St. Philip's College was founded in 1898 by Bishop James Steptoe Johnston of St. Philip's Episcopal Church of the West Texas Diocese. The school, which opened on March 1, 1898, began as a sewing class for girls with fewer than 20 students in a house located in the area known today as the historic La Villita area in downtown San Antonio.

Artemisia Bowden, a teacher and daughter of a former slave, later assumed leadership of the school. Under the direction of Miss Bowden over the ensuing 52 years, St. Philip's underwent monumental transformation, evolving from parochial day school to industrial school to a fully accredited two-year college offering a diverse curriculum. Changes included a move in 1917 from the school's original site to a new location just east of downtown, and an affiliation with San Antonio College and the San Antonio Independent School District in 1942 that marked the end of the college's era as a private institution.

Change came again in 1945 when St. Philip’s College and San Antonio College formed the San Antonio Union Junior College District under the direction of a newly formed district board of trustees. In 1982, the district changed its name to the Alamo Community College District.

The college grew again in 1987 when Southwest Campus, formerly part of East Kelly Air force Base, was designated as an official campus of St. Philip’s. The campus, which previously had operated as a district extension since 1975, continues to serve students as well as business and industry as a hub for technical training programs.

The latest additions to St. Philip’s College include a multi-million-dollar capital expansion in the early 90s that added four major buildings, including a state-of-the-art theater complex, to the main campus; the opening of the Northeast Learning Center in 1996; and the completion of the Learning and Leadership Development Center in 1997 in collaboration with the City of San Antonio.

Today, St. Philip’s College remains a multi-campus institution of the Alamo Community College District, joining three other colleges – San Antonio College, Palo Alto College and Northwest Vista College – in meeting the educational needs of San Antonio’s growing and diverse community. A Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution with a semester enrollment of over 8,000, St. Philip’s is among the oldest and most diverse community colleges in the nation and one of the fastest growing in Texas.