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.
| College | Enrollment |
|---|---|
|
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
1,808 |
|
Limestone University
Gaffney, South Carolina |
1,807 |
|
Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia |
1,804 |
|
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, New York |
1,798 |
|
Nelson University
Waxahachie, Texas |
1,794 |
|
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan |
1,792 |
|
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa |
1,788 |
|
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, Maryland |
1,788 |
|
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania |
1,788 |
|
Converse University
Spartanburg, South Carolina |
1,787 |
|
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, Massachusetts |
1,785 |
|
Ranken Technical College
Saint Louis, Missouri |
1,784 |
|
Siena Heights University
Adrian, Michigan |
1,781 |
|
Huntington University
Huntington, Indiana |
1,776 |
|
Christian Brothers University
Memphis, Tennessee |
1,772 |
|
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia |
1,772 |
|
Missouri Valley College
Marshall, Missouri |
1,770 |
|
Adrian College
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.