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 |
|---|---|
|
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California |
1,310 |
|
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania |
1,309 |
|
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, California |
1,308 |
|
Albion College
Albion, Michigan |
1,308 |
|
Johnson C Smith University
Charlotte, North Carolina |
1,302 |
|
Tougaloo College
Tougaloo, Mississippi |
1,301 |
|
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, Pennsylvania |
1,290 |
|
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
1,288 |
|
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio |
1,285 |
|
Mount Marty University
Yankton, South Dakota |
1,284 |
|
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California |
1,277 |
|
Florida Memorial University
Miami Gardens, Florida |
1,277 |
|
Manchester University
North Manchester, Indiana |
1,276 |
|
College of Our Lady of the Elms
Chicopee, Massachusetts |
1,268 |
|
Otis College of Art and Design
Los Angeles, California |
1,267 |
|
Malone University
Canton, Ohio |
1,256 |
|
Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa |
1,251 |
|
Marian University
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin |
1,246 |
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.