California Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 148 public colleges in California with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. University of California Los Angeles leads the list with a population of 47,335 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 California Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College Enrollment
12,326

Ventura, California

12,222

Glendale, California

12,075

Moreno Valley, California

11,920

Orange, California

11,897

Oceanside, California

11,478

Santa Maria, California

11,463

Norco, California

11,351

San Luis Obispo, California

11,283

Salinas, California

11,273

Folsom, California

11,098

Oroville, California

10,968

Huntington Beach, California

10,721

Sylmar, California

10,690

Glendora, California

10,429

Bakersfield, California

10,419

Fresno, California

10,358

San Mateo, California

9,901

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.