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

Lynchburg, Virginia

816

Lagrange, Georgia

813

Kansas City, Missouri

813

Atherton, California

810

Chicago, Illinois

810
810

Brownwood, Texas

809

New Orleans, Louisiana

802
799

Whittier, California

795

Swannanoa, North Carolina

791

Omaha, Nebraska

786

Elmira, New York

786

Marshall, Texas

783

Rosemont, Pennsylvania

781

Little Rock, Arkansas

780

Clarksville, Arkansas

778

Laguna Beach, California

775

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.