All part time and distance learning postgraduate students reading for theology are automatically assigned to St John's.

[3] The college chapel (Church of St Mary the Less) is also the final resting place of Dame Elizabeth Bowes.

[5] St John's was the first Church of England theological college to have both a lay person and a woman as principal (Ruth Etchells).

[9] Before coming into the possession of St John's, Linton House, no 1 South Bailey, was the main property of St. Chad's College.

This enabled Martin Roberts, then Durham City's conservation officer, to date the building precisely to the late 17th century.

The similarly unusual nature of college stairways, one of which disappears into a solid wall, adds an element of Escher to the architecture.

St John's participates in a number of sports such as cross country running, mixed lacrosse, rowing, men's football, badminton, hockey and rugby among others.

Their 2019 performance of Alan Ayckbourn's "Family Circles", produced in collaboration with St. Chad's, featured a cast and production team formed entirely from first-year students.

In 2008, the society's performance of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus won the Durham Student Theatre Award for Best Play.