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

Pippa Passes, Kentucky

589

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

589

Overland Park, Kansas

588

Annapolis, Maryland

583

Lynchburg, Virginia

581

Denmark, South Carolina

578

Bismarck, North Dakota

576
573

Columbia, Missouri

568

Defiance, Ohio

568

Conroe, Texas

568

Jenkintown, Pennsylvania

567

Santa Paula, California

566

Grayson, Kentucky

550

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

549

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

549
548

Conway, Arkansas

547

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.