Naropa University
Naropa University is a private nonprofit university in Boulder, CO, with about 738 students on campus.
What to know about Naropa University
A price above most colleges, earnings below most
After aid, Naropa University costs $29,179 a year, more than 82% of 4-year colleges. Ten years after starting, former students earn a median $28,720, less than at 82% of colleges. Outcomes ↓
Loan payments above the 10% comfort line
The typical graduate owes $24,712, about $262 a month over ten years. That’s 14.4% of a typical former student’s monthly pay six years after starting, above the 10% many advisers treat as a comfort line. Outcomes ↓
Many students are adults coming back to school
60% of undergraduates are 25 or older. Graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students, so they leave many of these students out. The students ↓
Naropa University is mostly about psychology
64% of the degrees Naropa University awards are in psychology; the next biggest field, interdisciplinary studies, is 15%. Majors ↓
Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges
Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $21,457 a year after grants. What it costs ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$262 a month against about $1,820 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 79% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Naropa University?
of applicants admitted
About 20 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Naropa University is likely test-optional and admits nearly everyone who applies.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $53,397 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $29,179.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $87,268 over 4 years · 59% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
339 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Boulder
31% of Boulder’s 105,689 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Boulder pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Naropa University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.