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

West Hartford, Connecticut

1,952

Sioux Center, Iowa

1,952

Washington, District Of Columbia

1,948

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

1,939

Moorhead, Minnesota

1,935

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

1,927

Oakland, California

1,926

East Greenwich, Rhode Island

1,922

Greencastle, Indiana

1,917

Amherst, Massachusetts

1,914

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

1,907

Saint Peter, Minnesota

1,906

San Rafael, California

1,900

Saint Petersburg, Florida

1,893

Storm Lake, Iowa

1,890

Los Angeles, California

1,881

Brunswick, Maine

1,881

San Dimas, California

1,881

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.