St. Paul University Manila (SPU Manila) is one of the educational institutions owned and administered by the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC).

The University started out originally in 1911 as a Novitiate, a training center for young Filipino women wishing to become Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres, on a swampy piece of land in Malate.  The next year, 1912, the school ,first named St. Paul Institution, started with a kindergarten class upon the request of families in the neighborhood.  The elementary started in 1913, the high school in 1924, and the college department in 1936. In 1940, the school's name was changed to St. Paul College of Manila.

In 1957, SPCM became a Charter member of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU). It also became the first school in the Philippines to be PAASCU-accredited. 

In 1970, the university started to concentrate on higher education by first moving out its Kindergarten Department and thus helped create St. Paul College Pasig. The Grade School and High School departments followed in 1972 and 1986 respectively.

In 1975, the school became one of the founding members of the Inter-Institutional Consortium. Now called the South Manila Consortium and composed of De la Salle University Manila, St. Scholastica's College Manila, Philippine Christian University, Philippine Normal University, and Adamson University. The SMC is the oldest educational consortium in the Philippines and the oldest working consortium in Southeast Asia.

In 1992, the school was cited by the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS) as one of the 17 excellent colleges and universities in the Philippines. In 2001, in recognition of its meritorious achievements in higher education, it was conferred an Award of Distinction and given full autonomy status for five years  by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

In 2003, the school started its graduate programs and on February 10, 2004, the school became part of the St. Paul University System, the first university system in the Philippines recognized by CHED. The school name was then officially changed to St. Paul University Manila. In May 2004, for the first time in the 100-year history of the SPC Congregation in the Philippines, the school had its first lay president, thus being the very first of Paulinian schools to be headed by a secular person.

The University's history, since its founding in 1912 has been characterized by a pioneering spirit, driven by the tranquil daring reflective of its founders, always committed to living out  Christ's love through its educational endeavors.

The University is proud of its excellent programs and the many graduates who, over the years, have excelled in their fields of specialization or who have continued on to build Christian homes and nurture new generations in the spirit of love and compassion for others.

St. Paul University Manila will continue its long and illustrious tradition of educational excellence and service to the Church, family, and society as it responds to the growing challenges of a technological and globalized world.