Naropa University

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Naropa University

university, Boulder, Colorado, United States

Also known as: Naropa Institute

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Naropa University is a unique institution located in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1974, it offers a distinctive educational approach that blends contemplative studies with traditional Western scholarship. This fusion of Eastern and Western pedagogical traditions aims to provide a holistic learning experience. Boulder itself is a city in north-central Colorado, situated at the base of the Rocky Mountains, known for its scenic beauty and as a center for scientific and environmental research. Naropa University contributes to Boulder's diverse educational landscape, which also includes the University of Colorado.12

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Diane di Prima
…number of institutions, including the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colo., New College of California, California College of Arts and Crafts, and the San Francisco Art Institute.
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…number of institutions, including the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colo., New College of California, California College of Arts and Crafts, and the San Francisco Art Institute.
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Colorado
Education
…(1874), in Colorado Springs, and Naropa University (founded as the Naropa Institute in 1974), in Boulder, which provides “contemplative” education based on a fusion of Eastern and Western pedagogical traditions. Of special note is the U.S. Air Force Academy, authorized by Congress in 1954. In 1958 it moved into its…
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…(1874), in Colorado Springs, and Naropa University (founded as the Naropa Institute in 1974), in Boulder, which provides “contemplative” education based on a fusion of Eastern and Western pedagogical traditions. Of special note is the U.S. Air Force Academy, authorized by Congress in 1954. In 1958 it moved into its…
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Boulder
Boulder is home to Naropa University (1974), a unique school that combines contemplative studies with traditional Western areas of scholarship, and also has a branch of Front Range Community College (founded in 1968 as Community College of Denver).
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Boulder is home to Naropa University (1974), a unique school that combines contemplative studies with traditional Western areas of scholarship, and also has a branch of Front Range Community College (founded in 1968 as Community College of Denver).
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Chögyam Trungpa
…speak at Naropa Institute (now Naropa University), a school he founded in Boulder in 1974 that combined contemplative studies with Western academics. Adopting Western dress and manners, he emphasized meditation and presented Buddhism in a nonsectarian idiom that Westerners would understand.
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…speak at Naropa Institute (now Naropa University), a school he founded in Boulder in 1974 that combined contemplative studies with Western academics. Adopting Western dress and manners, he emphasized meditation and presented Buddhism in a nonsectarian idiom that Westerners would understand.
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Harry Smith
Later life and work
…of Disembodied Poetics at the Naropa Institute (now Naropa University). There he lectured on subjects such as alchemy and Native American cosmologies. Undertaken in New York City and Boulder, his final project, “Materials for the Study of Religion and Culture of the Lower East Side,” was a series of audio…
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…of Disembodied Poetics at the Naropa Institute (now Naropa University). There he lectured on subjects such as alchemy and Native American cosmologies. Undertaken in New York City and Boulder, his final project, “Materials for the Study of Religion and Culture of the Lower East Side,” was a series of audio…
Read More