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

Tacoma, Washington

464
454

Baltimore, Maryland

449

Melrose Park, Pennsylvania

449

Birmingham, Alabama

444

Sweet Briar, Virginia

444

New London, Connecticut

442

San Francisco, California

439

Oakland, California

436

Atlanta, Georgia

435

Springfield, Missouri

434
431

Jacksonville, Florida

427

Purcellville, Virginia

425

Los Angeles, California

424

Quartzsite, California

424
419
418

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.