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 |
|---|---|
|
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky |
1,006 |
|
Cleary University
Howell, Michigan |
1,004 |
|
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin |
1,004 |
|
Goldey Beacom College
Wilmington, Delaware |
1,001 |
|
Ottawa University Ottawa
Ottawa, Kansas |
999 |
|
Simpson University
Redding, California |
992 |
|
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz
Brooklyn, New York |
986 |
|
Franklin College
Franklin, Indiana |
985 |
|
North American University
Stafford, Texas |
983 |
|
Southern Wesleyan University
Central, South Carolina |
980 |
|
The University of Olivet
Olivet, Michigan |
979 |
|
Johnson University
Knoxville, Tennessee |
978 |
|
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California |
974 |
|
Colby Sawyer College
New London, New Hampshire |
972 |
|
Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, Ohio |
970 |
|
Blue Mountain Christian University
Blue Mountain, Mississippi |
968 |
|
Hilbert College
Hamburg, New York |
968 |
|
William James College
Newton, Massachusetts |
967 |
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.