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
2,592

Valparaiso, Indiana

2,579

Rock Island, Illinois

2,570

Saint Paul, Minnesota

2,565

Chicago, Illinois

2,557

Cambridge, Massachusetts

2,557

Buffalo, New York

2,556

Greenville, South Carolina

2,554

Upland, Indiana

2,548

Pikeville, Kentucky

2,547

Amherst, New York

2,540

Albany, New York

2,538

Atchison, Kansas

2,535

Scranton, Pennsylvania

2,530
2,525

Providence, Rhode Island

2,520

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

2,519

Weston, Massachusetts

2,517

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.