Life at Naropa › Living in Boulder

Why Boulder?

Program Information

Campus Community Offerings

BECAUSE BOULDER!

Boulder, Colorado, is the quintessential college town. But it’s also a great food city, mecca for extreme athletes, entrepreneurs, and spiritual seekers, and one of the most beautiful and progressive cities in America.

Play Video
Play Video

THINGS TO DO IN BOULDER WHEN YOU’RE NOT STUDYING

  • Boulder Farmer’s Market
  • Afternoon Tea at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
  • Boulder Comedy Show
  • Outdoor Yoga at Chautauqua Park
  • Boulder International Fringe Festival
  • Boulder PrideFest
  • Boulder Philharmonic
  • Boulder Ballet
  • BolderBoulder 10K
  • Pearl Street Mall
  • Colorado Music Festival
  • Thursday Night Bicycle Cruiser Ride
  • Boulder Laptop Orchestra
  • Boulder Creek (tubing!)
  • Boulder Creek Path
  • Eldora Mountain Resort
  • Boulder Shambhala Center
  • Colorado Shakespeare Festival

Align your values with your actions by volunteering in the community, taking Boulder buses, and taking action on issues you care about.

Oh, yes, and then there’s the simple matter of the Rocky Mountains in Naropa’s front yard where you can hike, ski, snowboard, climb, mountain bike, and, of course, meditate.

About Boulder

Population: 103,000

Elevation: 5,344 feet

25.6 miles from Denver, Colorado’s state capital

300 days of sunshine.

ABOUT
NAROPA
EVENTS &
COMMUNITY
USER
INFORMATION
SUPPORT
NAROPA
Naropa Logo

2130 Arapahoe Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302

1-800-772-6951

admissions@naropa.edu

Worried about a Student?

MyNaropa
Facebook X-twitter Instagram Youtube Linkedin

© 2025 Naropa University. All rights reserved.

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.

“*” indicates required fields

CLOSE

Search Naropa University
Search

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. 

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. 

Naropa Logo

Naropa Campuses Closed on Friday, March 15, 2024

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.

  • Apply!
  • Apply!
Apply!