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

Oneonta, New York

1,097

Langhorne, Pennsylvania

1,097

Toledo, Ohio

1,096

Clinton, South Carolina

1,095

Boulder, Colorado

1,094

Mount Vernon, Iowa

1,094

Franklin, Massachusetts

1,092

Tiffin, Ohio

1,091

Caldwell, Idaho

1,090

Pella, Iowa

1,084

New York, New York

1,084

New Orleans, Louisiana

1,080

Decatur, Georgia

1,079

New York, New York

1,073

Buffalo, New York

1,069

Pasadena, California

1,068
1,067

Palo Alto, California

1,065

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.