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

Raleigh, North Carolina

175
174
173

Ridgeland, Mississippi

170
170

Pasadena, California

168

Nashville, Tennessee

166

Brooklyn, New York

164
163

Schenectady, New York

162

El Cajon, California

161

Grand Rapids, Michigan

161

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

161

Manhattan, Kansas

160

Dallas, Texas

160

Long Beach, New York

159

Torrance, California

158

Brooklyn, New York

157

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.