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

Providence, Rhode Island

6,155
6,148

Cottleville, Missouri

6,143

Alameda, California

6,141

Randolph, New Jersey

6,131
6,121
6,106

Gilroy, California

6,083
6,058

Norfolk, Virginia

6,053

Winona, Minnesota

6,045

Thibodaux, Louisiana

6,043

Topeka, Kansas

6,033

Champaign, Illinois

6,014

Poplarville, Mississippi

6,011

Canandaigua, New York

6,004

Mahwah, New Jersey

5,981

Tullahoma, Tennessee

5,980

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.