Maryville University of Saint Louis was founded in 1872 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, an order established in France by women dedicated to excellence in education. One of the oldest private institutions in the St. Louis region, Maryville was originally an academy for young women, before becoming a four-year college in 1923 and a university in 1991. The institution's visionary grasp of the growth potential of West St. Louis County sparked its purchase in the late 1950s of 290 acres of land adjacent to Highway 40, St. Louis' main transportation artery. The dedication of the new campus on this site in 1961 marked the beginning of Maryville's mission as a community-oriented liberal arts institution.

Today, Maryville is an independent, comprehensive, coeducational university unique in its commitment to integrating liberal arts with professional learning and experience.