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.
| College | Enrollment |
|---|---|
|
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia |
22,740 |
|
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California |
22,563 |
|
CUNY Hunter College
New York, New York |
22,538 |
|
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana |
22,534 |
|
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, California |
22,460 |
|
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
22,450 |
|
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan |
22,011 |
|
Front Range Community College
Westminster, Colorado |
21,970 |
|
Cerritos College
Norwalk, California |
21,859 |
|
Riverside City College
Riverside, California |
21,730 |
|
El Camino Community College District
Torrance, California |
21,664 |
|
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina |
21,570 |
|
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois |
21,546 |
|
Hillsborough Community College
Tampa, Florida |
21,483 |
|
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana |
21,089 |
|
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas |
21,039 |
|
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey |
21,026 |
|
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California |
20,986 |
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.