St. John's College has its roots in the healing and caring mission of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. Today, the College offers an upper division Baccalaureate Nursing Degree Program and Continuing Education Programs to serve nurses and allied health professionals in Central and Southern Illinois. St. Johns College is transforming itself from a traditional educational institution to one that offers innovative and leading edge programs designed to prepare individuals to care for individuals throughout life in an integrated healthcare system. The College offers uniquely small classes, individual attention for students and an enviable selection of clinical experiences ranging from wellness to care of the dying. Its proud history of excellence stems back to its days as one of the first Catholic Nursing Programs in the United States.

Founded by the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, St. John's College opened in 1886 as a training school for the Sisters.  This nursing program, which later became St. Johns Hospital School of Nursing Education, was the first Catholic Hospital School of Nursing in the United States and has continued uninterrupted over the last 125 years.  The program has changed to keep pace with social and cultural variations, but remains true to its mission of caring and healing and to the philosophy of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. St. John's College is unique in that it is an educational ministry within the Sisters’ healthcare ministry which includes 13 hospitals in two states, a number of physician practices, clinics, care centers, specialized women and children’s services, and rehabilitation and wellness care. 

Always on the cutting edge of innovation, the school added liberal arts and science classes to the curriculum in 1927. In College was approved by the Illinois Department of Registration and Education now the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in 1952, and made the transition to a College with a Department of Nursing in 1991. The College has professional nursing accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission and the Higher Learning Commission. St. Johns graduates can find fellow graduates in almost every country of the world, in a wide variety of clinical situations. Although the College has evolved with the times, its current transformation is designed to continue the rich history of the College by offering programs that prepare graduates for healthcare in many settings. St. Johns graduates will continue to be known for excellence in professional patient care, for caring and for living the healing mission of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.