Centers for Spiritual Living (formerly known as the United Church of Religious Science) has provided formal education for ministerial students since 1972, originally through Ernest Holmes College School of Ministry. In 1996, that function was assumed by a new entity, Holmes Institute, a graduate school of consciousness studies. In 1997, the Institute began offering a Master of Consciousness Studies degree. In 1999, the Institute name was changed to Holmes Institute.
Holmes Institute has been accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission since June 2003. At the time of the first accreditation, the Institute was located in Los Angeles. In July 2008, Holmes Institute moved to Golden, Colorado.
In January 2016, the Holmes Institute began offering a subset of the Masters degree courses as a Certificate in Spiritual Education.
Rev. Gregory Toole was the president of Holmes Institute and Rev. Dr. Lynn Connolly was the Director of Holmes Institute until April 2013. Rev. Bob Deen (director from 2013 to 2015) was president from November 2015 to 2018. The current administration includes Rev. CC Coltrain, President, and Dr. Greg Salyer, Chief Academic Officer. The staff of Holmes Institute includes Dar Herfurt, Administrative Registrar, and Matthew Taylor, Student/Faculty Support and Learning Technologies Manager. Holmes Institute has its office at the Centers for Spiritual Living in Golden, Colorado.