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

Montgomery, Alabama

639

Dallas, Texas

628
622

San Dimas, California

621

Hillsboro, Kansas

621

Lindsborg, Kansas

615

Tyler, Texas

614

Takoma Park, Maryland

612
611

Flushing, New York

611

Buffalo, New York

611

Columbia, South Carolina

610

Brooklyn, New York

602

Anchorage, Alaska

593

Jackson, Mississippi

593
593

Mission, South Dakota

592
591

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.