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

Oskaloosa, Iowa

1,425
1,423

Ave Maria, Florida

1,423

Glendale, Arizona

1,421

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

1,419

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

1,417

Appleton, Wisconsin

1,417

Chesterfield, Missouri

1,406
1,405

Danville, Kentucky

1,404

Hackettstown, New Jersey

1,398

Orangeburg, New York

1,396
1,396

Claremont, California

1,393

Dudley, Massachusetts

1,392

Lacey, Washington

1,390

Monsey, New York

1,389

Belmont, North Carolina

1,388

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.