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

Paragould, Arkansas

241
239

Dubuque, Iowa

234
232

Lafayette, Louisiana

230

Beverly, Massachusetts

227

Lakewood, New Jersey

227
226

Mount Hope, West Virginia

223

Santa Fe Springs, California

223

Haviland, Kansas

219

Lynchburg, Virginia

219

Winnebago, Nebraska

218

Westfield, Indiana

218

Cincinnati, Ohio

213

Fayetteville, North Carolina

212

Lansing, Michigan

210

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

210

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.