These colleges are large and in charge. Definitions of “large” colleges might change depending on who you ask, but for the purposes of this list, we’re considering any school that has 10,000 or more undergraduate students. (Note: “student enrollment” within these summaries includes both undergraduate and graduate students).
Check out College Raptor’s list for the Top 25 Best Large Colleges of 2017!
25. University of Georgia
Wikimedia Commons user DXR
Location: Athens, GA
Student Enrollment: 35,197
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
This university has an acceptance rate of 53%, meaning that around 11,600 of the nearly 22,000 applications sent in each year are accepted. The school has an 18 to 1 student to faculty ratio, and a first-year retention rate of 95%. The most popular major on campus is Psychology.
Learn more about the University of Georgia
24. The University of Texas at Austin
Wikimedia Commons user Larry D. Moore
Location: Austin, TX
Student Enrollment: 51,313
College Type: Public, 4-year or above
With over 51,000 students and more than 3,000 faculty, the University of Texas is one of the largest universities in the nation in terms of enrollment. It offers over 100 bachelor’s degrees and 170 graduate degrees. Of these graduate degrees, its Latin, accounting, American history and petroleum engineering programs are ranked number one in the country.
Learn more about the University of Texas at Austin
23. George Washington University
Wikimedia Commons user Mst48
Location: Washington, DC
Student Enrollment: 25,613
College Type: Private, not-for-profit, 4 year or above
Named after the Founding Father and First President of the United States, this university sits in the heart of the country’s capital. It’s only a few blocks away from the White House, and unsurprisingly its most popular majors include: International Relations and Affairs, Political Science and Government, Finance, Psychology, and Economics.
Learn more about George Washington University
22. University of Wisconsin—Madison
Wikimedia Commons user James Steakley
Location: Madison, WI
Student Enrollment: 42,598
College Type: Public, 4 year
Considered one of America’s Public Ivy League institutions, UW is the official state university of Wisconsin. It consists of 20 colleges offering 136 undergraduate degrees, 148 master programs and 120 doctoral programs. It is especially well known for its College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Learn more about the University of Wisconsin- Madison
21. Boston University
Wikimedia Commons user jcpahill
Location: Boston, MA
Student Enrollment: 32,112
College Type: Private, not-for-profit, 4 year or above
Sporting the colors red and white, Boston University sports teams are known as the Terriers, and their mascot is Rhett the Terrier. It was founded in 1869 and given the school motto “Learning, Virtue, Piety.” Undoubtedly the most well-known alumni of BU is Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but other notable alums include inventor Alexander Graham Bell, actress Julianne Moore, and internet personalities Jenna Marbles and Dan Avidan.
Learn more about Boston University
20. University of California—Irvine
Flickr user Mathieu Marquer
Location: Irvine, CA
Student Enrollment: 30,051
College Type: Public, 4-year or above
The top 3 majors at UC-Irvine are: Biology, Public Health, and Social Psychology. Thanks to a student-run contest, the school mascot is an anteater nicknamed Peter, who has even appeared on Conan.
Learn more about the University of California-Irvine
19. Georgia Institute of Technology
Wikimedia Commons user TheCustomOfLife
Location: Atlanta, GA
Student Enrollment: 23,109
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
On this campus, these are the top 5 most popular majors: Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration and Management, Industrial Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences, and Electrical Engineering. It has a 19:1 student-faculty ratio and a first year retention rate of 97%.
Learn more about the Georgia Institute of Technology
18. SUNY at Binghamton
Wikimedia Commons user yohey1028
Location: East Vestal, NY
Student Enrollment: 16,695
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
A doctoral university with extensive research present, SUNY Binghamton freshmen have impressive ACT and SAT scores—on average, they scored between 27 and 31 on the ACT, and between 1,227 and 1,382 on the SAT. They have a 42% acceptance rate.
Learn more about SUNY at Binghamton
17. University of Connecticut
Wikimedia Commons user daderot
Location: Storrs, CT
Student Enrollment: 26,541
College Type: Public, 4 year and above
Also known as UCONN, this university sees nearly 35,000 applications submitted every year, and with an acceptance rate of 53% nearly 18,600 of those applications are accepted. The school is part of the NCAA I-A Division when it comes to athletics. Popular sports on campus include: football, ice hockey, rowing, and swimming / diving.
Learn more about the University of Connecticut
16. Ohio State University
Wikimedia Commons user Ibagli
Location: Columbus, OH
Student Enrollment: 58,322
College Type: Public, 4 Year
OSU has regional campuses throughout Ohio in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark and Wooster. The Buckeyes compete in Division I athletics as a part of the Big 10 Conference. The University was originally established to specialize in agriculture and mechanics but is now a comprehensive top research institution.
Learn more about Ohio State University
15. University of California—Santa Barbara
Flickr user Marcus Bernales
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Student Enrollment: 23,051
College Type: Public, 4-year or above
UC-Santa Barbara has an acceptance rate of 33% and gets around 70,000 applications each year. The UC-Santa Barbara campus is known for being very bicycle-friendly, and is also considered a Public Ivy.
Learn more about the University of California-Santa Barbara
14. University of California—San Diego
Wikimedia Commons user Daderot
Location: La Jolla, CA
Student Enrollment: 30,709
College Type: Public, 4-year or above
UC-San Diego is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university. The top 3 majors are: Economics, Psychology, and Computer Science. Two popular campus traditions include the Pumpkin Drop that happens during Halloween, and the Watermelon Drop that occurs each spring.
