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

Portland, Oregon

3,285

Henniker, New Hampshire

3,275
3,264

Burlington, Vermont

3,259

Minneapolis, Minnesota

3,249

Boca Raton, Florida

3,242

Saint Paul, Minnesota

3,234

Collegedale, Tennessee

3,229

Riverdale, New York

3,225

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

3,225

Wake Forest, North Carolina

3,220

New Orleans, Louisiana

3,218

Lakeland, Florida

3,211

Hamilton, New York

3,211

Nashville, Tennessee

3,195

Abilene, Texas

3,175

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

3,153

Northfield, Vermont

3,149

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.