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

Quincy, Massachusetts

60
60
60
59
58

Craftsbury Common, Vermont

57

Lakewood, New Jersey

57
56
53

Port Hadlock, Washington

50

Spokane, Washington

48

Nashville, Tennessee

46

Boston, Massachusetts

43
43

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

41
39

Palmer, Alaska

38

Flagstaff, Arizona

38

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.