How are wage estimates calculated?

Estimated wages are calculated based on the standard median wage for an alumnus’s specific occupation in their geographic county. To ensure accuracy, Lightcast statistically adjusts these figures based on both the individual's age bracket and their completed degree level.

Do counts include all job types?

Yes. Alumni tracking reflects individuals currently working in these industries and occupations based on public records—including full-time, part-time, and self-employed roles. It tracks broad workforce sectors and does not distinguish between individual hierarchical job levels (e.g., entry-level vs. administration).

Why might some alumni not appear in these outcomes?

This dataset represents a "matched sample" rather than a total census. Alumni who do not maintain public professional profiles on the web, or whose individual privacy settings restrict search engine indexing, are omitted from these aggregate market analytics to protect their data privacy.

Where does this data come from?

Lightcast aggregates publicly available professional profiles from over 100 websites and matches them to institutional alumni records provided by Naropa University. This dataset is refreshed and updated quarterly.

Meaningful Careers | Naropa University

Catalysts for Change

Naropa University’s mission of contemplative education invites students to engage in an internal process of exploring how they might make a positive difference in the world. Naropa’s emphasis on cultivating present-moment awareness and encouraging courageous engagement with the world attracts students who want to be catalysts for change.

A Naropa education prepares graduates for meaningful, purpose-driven work across a lifetime. Our graduates develop the contemplative and communication skills, adaptability and leadership capacity that are increasingly vital in today’s changing world.

Teachers. Psychologists. Chaplains. Entrepreneurs. Nonprofit directors. Novelists. Artists. Farmers. Ministers. Professors. Aid workers. Leadership consultants. And so much more. These are some of the careers forged by Naropa’s fierce, unflinching graduates.

Naropa University has also been recognized for its high percentage of alumni who go on to found companies and organizations. In June 2021, Digital Information World highlighted Naropa University in their survey of the best U.S. universities for aspiring business founders and entrepreneurs. At 14.2 percent, Naropa has one of the highest percentages of founders, ahead of Stanford University with 13.6 percent.

How Our Graduates Make a Positive Difference

The Industry, occupation, and job title table data below originates from Lightcast. Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass) integrates, cleans, and analyzes data from over 215,000 global sources to map labor market trends, job postings, and skills. Key data sources include public government records (BLS, Census), online job postings, and professional profiles. The data provides insights on employment by occupation, demographics, education, and salary, updating in real-time.

Top Industries

Industry	Profiles	Percent
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	540	5.49%
Elementary and Secondary Schools	162	1.65%
Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	146	1.48%
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	105	1.07%
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	98	1.00%
Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)	92	0.93%
Other Individual and Family Services	82	0.83%
Software Publishers	68	0.69%
Junior Colleges	66	0.67%
Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services	50	0.51%

Top Occupations

Occupation (SOC)	Profiles	Percent
Chief Executives	1349	13.71%
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	491	4.99%
Medical and Health Services Managers	392	3.98%
General and Operations Managers	333	3.38%
Producers and Directors	260	2.64%
Therapists, All Other	252	2.56%
Postsecondary Teachers	213	2.16%
Marriage and Family Therapists	205	2.08%
Writers and Authors	194	1.97%
Training and Development Specialists	187	1.90%

Top Job Titles

Job Title	Profiles	Percent
Psychotherapists	458	4.65%
Owners	252	2.56%
Therapists	155	1.57%
Founders	130	1.32%
Licensed Professional Counselors	102	1.04%
Executive Directors	97	0.99%
Mental Health Counselors	68	0.69%
Mental Health Therapists	62	0.63%
Writers	58	0.59%
Art Therapists	57	0.58%

Alumni Earnings Trajectories

To understand the long-term professional and economic return on investment of a Naropa education, the university tracks our alumni using labor market analytics from Lightcast. The data below estimates the aggregate annual median salary for matched domestic alumni at 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15+ year intervals post-graduation.

Undergraduate Alumni Earning Trajectory

Time Since Graduation	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years	15+ Years
Estimated Median Salary	$58K	$65K	$69K	$83K	$118K
		Based on 726 Matched U.S. Alumni				Based on 796 Matched U.S. Alumni

Graduate-Level Alumni Earning Trajectory

Time Since Graduation	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years	15+ Years
Estimated Median Salary	$74K	$80K	$86K	$105K	$120K
		Based on 2,276 Matched U.S. Alumni				Based on 796 Matched U.S. Alumni

Data Source: Estimated employment and earnings data provided by Lightcast Labor Market Analytics (2000–2025 cohorts). For complete calculation parameters, see the Notes and Lightcast FAQ below.