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

Decorah, Iowa

1,384

Reading, Pennsylvania

1,380

Salisbury, North Carolina

1,376

Jamestown, North Dakota

1,376

Keuka Park, New York

1,366

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

1,366

Portland, Oregon

1,358

Georgetown, Kentucky

1,345

Mount Vernon, Georgia

1,338

Washington, District Of Columbia

1,335

Kerrville, Texas

1,326

Hartsville, South Carolina

1,325

Barbourville, Kentucky

1,324

Colchester, Vermont

1,323

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

1,321

Rome, Georgia

1,318

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1,317

Emory, Virginia

1,311

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.