Marymount University is committed to the liberal arts tradition with its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education and Human Services and Health Professions. It was started in 1950 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. According to an undergraduate catalog, "Marymount is a student-centered learning community that values diversity and focuses on the education of the whole person, promoting the intellectual, spiritual and moral growth of each individual. Scholarship, leadership, service and ethics are hallmarks of a Marymount education."

Marymount takes advantage of its proximity to the nation's capital and offers its students unique opportunities. In addition, Marymount offers two other local campuses for students, the Ballston Center and the Reston Center.