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 |
|---|---|
|
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois |
942 |
|
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington |
937 |
|
Louisiana Christian University
Pineville, Louisiana |
936 |
|
Livingstone College
Salisbury, North Carolina |
936 |
|
Southern Virginia University
Buena Vista, Virginia |
936 |
|
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
New York, New York |
933 |
|
Peirce College
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
929 |
|
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont |
927 |
|
Bellin College
Green Bay, Wisconsin |
927 |
|
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
Concord, North Carolina |
924 |
|
Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland |
923 |
|
Spring Hill College
Mobile, Alabama |
919 |
|
Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus, Ohio |
916 |
|
Erskine College
Due West, South Carolina |
912 |
|
Ottawa University Surprise
Surprise, Arizona |
912 |
|
Lees McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina |
910 |
|
Antioch University Los Angeles
Culver City, California |
910 |
|
Walsh College
Troy, Michigan |
908 |
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.