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

Cleveland, Ohio

545

Southlake, California

540

York, Nebraska

532

Macon, Georgia

531

Leesburg, Florida

531

Milton, Massachusetts

530

Colorado Springs, Colorado

527

Eureka, Illinois

527

Kenosha, Wisconsin

526

Jacksonville, Texas

518

Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

517

Cleveland, Tennessee

517

New York, New York

516

Brooklyn, New York

515

Carlinville, Illinois

513

Los Angeles, California

510

North Newton, Kansas

509

Lithonia, Georgia

508

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.