Top 10 Largest Universities in the U.S. by Enrollment (Online + On-Campus)
Higher education in America has a new definition of “big.” The largest universities aren’t always the ones with the biggest football stadiums or the most dorms. Today, the true enrollment giants are often online-first institutions, plus a few massive public universities that blend campus scale with digital reach.
Below are the Top 10 largest universities in the United States by total enrollment (online + on-campus) using the most recent widely cited enrollment snapshots and institutional reporting available for the 2025–2026 period. (Enrollment can shift year to year, and reporting methods differ, so consider the numbers “latest published.”).
Read more:
- Top 10 Largest Universities in the United States by On-Campus Enrollment (2026)
- Top 10 Most Largest US Colleges/Universities - by Enrollment, Subscribers
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| 10 largest U.S. universities by total enrollment |
1) Western Governors University (WGU) — 185,015 students
Founded: 1997 | Base: Millcreek, Utah | Website: wgu.edu
Why it’s huge: WGU is built for working adults: fully online, competency-based, and designed for speed. Student feedback often praises flexibility and the “flat-rate term” tuition model (with some noting it demands strong self-discipline).
2) Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) — 184,099 students
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| Southern New Hampshire University |
Founded: 1932 | Base: Manchester, New Hampshire | Website: snhu.edu
What students say: SNHU’s scale comes from one of the biggest online divisions in the U.S. Reviews commonly highlight affordability, transfer-friendly policies, and advisor support—especially for adults balancing work and family.
3) Arizona State University (ASU) — 160,051 students (Fall 2025)
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| Arizona State University (ASU) |
Founded: 1885 | Base: Tempe, Arizona (multi-campus) | Website: asu.edu
The hybrid mega-university: ASU is the rare case that’s enormous both on campus and online, with tens of thousands of digital students alongside multiple Phoenix-area campuses. It’s also repeatedly recognized by U.S. News for innovation, shaping its reputation as a “scale + experimentation” powerhouse.
4) Grand Canyon University (GCU) — 107,563 students
Founded: 1949 | Base: Phoenix, Arizona | Website: gcu.edu
Fast growth story: GCU combines a rapidly expanding campus with a massive online population. The university publicly projected total enrollment above 125,000 for fall 2024, showing just how quickly it’s scaling.
5) Liberty University — 103,068 students
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| Liberty University |
Founded: 1971 | Base: Lynchburg, Virginia | Website: liberty.edu
Big, mission-driven, and debated: Liberty’s total enrollment is powered by a very large online division plus a sizeable residential population. Student experience often emphasizes community and campus resources, but the school has also faced significant national scrutiny over campus safety reporting compliance in recent years.
6) University of Phoenix — 101,150 students
Founded: 1976 | Base: Phoenix, Arizona | Website: phoenix.edu
Built for working adults: One of the earliest large-scale career-focused online universities. The brand remains huge in enrollment terms, with short course formats designed around full-time jobs.
7) University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) — 60,084 students
Founded: 1947 | Base: Adelphi/College Park area, Maryland | Website: www.umgc.edu
Public, global footprint: UMGC is a major public online university serving adult learners, including military-affiliated students, with worldwide locations and large-scale distance education operations.
8) American Public University System (APUS) — 50,187 students
Founded: 1991 | Base: Charles Town, West Virginia | Website: apus.edu
Who it serves: APUS (including AMU/APU) is known for online programs geared toward military and public service communities, with flexible monthly starts and distance-first delivery.
9) Purdue University Global — 44,421 students
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| Purdue University - West Lafayette |
Founded: 2018 | Base: Part of the Purdue system (online) | Website: purdueglobal.edu
What to know: Purdue Global grew from Purdue’s acquisition and rebrand of Kaplan University and focuses on working adults through fully online programs under a major public-university umbrella.
10) Walden University — 44,223 students
Founded: 1970 | Base: Minneapolis, Minnesota | Website: waldenu.edu
Graduate-heavy: Walden is especially large in graduate and doctoral education, with online delivery as its core model and a long-running adult-learner focus.
What Size Really Means at America’s Largest Universities
The largest universities in the United States reflect two dominant models of scale. Institutions such as Southern New Hampshire University, Western Governors University, and University of Phoenix demonstrate how online-first education enables national reach, serving working adults with flexibility and career alignment, though often with limited campus experience.
By contrast, hybrid and flagship institutions such as Arizona State University, Texas A&M University, and Ohio State University balance massive enrollment with strong research output, alumni networks, and employer recognition. Schools like Liberty University, University of Central Florida, Florida International University, and Pennsylvania State University show that scale can also support diverse student bodies and regional workforce needs.
Ultimately, size signals access and capacity, not academic quality alone. The best choice depends on learning style, career goals, and desired campus experience—not enrollment numbers by themselves.
Why these schools dominate “largest university” listsIn plain terms: online scale wins. When a university can serve students nationwide without physical classroom limits, enrollment can jump from tens of thousands to six figures. Meanwhile, hybrid giants like ASU prove that “mega-campus” and “mega-online” can coexist in one institution. |
