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

Bozeman, Montana

17,135

Costa Mesa, California

17,096

Mesa, Arizona

17,077

Woodland Hills, California

16,906

Norfolk, Virginia

16,884

Kalamazoo, Michigan

16,744

Wichita, Kansas

16,689
16,642

Fort Myers, Florida

16,612

Lowell, Massachusetts

16,598
16,451

Warren, Michigan

16,300

Bowling Green, Kentucky

16,291

Tucson, Arizona

16,283
16,237

Jacksonville, Florida

16,154

Valley Glen, California

15,999

Queens, New York

15,965

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.