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

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

1,808

Gaffney, South Carolina

1,807

Salem, Virginia

1,804

Bronxville, New York

1,798

Waxahachie, Texas

1,794

Hillsdale, Michigan

1,792

Grinnell, Iowa

1,788

Baltimore, Maryland

1,788

Allentown, Pennsylvania

1,788

Spartanburg, South Carolina

1,787

Norton, Massachusetts

1,785

Saint Louis, Missouri

1,784

Adrian, Michigan

1,781

Huntington, Indiana

1,776

Memphis, Tennessee

1,772

Staunton, Virginia

1,772

Marshall, Missouri

1,770

Adrian, Michigan

1,765

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.