Learn more about the University of California-San Diego
13. New York University
Wikimedia Commons user PointsofNoReturn
Location: New York City, NY
Student Enrollment: 49,274
College Type: Private, not-for-profit, 4 year or above
Nearly 50,000 students attend this university, and it’s a near 50 / 50 split between undergraduate and graduate students. It is a doctoral / research university and the top 3 majors on campus are the following: Business, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Economics.
Learn more about New York University
12. University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign
Wikimedia Commons user HalloweenHJB
Location: Champaign, IL
Student Enrollment: 45,140
College Type: Public, 4 year
Home of the Fighting Illini, the U of I campus is split among the neighboring cities of Urbana and Champaign. With over 1,000 student organizations, 59 fraternities and 38 sororities, there are plenty of ways for students to be involved on campus. The University is also known for its science and engineering research programs.
Learn more about the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
11. University of Florida
Wikimedia Commons user DouglasGreen
Location: Gainesville, FL
Student Enrollment: 49,459
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
This university is a land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant school, in addition to being the state’s flagship school. Their colors are orange and blue and their mascots are Albert and Alberta Gator. The popular sports drink Gatorade was made for and named after the athletics at the school.
Learn more about the University of Florida
10. University of Maryland—College Park
Flickr user Carmichael Library
Location: College Park, MD
Student Enrollment: 37,610
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
Incoming freshmen at this university score, on average, between a 27 and 32 on the ACT, and between 1,210 and 1,420 on the SAT. They have an impressive 95% first-year retention rate. The 5 most popular majors on campus include: Biology, Criminology, Economics, Psychology, and Accounting.
Learn more about the University of Maryland—College Park
9. University of Southern California
Flickr user Great Degrees
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Student Enrollment: 42,453
College Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
USC has an acceptance rate of only 18%, and the average ACT composite scores for incoming students range between 29 and 34, and the average SAT combined scores range between 1,299 and 1,483. The university boasts a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, and a 96% first year retention rate.
Learn more about the University of Southern California
8. University of California—Los Angeles
Flickr user Ignacio Andrade
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Student Enrollment: 41,845
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
An impressive 93,000 some applications are submitted to UCLA. The university has a 17% acceptance rate, so only about 16,000 are accepted per year. It has a 96% first-year retention rate. There are countless notable alumni, including: composer John Williams, CEO of YouTube Susan Wojcicki, and director Francis Ford Coppola, among many others.
Learn more about the University of California–Los Angeles
7. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Flickr user University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Student Enrollment: 43,625
College Type: Public, 4 year
The top 5 most popular majors on campus include: Business Administration, Economics, Experimental Psychology, Computer and Information Sciences, and Physiological Psychology. In terms of athletics it is a NCAA Division I-A school, and sports on campus include: track, football, lacrosse, and rowing among others.
Learn more about the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor
6. University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
Flickr user Nan-Cheng Tsai
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Student Enrollment: 29,135
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
UNC is known for the Old Well located in the middle of campus—in fact, the Well is the symbol for the school. About 30,000 applications are sent into UNC every year, with over 9,600 of them being accepted—giving the university a 31% acceptance rate. Biology is the most common major on campus.
Learn more about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
5. Cornell University
Flickr user Barbara Friedman
Location: Ithaca, NY
Student Enrollment: 21,679
College Type: Private, nonprofit, 4 year or above
Nearly 42,000 applications are sent in to this school, and with an acceptance rate of 15% only about 6,300 of those applicants are chosen. Cornell boasts a 97% first-year retention rate and a student-faculty ratio of 9:1. They have a total of about 1,086 athletes on campus and are considered a NCAA Division I-AA school.
Learn more about Cornell University
4. University of California—Berkeley
Flickr user Mike Procario
Location: Berkeley, CA
Student Enrollment: 37,565
College Type: Public, 4 year or above
UC Berkeley is the oldest of the 10 research universities associated with the University of California system. Their school motto “Fiat lux” means “Let there be light.” With their signature colors of Berkeley Blue and California Gold, UC Berkeley students are nicknamed the Golden Bears. The most common major on campus is Economics, followed by Cell and Molecular Biology and Electrical Engineering.
Learn more about University of California–Berkeley
3. University of Virginia
Flickr user Alex Proimos
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Student Enrollment: 23,732
College Type: Public, 4-year or above
Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison (among others), helped select the city of Charlottesville to be home to the university. Here you’ll find liberal arts studies and business to be the most popular majors.
Learn more about the University of Virginia-Main Campus
2. University of Pennsylvania
Flickr user Rob Pettengill
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Student Enrollment: 24,806
College Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Nicknamed “Penn”, the university was founded by Benjamin Franklin, and has an acceptance rate of 10%, admitting a little more than 3,700 students each year. Distinguished alumni include Warren Buffett, John Legend, Noam Chomsky, and John Heisman.
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania
1. Harvard University
Flickr user Yu-Jen Shih
Location: Cambridge, MA
Student Enrollment: 28,791
College Type: Private, not-for-profit, 4 year or above
Harvard University is the oldest and one one of the most reputable institutions of higher education in the United States. With $37.6 billion in financial endowment, it is also the largest academic institution in the country.
Learn More about Harvard University
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Each of these rankings are based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, academic rigor, and student success. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
