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

Biddeford, Maine

6,573

Boston, Massachusetts

6,356

Poughkeepsie, New York

6,356

High Point, North Carolina

6,331

Cedarville, Ohio

6,318

Azusa, California

6,272

Birmingham, Alabama

6,097

Harrogate, Tennessee

6,081

West Hartford, Connecticut

6,015

Saint Paul, Minnesota

6,003

Boston, Massachusetts

5,945

Tulsa, Oklahoma

5,936

Aurora, Illinois

5,923

North Andover, Massachusetts

5,862

Indianapolis, Indiana

5,746

Parkville, Missouri

5,736

Chester, Pennsylvania

5,713

Saint Louis, Missouri

5,699

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.