St. Louis University is a private institution that was founded in 1818. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,806, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 271 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. St. Louis University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 101.

St. Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit school that is open to students of any faith. The Campus Ministry organizes specialized retreats and mission trips throughout the year, and the on-campus church holds a daily Mass. The Saint Louis Prayerbook is an online database of prayers—some traditional, others original and submitted by students or faculty members.