50 Largest Colleges in the US – 2025

Did you know that there are over 5,900 colleges and universities in the US? That is a lot of options to choose from. How do you decide on the best fit for you? Just as there are many schools to choose from, so too are there many contributing factors to a student’s final decision. For example, prospective students may consider campus beauty, campus location, student life, and prestige before their final decision. As well, many prospective students will think about campus size. Attending one of the largest colleges in the US by enrollment could also be a defining factor in any student’s decision.

Benefits of the Largest Universities in the US

Attending a large college may not be for every student. However, there are some considerable benefits to enrolling at a large campus.

For some students, their area of academic interest could be niche or specialized. Bigger schools tend to have more options for majors. Plus, larger schools could also offer more scholarship opportunities for these majors.

Suffice it to say, a large college will also typically mean a larger class size. While this may feel daunting for some students, others will be relieved to know that classes will not fill as quickly. This feature can make course sign-ups a breeze.

Outside of academics, the largest colleges in the US also tend to offer more nationally recognized sporting programs, such as D1 opportunities, for student-athletes. Along with the opportunities for athletes comes the opportunity for a more focused and spirited student life on campus. This includes highly-attended yearly events like homecoming or other traditions around game days.

Largest Colleges in US by Enrollment (Continued)

School spirit could also be shown in one of the many student organizations and clubs that a large campus provides. With more faculty to sponsor these organizations, and more students with an interest, there can be hundreds of opportunities to get involved.

If attending one of the largest universities in the US sounds like it could be the right fit for you, then look no further. Below we have assembled a list of the 50 largest colleges in the country. Our rankings are arranged by total student enrollment. In some cases, this does include online and part-time student enrollment.

Ranking also include the campus location and acceptance rate for a more comprehensive overview of the institution.

University Name	University Location	Total Enrollment	Acceptance Rate
1)     Liberty University	Lynchburg, Virginia	140,000+ across both online and residential; 16,131 residential	99%

Liberty is one of the largest colleges in the US. It is a private, evangelical Christian university with both a residential campus and many online programs. For example, the university also offers the Liberty University Online Academy, which offers Christian-focused online education for students K-12.

With over 8,400 students living on campus, the overall population accounts for representation from all 50 states and over 70 countries. Enrollment continues to rise, with steady growth appearing over the last decade.

2)      Texas A&M

College Station, Texas

77,000+ across all campuses; 72,560 at College Station Campus

63%

It should come as no surprise that Texas A&M is one of the largest colleges in the US. With a large university both in size and enrollment, Texas A&M offers over 5,000 acres in campus size. This large space is needed because enrollment is rising. For the 2024 fall term, enrollment grew 2.1%. This translates into an increase of 1,615 students from the previous year.

Among first-year students admitted this fall, 47% were among the top 10% in their class! However, native Texans continue to dominate the total undergraduate student population, comprising of 94% of the total.

Biggest Colleges US by Enrollment (Continued)

3)      Arizona State University – Tempe

Tempe, Arizona

74,795 total students; 57,485 undergraduate

90%

In the fall 2024 semester, the university welcomed over 9,000 new first-year students from Arizona—a school record. However, the number of students from all campuses, both online in person, is very high. Astonishingly, the university accounts for 181,000 total unique students who enrolled between the fall 2023 through the summer of 2024.

1 in 4 students who enrolled at ASU at the start of the fall 2024 semester are new the university. Overall, over 40,000 new students joined ASU in the fall 2024 semester across undergraduate, graduate, and transfer students.

4)      University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

66,320 across both online and residential; 59,548 undergraduate

41%

UCF is one of the largest universities in the US and is the largest university by enrollment in the state of Florida. Located just 13 miles from downtown Orlando, students live nearby to one of the most visited cities in the world.

Undergraduate students have the option to choose from over 100-degree programs across 13 colleges. The most popular majors are psychology, computer science, and the health sciences – pre-clinical track.

Largest Colleges in US by Enrollment (Continued)

5)      The Ohio State University

Columbus, Ohio

61,443 at the Columbus campus; 46,815 undergraduates

53%

Out of the total student population, over 50,000 students comprise the undergraduate level. Ohio residents account for 71.1% of total student population, making up the majority. Interestingly, New York is the second-highest state to account for overall student enrollment.

International students on campus represent over 10 countries and account for 6,305 of the total enrollment as of fall 2024. Since 2020, intentional student enrollment has increased by nearly 1,000 students per term.

Biggest colleges in the US – Cont’d

6)      New York University

New York, New York

61,890 total enrollment; 29,760 undergraduate

12%

The class of 2027 saw the most diverse undergraduate class in the school’s history. At NYU, no one ethnic group accounts for more than 22% of the total student population. Plus, 18% of the class of 2027 represent first-generation college students.

On the NYU campus, there is space for approximately 12,000 students to live on campus. Plus, students also have access to 10 libraries containing more than 6 million volumes of materials.

Largest Colleges in US by Enrollment (Continued)

7)     University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

60,489 total student enrollment; 41,487 undergraduate

23%

In-state residents account for majority of the overall student population, with over 45,000 students registered as Florida residents. With over 6,600 faculty members, there is a 17:1 student to faculty ratio.

Additionally, the campus sits on 2,000 acres and is home to 16 colleges, 26 undergraduate resident halls, and 7 libraries. The Gainesville campus opened in 1906.

Largest Colleges in US by Enrollment (Continued)

8)     Florida International University

Miami, Florida

56,000+ total student enrollment

64%

A public research university, Florida International offers degrees both on campus and online. As of fall 2023, the university reported 44,045 students enrolled at the undergraduate level. International students represent 142 countries.

