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

Columbia, Missouri

5,689

Detroit, Michigan

5,587

Chicago, Illinois

5,570

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

5,514

Cincinnati, Ohio

5,501

La Mirada, California

5,434

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

5,381

Brooklyn, New York

5,356

Waltham, Massachusetts

5,333

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

5,321

Moon Township, Pennsylvania

5,275

Madison, Wisconsin

5,274

Boston, Massachusetts

5,263

Mequon, Wisconsin

5,253

Washington, District Of Columbia

5,243
5,219

Waltham, Massachusetts

5,205

La Verne, California

5,021

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.