Naropa University
Boulder, Colorado · Private Nonprofit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 9/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Naropa University earns a 9/100 ROI score and a Poor Value tier - the lowest score in our dataset and one of the lowest in our database. The numbers are uniformly weak. Median earnings six years after entry are $19,600 - below typical earnings for a non-college-graduate - climbing only to $28,720 by year ten. The earnings premium is NEGATIVE 5.4%, meaning Naropa graduates as a group earn LESS than typical high-school graduates in their cohort. The 999-year payback period is the algorithm's flag that earnings effectively never recoup cost. Net price averages $29,179 against a $36,620 sticker, with a $116,716 four-year total. Median federal debt is $24,712, producing a brutal 1.261 debt-to-earnings ratio - borrowers owe more than they earn annually. Completion is 36.7%, very weak. The honest framing: Naropa is a Buddhist-influenced contemplative liberal-arts institution serving a self-selecting student body drawn to its meditation-based curriculum and contemplative psychology programs. The school produces students whose post-graduation life is defined by lower-earning vocational paths in counseling, contemplative arts, and religious/spiritual practice. As a financial investment, the data unambiguously shows this is not an upgrade pathway. Choosing Naropa is choosing a specific intellectual and spiritual community at significant economic cost.
The data raises concerns about Naropa University
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score9/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.26 - Advisors recommend total student debt stay below one year of salary (ratio under 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate36.7% - Well below the 64% national average (NCES, 2022). Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Naropa University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,620/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,620/yr |
| Average net price | $29,179/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $116,716 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $28,720 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $19,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,712 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $262 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 339 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $36,620/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $29,179/year, or roughly $116,716 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $21,457/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $46,397/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $24,712 in federal loans, which works out to about $262 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $28,720 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 1.26, which is high - the rule of thumb is that total debt should not top your first-year salary, and this is over that line.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $21,457 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $33,397 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,817 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $45,897 |
| $110,001+ | $46,397 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $21,457 net price. With $19,600 six-year median earnings, the math is impossible: net price exceeds annual graduate earnings. Pell-eligible students (the majority at Naropa, 51%) layering the federal grant face a still-meaningful gap. Across four years, $85,828 net cost against negative earnings premium is structurally indefensible.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets show extreme bracket inversion - a serious data anomaly. The $30K-$48K bracket pays $33,397, the $48K-$75K bracket pays $21,817 (LESS than both lower and higher brackets), and the $75K-$110K bracket pays $45,897. This zigzag pattern is highly unusual and likely reflects small-cohort statistical noise (Naropa is tiny) rather than actual aid policy. Families should treat the published figures as unreliable and run the school's own net-price calculator.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $46,397 - HIGHER than the $36,620 sticker tuition, indicating the school estimates non-tuition costs (housing, fees, supplies) push total cost-of-attendance above sticker. Over four years that's $185,588 net for high-income families. Given $28,720 ten-year median earnings, only families with substantial discretionary wealth and clear non-financial reasons should make this choice.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Naropa University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $43,238 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology is Naropa's only program with sufficient graduate volume for tracking. Graduates earn $17,708 one year out (BELOW the federal poverty line for an individual), climbing to $43,238 four years out. Median debt is $33,250 against a 1.878 debt-to-earnings ratio - the worst single-program ratio in our dataset and an F grade. With 33 graduates, this is a meaningful cohort. Many graduates likely intend to pursue Naropa's well-regarded contemplative psychology graduate programs, where master's-level licensure delivers better earnings - but the bachelor's-only outcome is severely negative.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.8% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.7% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 70.2% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 66.7% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Naropa University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 339 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 51.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,935 |
Naropa admits 100% of applicants - effectively open enrollment. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with the school's holistic admissions process and small enrollment that makes statistical reporting unreliable. The 36.7% completion rate is consistent with what one would expect from full-acceptance admissions: many admitted students prove not to be a fit and depart, often without a credential.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Naropa's peer set includes Colorado Christian University, Colorado College, Arkansas Baptist College, Voorhees University, and Southwestern Christian University - a heterogeneous mix that reflects Naropa's unusual character. The most apt comparison is Colorado Christian University, also a regional Colorado private with a religious identity, which posts substantially better aggregate ROI driven by stronger nursing and business outcomes. Colorado College is included presumably for geography but is a vastly stronger institution by any selectivity or outcome measure.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naropa University (this school) | 9 | $29,179 | $28,720 |
| Colorado College | 70 | $33,375 | $65,222 |
| Colorado Christian University | 34 | $29,500 | $50,416 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
| Voorhees University | 8 | $13,335 | $35,339 |
| Arkansas Baptist College | 4 | $10,627 | $28,418 |
Who Thrives Here
Naropa enrolls just 339 students with a 51.4% Pell rate - deeply low-to-moderate income, dramatically more so than typical privates. The student body is largely older returning learners and adults drawn by Naropa's contemplative curriculum, somatic psychology, and Buddhist-influenced approach. Fit profile: students for whom Naropa's specific intellectual/spiritual frame is the entire point and who can afford or willingly accept the financial reality of low post-graduation earnings. This is fundamentally not an economic-ROI school; framing it as such is a category error.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Naropa University are a real concern. With a net cost of $29,179 per year and the typical graduate earning only $28,720 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 36.7% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Be careful with the debt here. A median $24,712 owed against $28,720 in earnings is heavy, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 is past the level advisors flag. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Naropa University: Common Questions
Is Naropa University worth it?
In our view, the numbers are a real concern - for most students the financial return does not justify the cost. Naropa University scores 9/100 on our ROI scale. At $29,179 a year after aid against $28,720 in typical earnings ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years.
How much does Naropa University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - what students actually pay after grants and scholarships - is about $29,179 a year, or roughly $116,716 over four years. That is the number to plan around, not the sticker price. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Naropa University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $28,720 ten years after enrolling, near the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Naropa University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about >50 years for Naropa University. Most four-year schools we track land between 4 and 10 years.
How much debt do Naropa University graduates take on?
Median debt at graduation is about $24,712, against $28,720 in typical earnings a decade out. At a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86, that is past the level advisors flag, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Naropa University?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.7%, below the 64% national average (NCES, 2022) - and not finishing is the fastest route to a poor return. Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.