United States Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 1538 public colleges in the United States with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. Ivy Tech Community College leads the list with a population of 110,710 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 Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College Enrollment

Stockton, California

20,969
20,905

Portland, Oregon

20,861

Mission Viejo, California

20,764

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

20,488

Charlotte, North Carolina

20,375

Manhattan, Kansas

20,295

Memphis, Tennessee

20,276
20,123

New York, New York

20,081

San Antonio, Texas

20,060
20,028
19,973

Portland, Oregon

19,951

Santa Cruz, California

19,938

Sacramento, California

19,920

San Antonio, Texas

19,901

Vincennes, Indiana

19,795

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.