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

Laurinburg, North Carolina

676

Murfreesboro, North Carolina

675

Putney, Vermont

672

Pablo, Montana

671
670

San Francisco, California

669

West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

663

Notre Dame, Indiana

661

Elkins, West Virginia

661

Batesville, Arkansas

659

Memphis, Tennessee

659
658
648

Bluffton, Ohio

646

Oakland, California

640

Oakland City, Indiana

640

Fulton, Missouri

640

Bethany, West Virginia

640

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.