Mount Aloysius College was established in 1853 by a small community of sisters from the Sisters of Mercy, during which time St. Aloysius Academy was constructed in a tinner's shop in Loretto, PA.

Through an initiative of Sister Mary de Sales Farley, R.S.M., the academy became Mount Aloysius Junior College in 1939.

Then, in 1991, the college expanded and amended its charter to allow the conferment of bachelor's degrees; this change resulted in the school taking on its current name, Mount Aloysius College.

There are approximately 40 undergraduate and graduate programs students can choose to study at the college.

Mount Aloysius College's athletic teams are called the Mounties and include 18 college-sponsored varsity teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.