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

Jacksonville, Illinois

942

Toppenish, Washington

937

Pineville, Louisiana

936

Salisbury, North Carolina

936

Buena Vista, Virginia

936
933

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

929

Bennington, Vermont

927

Green Bay, Wisconsin

927

Concord, North Carolina

924

Chestertown, Maryland

923

Mobile, Alabama

919
916

Due West, South Carolina

912

Surprise, Arizona

912

Banner Elk, North Carolina

910

Culver City, California

910

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.