[3] It was founded on April 6, 1872, by the Society of the Sacred Heart and offers more than 90 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

It was located in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in South St. Louis on a 21-acre (8.5 ha) tract at 2900 Meramec Avenue.

In the late 1950s, the school purchased 290 acres (117.4 ha) of land adjacent to Interstate 64, which was then St. Louis' main east–west thoroughfare.

The dedication of the new campus on this site in 1961 marked the beginning of Maryville's move toward being a community-oriented liberal arts institution.

Duchesne Hall burned in 1973 and was demolished, making way for the Maryville Gardens branch of the post office.

The Donius University Center was completed in 2001, the new theatre auditorium opened in 2002, and apartment-style dormitories in 2003.

[9] In addition to the main campus, Maryville University also operated centers in Lake Saint Louis and Sunset Hills in Missouri and Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

These centers offered facilities and services for students enrolled in the university's Weekend and Evening College.

[7] As of 2023, Maryville University of Saint Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a successor of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Its 54,000 square foot area, on two floors, contain over a quarter of a million volumes plus collections of reference works, periodicals, and databases.

[30] The university competes at the NCAA Division II level in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

The university has a total of 23 varsity sports teams, including men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), volleyball, and wrestling; and women's basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball.