The university and its founder, Saint Martin's Abbey, sit on 300 acres (1.2 km2) of woodlands, trees, rocks, and meandering trails.

At a public auction on April 21, 1894, the wooded parcel that would become the Saint Martin's campus was purchased for $6,920.

[1] Today, that structure is referred to as Old Main and continues to house many of the university's classrooms and offices.

The university offers programs and courses at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Centralia College.

[5] The school's sports teams participate in the NCAA's Great Northwest Athletic Conference at the Division II level.