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
275
274

Claremont, California

271
270

Fayetteville, North Carolina

268

Peoria, Illinois

267
264
264

Anaheim, California

263

Santa Barbara, California

263
257

Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania

255

Nevada, Missouri

254
254
250

Dallas, Texas

248

Kansas City, Missouri

244

South Fallsburg, New York

243

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.