With nearly 200 degree programs, students have a wide variety of options to choose from. For those who elect to live on campus, they can expect to take advantage of over 300 student clubs and organizations and 17 NCAA teams.

Largest Colleges in US by Enrollment (Continued)

9)      UT-Austin

Austin, Texas

51,913 total students; 42,444 undergraduate

31%

The total student enrollment accounts for more 130 countries, all 50 states, and 9.6% international student enrollment. With 19 colleges and schools, students can take advantage of 17 libraries across the 431-acre main campus.

Women account for 56.3% of the overall student population. Additionally, 22.8% of undergraduates are first-generation college students.

10)  University of Maryland

College Park, Maryland

40,813 total across graduate and undergrad; 30,608 undergraduates

45%

Located only 8 miles from Washington D.C., University of Maryland is a diverse and thriving campus. With almost 15,000 faculty and staff members across 12 colleges, there are 309 academic programs to choose from.

In the total student population, 76.3% of students are Maryland residents. 23.7% of students are non-Maryland residents, including intentional students from over 120 countries.

Largest Colleges in the US – Continued

University Name	University Location	Student Enrollment	Acceptance Rate
11.      Penn State	Centre County, Pennsylvania	73,250 total undergraduate	54%
12.      University of Minnesota – Twin Cities	Minneapolis, Minnesota	68,366 total; 54,890 Twin Cities Campus	75%
13.      Rutgers University	New Brunswick, New Jersey	67,200 students total	66%
14.      University of Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	60,617 total; more than 9,300 first-year students fall 2024	87%
15.      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Champaign, Illinois	56,403 total student enrollment; 35,467 undergraduate	45%

List Continued

16.      University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, Ohio	53,235 total	86%
17.      University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, Michigan	52,855 total students; 34,4454 undergraduate	18%
18.      Michigan State University	East Lansing, Michigan	52,089 total students	84%
19.      University of California – Davis	Davis, California	51,312 total	37%
20.      Purdue University – West Lafayette Campus	West Lafayette, Indiana	50,408 total; 40,735 undergraduate	49.8%
21.      University of Washington – Seattle Campus	Seattle, Washington	50,097 total enrollment; 33,973 undergraduate	48%
22.      University of South Florida	St. Petersburg, Florida	50,000+ across 3 campuses	41%

Biggest Universities (Continued)

23.      University of Wisconsin – Madison	Madison, Wisconsin	48,557 total; 34,212 undergraduate	49%
24.      Indiana University – Bloomington	Bloomington, Indiana	48,424 total	80%
25.      University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	47,000 total enrollment; 21,000 undergraduate	12%
26.      University of Houston	Houston, Texas	46,676 total; 37,356 undergraduate	66%
27.      UCLA	Los Angeles, California	46,676 total; 33,040 undergraduate	9%
28.      University of North Texas	Denton, Texas	46,000+ total	79%
29.      University of California – Berkeley	Berkeley, California	45,699 total; 33,078 undergraduate; fall 2024 admitted 19,213 new students	11%
30.      Kennesaw State University	Kennesaw, Georgia	45,152 total; 40,591 undergraduate	68%
31.      Utah Valley University	Orem, Utah	44,653 total	100%
32.  Florida State University	Tallahassee, Florida	43,701 total; 28,928 full-time undergraduate	25%
33.  University of California – San Diego	San Diego, California	43,381 total	24%

Biggest Universities (Continued)

34.      California State University – Fullerton	Fullerton, California	41,962 total	67%
35.      University of Georgia	Athens, Georgia	41,615 total; 31,514 undergraduate	43%
36.      Texas Tech University	Lubbock, Texas	41,045 total	67%
37.      University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	40,846 total	80%
38.      Texas State University	San Marcos, Texas	40,678 total	88%
39.      George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	43,521 at US Campus only	90%
40.      California State University – Long Beach	Long Beach, California	39,530 total	40%
41.      University of Colorado – Boulder	Boulder, Colorado	38,428 total	81%
42.      North Carolina State University	Raleigh, North Carolina	38,000+ total students	47%
43.  Virginia Tech	Blacksburg, Virginia	38,000+ total	57%

Largest Colleges in the US by Enrollment (Continued)

44.      University of California – Irvine	Irvine, California	37,350 total; 29,503 undergraduate; record number of in-state first-year students in fall 2024	21%
45.      San Diego State University	San Diego, California	37,000+ total	39%
46.      California State University – Northridge	Los Angeles, California	36,000+ full- and part-time students	91%
47.      University of Iowa	Iowa City, Iowa	30,779 total	86%
48.      Temple University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	30,530 total; 21,942 undergraduate	80%
49.      Iowa State University	Ames, Iowa	30,177 total; 25,332 undergraduate	90%
50.      Baylor University	Waco, Texas	19,875 total; 14,401 undergraduate	46%

Largest Colleges in the US by Enrollment – In Review

Attending one of the largest universities in the US has its perks. Sizable universities are typically well-prepared to offer an abundance of student organizations, including Greek life, and are often located in populous cities. Living in a large city means more connections to internships, job opportunities, and valuable networks to utilize post-graduation.

But, just because the college is located in a big city doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on safety. In fact, the largest universities in the US often prioritize their safety measures to ensure that students feel comfortable both on campus and commuting to and from home.

Overall, there are many benefits to applying for and enrolling in one of the largest colleges in the US. If you are interested in an extensive alumni network, specialized course offerings, and getting involved in a variety of student social events, then a large campus could be just the right fit for you!