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

Raleigh, North Carolina

1,465

Leavenworth, Kansas

1,462

Baltimore, Maryland

1,459

Young Harris, Georgia

1,457
1,454

Point Lookout, Missouri

1,454
1,452

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

1,450

Bridgewater, Virginia

1,448

Latrobe, Pennsylvania

1,440

Georgetown, Texas

1,440

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

1,439

Detroit, Michigan

1,433

Circleville, Ohio

1,431

Haverford, Pennsylvania

1,431

Saint Joseph, Minnesota

1,429

College Place, Washington

1,426

Atlanta, Georgia

1,425

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.