Naropa Sells Main Campus, Betting on Online Future

Naropa University, at a crossroads of financial challenges and new opportunities for online expansion, is selling its main campus in Boulder, Colo. Administrators say the move is necessary to invest in future growth, but many graduates are mourning the loss of a beloved site. Naropa, which was founded in 1974 by Buddhists—whose influence still permeates the university—has faced a series of financial issues, including the expensive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising operating costs. The institution has lost money year over year for much of the last decade. But the university has also made a strong post-pandemic push into online education. Officials have added new programs, such as psychedelic-assisted therapy, and enrollment has ticked up.