United States Private Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 1262 private colleges in the United States with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. Western Governors University leads the list with a population of 210,208 students.

Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.

List of United States Private Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College Enrollment

Nashville, Tennessee

5,017
5,016

Rockville Centre, New York

5,005

Indianapolis, Indiana

5,000

Buies Creek, North Carolina

4,963

Honolulu, Hawaii

4,921

Newberg, Oregon

4,916

Baltimore, Maryland

4,897

Grand Rapids, Michigan

4,815

Peoria, Illinois

4,777

River Forest, Illinois

4,770

West Long Branch, New Jersey

4,767

Ithaca, New York

4,767

San Diego, California

4,757

Scranton, Pennsylvania

4,724

Anderson, South Carolina

4,710

Searcy, Arkansas

4,696

Boston, Massachusetts

4,666

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.