Despite its name, it is a public, non-religious college that has never been owned by any church. The name comes from being located in St. Mary's City in St. Mary's County, Maryland. The campus borders the St. Mary's River. St. Mary's College was designed as a "living monument" to the first settlers of St. Mary's City, which was the first capital of Maryland.
St. Mary's mascot is the Seahawk, which is a nickname for the Ospreys that can be found nesting not too far offshore. The colors are Royal Blue, Yellow Gold, and White. The Seahawks competes in NCAA Division III and is known for its nationally ranked Varsity Sailing Team.