California Private Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 102 private colleges in California with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. University of Southern California leads the list with a population of 46,566 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 California Private Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College	Enrollment
University of Southern California Los Angeles, California	46,566
University of the People Pasadena, California	41,961
National University San Diego, California	22,115
Stanford University Stanford, California	18,625
California Baptist University Riverside, California	11,902
Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, California	10,179
Chapman University Orange, California	9,760
Santa Clara University Santa Clara, California	9,728
University of San Diego San Diego, California	9,714
Pepperdine University Malibu, California	8,976
University of San Francisco San Francisco, California	8,913
University of the Pacific Stockton, California	6,944
Azusa Pacific University Azusa, California	6,272
Biola University La Mirada, California	5,434
University of La Verne La Verne, California	5,021
Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, California	4,757
Loma Linda University Loma Linda, California	4,210
Concordia University Irvine Irvine, California	3,658

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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.