Established in 1846 and originally founded as a women’s college by the Sisters of Mercy, Saint Xavier University (SXU) is the oldest Catholic university in Chicago and one of sixteen institutions in the United States affiliated with the Sisters of Mercy religious institute.

In 1871 the entire campus burnt down in the Great Chicago Fire and moved to its current location in southwest Chicago a few years later.

In 1953 the university offered its first graduate programs and in 1969 the college became coeducational.

It was not until as recently as 1992 that the university adopted its current name, and in 1996 the university celebrated 150 years of educational service.

The university teaches 43 undergraduate degree programs, while there are also 25 graduate degree courses available. The SXU academic schools – namely the College of Arts and Science, the School of Education, the Graham School of Management, the School of Nursing and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies – are all semi-autonomous and the nursing school is renowned for offering a fantastic range of online and distance education degree programs.

There are three SXU campuses – the main campus in Chicago, a small campus in the Orland Park suburb of Chicago that houses the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and the recently established campus in Gilbert, Arizona, which is primarily for distance learning and complete with state-of-the-art technology.

Notable former students include actor Craig Robinson, and professional baseball star Luke Gregerson.