2013.

"[20] Collie's forced resignation led to demonstrations from Malone students including a sit-in during chapel services.