Bishop McDevitt Catholic High School was dedicated on December 8, 1958 and began educating students the following day. The school celebrated its first graduating class in June of 1961. The historic Class of 1961 held their commencement ceremony in the school auditorium . Soon after, McDevitt established many wonderful and lasting traditions that were cherished by the thousands of students who walked the halls of the Catholic High School on Royal Avenue. 

The school added vocational and technical education in 1965; won its first boys Philadelphia Catholic League title in 1966; became coeducational in September of 1970; won its first girls Philadelphia Catholic League title in 1979; welcomed its first lay principal in 1985; opened its first computer lab in 1987; achieved its first Middle States accreditation in 1988; started a Development Office and Alumni Association in 1989; and moved into open enrollment and a restructured president and principal model of administration in 1993. In 2010, McDevitt welcomed Our Lady of Confidence to McDevitt, a special education school that was located on the ground floor of our building.

On November 18, 2020, the Office of Catholic Education and Faith in the Future announced that Bishop McDevitt would close after the 2020-2021 school year.  A'Save McDevitt' movement started immediately with the plan of becoming an independent school but the request was denied by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Bishop McDevitt's last class, the Class of 2021, graduated on June 9th on school grounds.