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

Houston, Texas

8,704
8,694
8,681

Columbia, Maryland

8,643

Rochester, New York

8,641

Galloway, New Jersey

8,631

San Jose, California

8,609
8,601
8,587

Durham, North Carolina

8,579
8,564

Locust Grove, Virginia

8,544

Greeley, Colorado

8,542

Syracuse, New York

8,537
8,523

Charleston, Illinois

8,505

Belleville, Illinois

8,492

Coon Rapids, Minnesota

8,486

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.