St. John's University was founded in 1870 by the Vincentian Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church. Bachelors, master's, and doctoral programs are offered through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Peter J. Tobin College of Business, the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, the College of Professional Studies, the School of Education, and the School of Law.
The St. John's University main campus is an urban campus located in Jamaica in and around Utopia Parkway close to Queens. The campus is bordered by Union Turnpike to the north and Grand Central Parkway to the south. The university also has several branch campuses: Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island (Oakdale).
The school's sports teams are called the Red Storm. They participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big East Conference.