[2] S. R. Van Duzer, a wealthy wholesale drug company owner, moved into A. Gerald Hull's Villa on the southeast side of the Thomas Powell estate in 1853.

Although the family was offered a large sum of money for the property by the proprietors of a tuberculosis sanatorium, the VanDuzers instead turned to their neighbors, the Dominican sisters, on Gidney Avenue.

[2] Because the Dominican Sisters were involved in education in Newburgh and throughout the New York-New Jersey area, even as far away as Puerto Rico, the demand for a teacher training program was evident.

The New York State Education Department certified the Mount Saint Mary Normal and Training School in 1930.

In February 2016, faculty acted on "longstanding concerns about academic freedom and shared governance under its current administration" by voting no confidence in the chair of the college's board of trustees.

While at the Mount, Kennett helped the college navigate accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Jason N. Adsit served as the college's seventh president from June 2018 to August 2023, and was as a consultant to the Board of Trustees for 2023-2024.

[14] Mount Saint Mary College offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

The five most popular majors at Mount Saint Mary College are: The college has 16 Honor Societies: Alpha Chi (general), Alpha Sigma Lambda (continuing education), Beta Beta Beta (biology), Chi Alpha Epsilon (economically and academically disadvantaged students), Delta Mu Delta (accounting and business), Gamma Nu Eta (information technology) Gamma Sigma Epsilon (chemistry), Kappa Delta Pi (education), Kappa Mu Epsilon (mathematics), Lambda Pi Eta (communication arts), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Psi Chi (psychology), Sigma Delta Pi (Hispanic Studies), Sigma Tau Delta (English), Sigma Theta Tau (nursing), and Tau Upsilon Alpha (human services).

The college's buildings range from a 19th-century home and carriage house to a modern technology center and new or renovated residence halls.

Mount's main campus building is Aquinas Hall and the Kaplan Family Mathematics, Science & Technology Center (MST).

There are "smart classrooms" and large lecture halls, a media lab, the Campus Technology Center, and the Curtin Memorial Library.

Hudson Hall is home to the Education Division, Residence Life, Student Activities, the HEOP office, Campus Ministry, and Security & Safety.

This building also houses an auditorium, ten "smart" classrooms, the Knight Radio station, and an art gallery.

The William and Elaine Kaplan Recreation Center is home to the Knights Division III basketball, volleyball, and swimming teams.

In January 2014, the renovated building opened to the campus and houses the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, a cafe, the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary, and three floors of dormitories.

The college offers the MSMC Shuttle Van to transport students to local shopping areas and the Beacon Train Station.

Mount Saint Mary College is an NCAA Division III school with 21 competing teams.

[26] Beginning in 2013, Saint Basil Academy sends its elementary and middle school students to be educated at Bishop Dunn Memorial.