New York Private Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 127 private colleges in New York with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. New York University leads the list with a population of 56,832 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 New York Private Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College	Enrollment
New York University New York, New York	56,832
Columbia University in the City of New York New York, New York	35,173
Cornell University Ithaca, New York	26,793
Syracuse University Syracuse, New York	22,589
St. John's University New York Queens, New York	19,389
Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New York	17,098
Long Island University Brookville, New York	16,689
Fordham University Bronx, New York	16,150
Pace University New York, New York	13,634
Excelsior University Albany, New York	12,941
University of Rochester Rochester, New York	11,946
Touro University New York, New York	11,937
Hofstra University Hempstead, New York	10,685
The New School New York, New York	9,068
Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, New York	8,991
Adelphi University Garden City, New York	7,603
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York	7,040
Yeshiva University New York, New York	6,965

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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.