Chiang Kai Shek College (CKS College) is the only institution of higher learning founded by the overseas Filipino-Chinese. Recognized by both governments of the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of China, it offers education in all levels.

The forerunner of this college – Chiang Kai Shek High School -  was founded in June 1939 by prominent Chinese like the late Principal, Mr. Wong Chun Seng; the late Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Yu Khe Thai; and other famous and hardworking  Chinese in Manila, having an initial population of 273 students.  It was named after Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek to inspire young Filipino-Chinese to emulate the great personality and spirit of the late President.  It initially offered a six-year program in Chinese and a four-year program in English. Three years later, the school bore the brunt of the Pacific war – it was heavily damaged and fourteen teachers and students were killed for participating in underground activities.In June 1945, through the effort and arrangements of the former Acting Principal Huang Chi Hwa, the school opened five review classes for senior and junior high school students. When Mr. Huang left for China in October, Mr. Pao Shih Tien was designated as the officer in-charge by the Board of Trustees.

Mr. Wong Chun Seng returned to Manila in November and was re-appointed as the Principal by the Board of Trustees with Mr. Pao Shih Tien as Acting Principal to assist him. The school reopened in December, 1945. Under the efficient administration and management of the late Principal, together with the support of the Chinese community, the school acquired its present site. Student population was close to one thousand when the school moved to its new site in August, 1948.

On June 15, 1951, the Board of Trustees amended the organization of the school administration by adding the position of Vice-Principal. Mr. Pao Shih Tien was appointed to this position. In 1955, a normal school offering a two-year course to train Chinese teachers was opened. Principal Wong Chun Seng died in March 1956, and Vice-Principal Pao Shih Tien temporarily took charge of the school administration until May 1956 when the Board of Trustees appointed its Chairman Yu Khe Thai as Principal and Mr. Pao Shih Tien as Vice-Principal. The Wong Chun Seng Memorial Pre-school which was established in 1958, started to offer a one-year nursery course and a two-year kindergarten course. On April 29,1959 the Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of Mr. Yu Khe Thai as Principal and appointed Mr. Pao Shih Tien as his successor.

In 1965, the school acquired a college status with the initial offering of a four-year collegiate course - Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.E.) major in Chinese Literature and History and major in General Education. Dr. Pao Shih Tien became the first college president. The high school department then had a three-year senior high school and a three-year junior high school. In 1966, the college started to offer Bachelor of Science in Commerce (B.S.C.) major in Accounting, Management and Banking and Finance. In 1968, with the opening of the elementary department, CKSC became the only Chinese – Filipino school that offers education from kindergarten up to the tertiary level.

In 1976, all Chinese schools in the Philippines were Filipinized by virtue of Presidential Decree 176. Aside from the four-year General Secondary Education and the six-year Elementary Education prescribed by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) under English instruction, only Chinese Language Arts subjects were allowed to be offered as part of the curriculum.

In June 1979, Dr. Jimmy Su was appointed as President of the college, following the retirement of Dr. Pao Shih Tien. After the death of Chairman Yu Khe Thai in April 1983, Dr. Pao Shih Tien assumed office as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Dr. Jimmy Su retired in March 1989, and the Board of Trustees appointed Mr. Chien Yin Shao as the President of the college.

During the school year 1991-1992, the collegiate department was renamed Faculty of Business, Arts and Sciences (FBAS). Three additional degree courses were offered namely Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) and Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA) which replaced Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC) major in Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM). Computer Data Management was added as a new major of the B.S.C., while two majors were added in the BSE program-- Computer Education and Mathematics. Two non-degree courses, namely, one-year Certificate in Data Encoding and two-year diploma course in Software Development were also offered during that school year. The Marketing major was added to the BSC course during the school year 1993-1994. However, BSHRM was phased out during the school year 1995- 1996.

When Mr. Chien Yin Shao retired in 1994, Mrs. Joan Sy-Cotio was designated by the Board of Trustees as Acting President. Seven months later, she was appointed to lead the institution as the College President.

During the school year 1997-1998, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) granted CKSC the permit to operate The Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) offering Master of Arts in Education (M.A. Ed.) major in Administration and Supervision, Teaching and Computer Education, and Master in Business Administration (MBA). By the second semester of the same school year, the construction of a 10-story college building in Narra St. started.

In October, 1999, the new college building at Narra St., was inaugurated with no other than the former Vice President Gloria M. Arroyo as the inaugural guest. It was finally occupied by the FBAS and FGS. The permit to offer Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) and Bachelor of Science in Information Management (BSIM) was granted by CHED during the Academic Year 2000-2001. These two programs were granted Recogniton by CHED in June, 2002.

In September 2003, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution to operate the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. In view of this, the School of Nursing was opened during the school year 2004-2005. In the same academic year, The School of Teacher offered Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, major in the Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) program. This new major is offered in consortium with the Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou,China.

In June 2005, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science offered 2 Majors: Graphics and Visualization and Artificial Intelligence. The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program also offered 2 majors: Multimedia, and  Database and Net-Centric Programming

In June 2007, Dr. Bee Ching U. Ong Kian Koc was installed as the new CKSC president, replacing Mrs. Joan Sy Cotio who had retired from service. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was also granted CHED’s Recognition effective SY 2007-2008. On the same year, the Bachelor of Science in Information Management was renamed Bachelor of Science in Information System.

The Master of Science in Education (MA Ed.) program was approved by CHED and the Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM) program was re-opened in the school year 2008-2009. BSHRM is currently offered as a Ladderized Education Program (LEP). The HRM Education Center was also constructed and completed at that time. In 2009-2010, CKSC-FBAS launched the Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BS Entrep) and the Bachelor of Science in Accounting Tecnology (BSAct) programs. BS Entrep was eventually granted government recognition by CHED in May 2013.

With the appointment of Dr. Dory Poa as College President in June 2013, CKS College continues to innovate and develop in terms of its course offerings, facilities, and administrative practices.