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

Billings, Montana

36

Scranton, Pennsylvania

34

Washington, District Of Columbia

34

Arundel, Maine

32

Gering, Nebraska

32
32

Memphis, Tennessee

32

San Antonio, Texas

32

Chicago, Illinois

29

Miami Beach, Florida

28

Dunn, North Carolina

26

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

26
25

Bedford, Missouri

24

Medford, Oregon

22

South Point, Ohio

21
17

Berkeley, California

6

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.