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

Rochester, New York

3,693

Owings Mills, Maryland

3,684

Grand Rapids, Michigan

3,681

Springfield, Massachusetts

3,674

Irvine, California

3,658

Saint Paul, Minnesota

3,651
3,650

Smithfield, Rhode Island

3,636

Utica, New York

3,627

Saint Paul, Minnesota

3,603

Kansas City, Missouri

3,577

Jersey City, New Jersey

3,572

Boca Raton, Florida

3,514

Portland, Oregon

3,504

New York, New York

3,487

Indianapolis, Indiana

3,486

Chicago, Illinois

3,485
3,479

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.