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

Harrisonburg, Virginia

1,154

Claremont, California

1,137

Galesburg, Illinois

1,136

Maryville, Tennessee

1,136

Ann Arbor, Michigan

1,135

Hobbs, New Mexico

1,130

Omaha, Nebraska

1,121

Spartanburg, South Carolina

1,119

Conway, Arkansas

1,110

Mars Hill, North Carolina

1,110

Marietta, Ohio

1,109

Painesville, Ohio

1,108

Greenville, Illinois

1,104

Greeneville, Tennessee

1,103
1,102
1,101

Lookout Mountain, Georgia

1,100

Chicago, Illinois

1,100

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.