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

Claremont, California

1,700

Riverside, California

1,574

Claremont, California

1,393

Santa Barbara, California

1,310

San Francisco, California

1,308

Valencia, California

1,277

Los Angeles, California

1,267

Claremont, California

1,242

Claremont, California

1,137

Pasadena, California

1,068

Palo Alto, California

1,065

Fullerton, California

1,025

Redding, California

992

Angwin, California

974

Claremont, California

951

Culver City, California

910
852

Burbank, California

849

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.