These 25 powerhouse schools are as impressive as they are huge. Big colleges are some of the most well-known across the country. With so many students, you’re bound to find a spirited community and lots of academic opportunities.
For the purposes of the list, we count large colleges as having over 10,000 undergraduate students enrolled.
Note: The student enrollment numbers you see on the “top large colleges” list account for the school’s total student enrollment – that is, undergraduates and graduate students.
Big campuses, big student bodies, big facilities, and big reputations—these 25 colleges are the best the biggest have to offer. Check them out below!
Top 25 Best Large Colleges
The University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1740, primarily by Benjamin Franklin, who was also their first president. Franklin Field, where the Quakers play in the NCAA Division I – Ivy League, is named after the founder. With a 95% first year retention rate, 86% of students will go on to graduate in four years. 96% will graduate in six.
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
26,552
Thomas Jefferson founded The University of Virginia. The school had a Board of Visitors that included Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison. Well known for its secret societies, the school is also known for their sporting accomplishments. The Cavaliers, who wear orange and blue, have over 30 championship wins. Over 25,000 students are currently attending.
Location
Charlottesville, VA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
25,628
Cornell University is made up of seven undergraduate colleges and seven graduate divisions. Some famous alumni have been Christopher Reeve, Bill Nye, E.B. White, and Anthony Fauci. 96% of students stay on after the first year, with 95% graduating within six years. Computer Science is the most popular major.
Location
Ithaca, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
23,620
A fairly large school, the University of Michigan has over 47,000 students attending, which includes about 31,300 undergraduate students. The two most commonly chosen majors are Computer and Information Sciences and Business Administration. However, Economics, Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology, and Experimental Psychology are also popular.
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
47,907
The University of California – Berkeley has over 42,000 students, with over 30,000 undergraduates and just under 12,000 graduate students. It was the state’s first land-grant university and the first campus in the school system. The California Golden Bears, competing in the Pac-12 conference, have won over 100 national championships.
Location
Berkeley, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
42,327
The University of California in Los Angeles is a very large school with over 44,500 students. A public land-grant research university, it’s the second-oldest branch of the school system. Its motto is “fiat lux,” or “let there be light.” Famous alumni have included Sean Astin, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Morhaime, Jim Morrison, and Troy Aikman. It has an acceptance rate of 14.3%.
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
44,589
The University of Southern California is an extremely large school. It has over 46,000 students, including around 19,780 undergraduates and 26,500 graduates. The most popular major by far for undergraduates is Business Administration and Management. Some notable alumni include LeVar Burton, Neil Armstrong, Will Ferrell, and George Lucas.
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
46,287
Commonly called NYU, you can find this university in the heart of Manhattan. They have a relatively low acceptance rate of 21%. Liberal Arts and Sciences is the top major, but Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, and Cinematography and Film are not far behind. The school has produced a number of famous alumni including Martin Scorsese, Jack Dorsey, Robert Muller III, and Alec Baldwin.
Location
New York City, NY
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
52,775
A very large school, the University of Florida has over 53,000 students, with about 35,000 undergraduates and 18,400 graduates. Part of the Southeastern Conference, they offer a wide variety of sports from football to gymnastics and have over 500 athletes. They are known as the Gators and wear orange and blue uniforms.
Location
Gainesville, FL
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
53,372
The University of Maryland at College Park is a larger school with over 30,000 undergraduates and over 9,000 graduates. A majority of incoming students attending are from Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. It’s often called a “Public Ivy,” because of its comparable education to Ivy League schools, and has extremely high research activity. Computer Science is the most popular major.
Location
College Park, MD
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
40,709
The University of North at Chapel Hill goes by several different names including UNC, Chapel Hill, and Carolina. It’s a public research university and the flagship of the school system. Enrolling students in 1795, it’s one of the oldest public schools in the country. UNC became coeducational in 1877 and began admitting African-American graduate students in 1951.
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
30,092
Also known as UT Austin, UT, or Texas, the University of Texas at Austin was founded in 1883, but the first mention of it can be traced back to 1827. Famous alumni include Wes Anderson, James Baker, Matthew McConaughey, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. The two most popular majors at UT are Biological Sciences and Economics.
