Saint Louis University is a private institution that was founded in 1818. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,217, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 282 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.

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. In addition to religious extracurriculars, students can also choose from more than 150 student organizations at SLU, including more than 20 fraternities and sororities.

Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus, unless they commute from a parent's home, are married or have been in the military for at least two years, among other exemptions. In total, about 90 percent of freshmen live on campus – all in halls exclusively for first-year students. Students can get involved in campus leadership positions as early as the second semester of freshman year.

The St. Louis Billikens compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The Billiken is an unusual mascot – a smiling, gnome-like figure that is a considered to be a good-luck charm. Off campus, students can explore downtown St. Louis, home to the Grand Center arts district, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and several professional sports teams. On the nearby Mississippi Riverfront, students can bike, sail and check out the Museum of Westward Expansion.

In addition to its main location in Missouri, the university also has a campus in Madrid, Spain, where students can study for the entirety of their college career or for just a semester. At the main campus, graduate students can enroll in the university's law school or medical school.

Notable alumni include Enrique Bolanos, former president of Nicaragua, and August Busch IV, former president and CEO of Anheuser-Busch Inc.

The most popular majors at Saint Louis University include: Health Professions and Related Programs; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Engineering; and Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies. Saint Louis University's ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #103