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

Emmitsburg, Maryland

2,408

Wellesley, Massachusetts

2,407

Rochester, New York

2,401

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

2,397

Granville, Ohio

2,394

Lebanon, Illinois

2,392

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

2,390

Grove City, Pennsylvania

2,383

Los Alamitos, California

2,358

Siloam Springs, Arkansas

2,350

Crestview Hills, Kentucky

2,350
2,349
2,334

Westerville, Ohio

2,332

Lynchburg, Virginia

2,316

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

2,314

Spokane, Washington

2,314

Los Angeles, California

2,312

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.