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

Lincoln, Nebraska

729

Temple Terrace, Florida

728

Springfield, Missouri

724

Albany, New York

722

Raleigh, North Carolina

722

Cromwell, Connecticut

719

Graceville, Florida

717
717

Winter Park, Florida

717

Monmouth, Illinois

713

Shreveport, Louisiana

712

Ripon, Wisconsin

709
699

Sterling, Kansas

694

Owensboro, Kentucky

690
690
683

Scranton, Pennsylvania

678

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.