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How to Apply to Naropa

Undergraduate Students

Program Information

Start Your Naropa Application

Naropa offers out-of-the box majors for inspired learners. This really isn’t your typical bachelor’s degree.

Yes, Naropa is an accredited university with everything your parents want in a college: rigorous academics, experiential learning, and impressive career outcomes. But we also offer profound self-discovery, a radically inclusive campus culture, and compelling majors that draw from the intellectual traditions of both the East and West.

By applying to Naropa, you’re beginning a journey towards more than just a degree. You’ll graduate with a deep knowledge of your gifts and how to share them with the world.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TRANSFERRING YOUR CREDIT

Summer Hours: May 22–August 7

Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. MT

Admissions, Financial Aid, and Office of the Registrar will operate on summer hours from May 22 through August 7. We look forward to connecting with you Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time and will respond to your message as soon as possible during regular business hours.

For immediate information 

Our Admissions Philosophy

Non-Traditional Admissions Process

Naropa’s admissions process reflects the values of a contemplative education. We consider both your academic performance and your willingness to do the hard work of introspection and self-growth. Our admissions process is as thoughtful and engaged as we expect you to be when you step into your first year at Naropa. If you have a history of strong academic performance, we welcome you with minimal admissions requirements. If your academic performance has not been strong in the past, but you believe that you could benefit from a Naropa education and effectively contribute to the Naropa community, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Rolling Admissions

Applying early offers you the greatest chance to be considered for financial aid opportunities and allows us to process your documents in a timely manner. However, the Office of Admissions will gladly continue to review applications until the school year begins or until all places for incoming students are filled. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received by the Office of Admissions, so apply now.

SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH AN ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR

How to Apply to Naropa

Undergraduate Students

Start Your Naropa Application Today

Naropa offers out-of-the box majors for inspired learners. This really isn’t your typical bachelor’s degree. Yes, Naropa is an accredited university with everything your parents want in a college: rigorous academics, experiential learning, and impressive career outcomes. But we also offer profound self-discovery, a radically inclusive campus culture, and compelling majors that draw from the intellectual traditions of both the East and West. By applying to Naropa, you’re beginning a journey towards more than just a degree. You’ll graduate with a deep knowledge of your gifts and how to share them with the world.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRANSFERRING YOUR CREDIT TO NAROPA

Our Admissions Philosophy

Non-Traditional Admissions Process

Naropa’s admissions process reflects the values of a contemplative education. We consider both your academic performance and your willingness to do the hard work of introspection and self-growth. Our admissions process is as thoughtful and engaged as we expect you to be when you step into your first year at Naropa. If you have a history of strong academic performance, we welcome you with minimal admissions requirements. If your academic performance has not been strong in the past, but you believe that you could benefit from a Naropa education and effectively contribute to the Naropa community, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Rolling Admissions

Applying early offers you the greatest chance to be considered for financial aid opportunities and allows us to process your documents in a timely manner. However, the Office of Admissions will gladly continue to review applications until the school year begins or until all places for incoming students are filled. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received by the Office of Admissions, so apply today!
SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH AN ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR

Admissions & Aid

Admission Requirements

Students with 3.0 GPA or Higher

If you’re a student with a 3.0 GPA (or higher), an 83+ average on the 100-point grading scale, and/or a GED score of 175+, your application requirements are as follows:

Application Requirements

  • Official high school transcript showing proof of graduation or equivalency
  • Or a completed associate’s degree (AA/AS)
  • Or an official college transcript with 60 or more transferrable credits

 

Students with Less than 3.0 GPA

If you’re a student with a GPA less than 3.0, an average of less than 83+ on the 100-point grading scale, and/or a GED score of 145–174, your application requirements are as follows:

Application Requirements

  • Complete Naropa Online Application

  • Submit Admissions Essay (Naropa University requires that application materials and essays be the applicant’s own work, factually true, and honestly presented, and not created with the use of AI.)

  • Consultation Interview with Admissions Counselor

  • Proof of Minimum Education Requirement

  • Official high school transcript showing proof of graduation or equivalency
  • Or a completed associate’s degree (AA/AS)
  • Or an official college transcript with 60 or more transferrable credits

 

*The GED scoring system has varied over time. Naropa University calculates GPA based on maximum scores from the time the GED was taken.

Admission Process

  • Fill out Naropa’s short online admissions application and submit your academic transcripts and related documents.
  • Expect to hear back from an Admissions Counselor within one week of submitting all required documents. Sometimes the wait may be slightly longer, depending on the volume of applications.
  • Unsure which documents we need from you? Simply begin by completing the admissions application.
  • Naropa counselors are here to support you! Please email admissions@naropa.edu or call 1-800-772-6951 with any questions.
Experiential learning is a hallmark of a Naropa education. Many Naropa programs require completion of a practicum or internship in order to meet degree requirements. Many internship sites require up-to-date immunizations, background checks, and drug screening prior to student placement. Medical and recreational marijuana is not exempt from drug testing. To graduate, program students must secure placement at a site and meet the requirements for entry. By applying for a Naropa program with an internship requirement, you’re acknowledging that you must successfully complete and pass background checks and drug screenings and have current immunization records.
  • Fill out Naropa’s short online admissions application and submit your academic transcripts and related documents.
  • Expect to hear back from an Admissions Counselor within one week of submitting all required documents. Sometimes the wait may be slightly longer, depending on the volume of applications.
  • Unsure which documents we need from you? Simply begin by completing the admissions application.
  • Naropa counselors are here to support you! Please email admissions@naropa.edu or call 1-800-772-6951 with any questions.
Experiential learning is a hallmark of a Naropa education. Many Naropa programs require completion of a practicum or internship in order to meet degree requirements. Many internship sites require up-to-date immunizations, background checks, and drug screening prior to student placement. Medical and recreational marijuana is not exempt from drug testing. To graduate, program students must secure placement at a site and meet the requirements for entry. By applying for a Naropa program with an internship requirement, you’re acknowledging that you must successfully complete and pass background checks and drug screenings and have current immunization records.

What You’ll Find at Naropa

A Welcoming Community

We are a community of disruptors, deep listeners, and seekers. We welcome new people and perspectives with open arms.

Our small class sizes and dedicated faculty support thoughtful engagement. Naropa classrooms are brave spaces that emphasize mindfulness and academic inquiry. 

Contemplative Education

At Naropa, academic rigor goes hand-in-hand with community engagement, self-study, meditation, and experiential learning.

A Naropa education is a lived experience. You’ll discover the calling that is uniquely your own—then develop that calling into a future path.

A Commitment to Change the World

What do you want to do with the knowledge you’ve gained? For many at Naropa, the answer to that question is, “Change the world.” Service and compassionate action are at the core of our mission.

Our campus culture inspires students to lead with compassion, using their gifts to change the world for the better.

"At convocation, my future friend Zoey climbed onstage and explained her serendipitous journey toward Naropa. Many have these tales. But Zoey is trans, and I am nonbinary trans. To see someone like me have that courage and be accepted is what solidified my sense of home at Naropa."
“I felt ‘called’ to Naropa. The first time I visited, I knew I would return. When I applied, I knew it was the next step on my soul journey toward becoming a more integrated human being. I truly believe that change starts in our own minds and bodies and radiates out to the world.”

Questions? Give us a call today.

1-800-772-6951

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

Support Naropa

At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 05/06/2026. 

From Naropa University: Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed on 05/06/26. All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. Classes that are delivered online in our low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.

Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.

Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.

Apply Now