The cotton variety ST 5288B2F is disclosed. The invention relates to seeds, plants, plant cells, plant tissue, harvested products and cotton lint as well as to hybrid cotton plants and seeds obtained by repeatedly crossing plants of variety ST 5288B2F with other plants. The invention also relates to plants and varieties produced by the method of essential derivation from plants of ST 5288B2F and to plants of ST 5288B2F reproduced by vegetative methods, including but not limited to tissue culture of regenerable cells or tissue from ST 5288B2F.