Location
Austin, TX
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
50,476
Boston University got its start in 1839 in Vermont as the Newbury Biblical Institute. It would move to Boston in 1867. Today, it is one of the largest employers in the city. Famous individuals who have been associated with the school include Elie Wiesel, Martin Luther King Jr., President William Howard Taft, and Howard Stern. The university accepts only 20% of applicants.
Location
Boston, MA
Institution Type
Private
Student Enrollment
32,718
The southernmost campus of the University of California system, it is located close to the Pacific Ocean. The school covers over 200 undergraduate programs, 19 organized research units, and boasts the region’s only academic Health System. The school has a 94% first year retention rate. Some alumni of the San Diego school include Angela Davis, Mike Judge, and David J. Peterson.
Location
La Jolla, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
39,576
Also referred to as Georgia Tech, this public research university was founded in 1885 as part of the Reconstruction plans post Civil War. At first, it only offered degrees in Mechanical Engineering. In 1901, it would also offer Chemical, Civil, and Electrical engineering. Today, the top two majors are Computer and Information Sciences and Mechanical Engineering.
Location
Atlanta, GA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
39,771
The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign is a public land-grant research university. It was one of 37 universities that came out of the Morrill Land-Grant Act. When the school opened, there were only 77 students and 2 faculty members. Today, over 52,000 students attend, including over 33,000 undergraduates.
Location
Champaign, IL
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
52,679
The University of Wisconsin - Madison was the first public university in the state as it was founded when Wisconsin received statehood in 1848. Their motto is “Numen Lumen” or “Divine Light.” It’s also the largest employer in the state as it has over 21,600 faculty and staff. There are 136 undergraduate majors with Economics and Computer and Information Sciences being the most popular.
Location
Madison, WI
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
44,640
Part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Binghamton University sees most of their incoming students come from the home state, though many will also come from New Jersey. The Bearcats compete in sports such as soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and track. Baxter the Bearcat is their mascot.
Location
East Vestal, NY
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
18,148
The University of Georgia has an acceptance rate of just over 48% and many students will go on to major in Finance, Psychology, and Biology. It’s one of the oldest public schools in the United States (founded in 1785). This Public Ivy university has quite a few famous alumni graduates including state governors, football players, scientists, Pulitzer Prize winners, and more.
Location
Athens, GA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
39,147
New Brunswick is one of the regional campuses of Rutgers University, and the oldest of the three. The school has 19 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, with a high number of undergraduates majoring in Computer and Information Sciences, General Psychology, and General Biology and Biological Sciences. They have a 67% acceptance rate.
Location
New Brunswick, NJ
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
50,411
Part of the University of California system, the Santa Barbara campus is located on the Campus Point State Marine Conservation Area. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics are by far the most commonly chosen majors, but Sociology, Communication, and Experimental Psychology are also top choices.
Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
26,179
Also known as UCI or UC Irvine, this public land-grant research university offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and professional degrees. The UC Irvine Anteaters are part of the Big West Conference and 53 alumni have gone on to compete in the Olympics (33 medals). Computer science is the most commonly chosen major at the school.
Location
Irvine, CA
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
36,303
The University of Connecticut campus is 4,400 acres and just 90 minutes from Boston. It was founded in 1881 and originally known as the Storrs Agricultural School. They accept just under 56% of applicants. UConn is also considered a Public Ivy and has produced famous scholars, actors, authors, inventors, and entrepreneurs.
Location
Storrs, CT
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
27,215
A land-grant research university, Ohio State is known as a Public Ivy. Getting its start in 1870, it was originally known as the Ohio Agriculture and Mechanical College. The Buckeyes take part in the Big Ten Conference and are well known for their football program. With over 1,000 athletes, other popular sports at the school include track, baseball, ice hockey, and fencing.
Location
Columbus, OH
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
61,369
The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities’ campus is actually made up of two locations, 3 miles apart: Minneapolis and Falcon Heights. Also known as U of M or Minnesota, their motto is “Commune vinculum omnibus artibus” or “A common bond for all the arts.” It’s the largest and oldest school in the University of Minnesota system and actually got its start in 1851, before Minnesota was even a state.
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Institution Type
Public
Student Enrollment
52,017
Interested in any of these schools? Check out College Raptor’s free match tool to see if they’re a good fit for you!
Methodology
Colleges are ranked based on a combination of factors, including graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, and other data as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently-available enrollment year. Some colleges may have been excluded from rankings based on certain criteria, including specialization and classification. Learn about our full methodology.
