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

San Francisco, California

1,874

Davidson, North Carolina

1,869

Rocklin, California

1,865

Tacoma, Washington

1,864

Orlando, Florida

1,861

Memphis, Tennessee

1,861

Arkadelphia, Arkansas

1,858

Demorest, Georgia

1,857

Des Moines, Iowa

1,856

Virginia Beach, Virginia

1,853

Orangeburg, South Carolina

1,852

Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota

1,846
1,841

Lake Forest, Illinois

1,837

Boston, Massachusetts

1,835

Fayetteville, North Carolina

1,822

Spartanburg, South Carolina

1,817
1,813

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.