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

Garden City, New York

7,603

Salt Lake City, Utah

7,594

Worcester, Massachusetts

7,584

Spokane, Washington

7,470

Elon, North Carolina

7,239

Seattle, Washington

7,189

New Gloucester, Maine

7,165

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

7,159
7,047
7,040

Romeoville, Illinois

7,011

New York, New York

6,965

Stockton, California

6,944

Hanover, New Hampshire

6,938

Old Westbury, New York

6,877

Fairfield, Connecticut

6,864

Saint Charles, Missouri

6,826

Miami, Florida

6,825

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.