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.
| College | Enrollment |
|---|---|
|
Belhaven University
Jackson, Mississippi |
4,213 |
|
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California |
4,210 |
|
Lindsey Wilson College
Columbia, Kentucky |
4,193 |
|
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, Massachusetts |
4,191 |
|
Gannon University
Erie, Pennsylvania |
4,189 |
|
Mississippi College
Clinton, Mississippi |
4,164 |
|
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida |
4,147 |
|
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas, Texas |
4,124 |
|
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio |
4,106 |
|
Marymount University
Arlington, Virginia |
4,060 |
|
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York |
4,033 |
|
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut |
4,011 |
|
Rider University
Lawrenceville, New Jersey |
4,003 |
|
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois |
3,997 |
|
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, Ohio |
3,976 |
|
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania |
3,969 |
|
Iona University
New Rochelle, New York |
3,958 |
|
Baker College
Owosso, Michigan |
3,955 |
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.