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

San Marcos, California

19,550

Fullerton, California

19,521
19,415

Towson, Maryland

19,401

Albuquerque, New Mexico

19,342

Dahlonega, Georgia

19,291

San Francisco, California

19,267

San Diego, California

19,212

Rocklin, California

19,125

Wilmington, North Carolina

18,848

Tempe, Arizona

18,841
18,838

Rockville, Maryland

18,835

Vestal, New York

18,816

Overland Park, Kansas

18,743

San Bernardino, California

18,492
18,453

Modesto, California

18,258

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.