Largest Universities in the World

The following list of the world’s largest colleges by enrollment includes total active enrollment on all campuses as well as off-campus study. The enrollment figures provided are the total number of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled. The universities listed below award bachelor’s degrees or higher and either share a centralized governance structure and a single chancellor or president, or award degrees under the same institution name.

 

Institution	Location	Continent	Founded	Enrollment
Indira Gandhi National Open University	New Delhi, India	Asia	1985	7140000
California Community Colleges System	California, United States	North America	1967	2133846
National University, Bangladesh	Gazipur, Bangladesh	Asia	1992	2097182
Anadolu University	Eskişehir, Turkey	Asia	1958	1974343
Allama Iqbal Open University	Islamabad, Pakistan	Asia	1974	1027000
Islamic Azad University	Iran	Asia	1982	1000000
Laureate Education, Inc.	International	Global	1999	875000
Bangladesh Open University	Gazipur, Bangladesh	Asia	1992	650000
Universitas Terbuka	Jakarta, Indonesia	Asia	1984	646467
National Technological Institute of Mexico	Mexico	North America	1948 and 2014	620000
State University of New York system	New York, United States	North America	1948	606232
Tribhuvan University	Kirtipur, Nepal	Asia	1959	604437
Savitribai Phule Pune University	Pune, Maharashtra, India	Asia	1948	665000
Chaudhary Charan Singh University	Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India	Asia	1965	560000
University of Mumbai	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India	Asia	1857	549432
Ramkhamhaeng University	Bangkok, Thailand	Asia	1971	525000
National Open University of Nigeria	Nigeria	Africa	2002	515000
California State University system	California, United States	North America	1857	479000
University System of Ohio	Ohio, United States	North America	2007	478000
University of the Punjab	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan	Asia	1882	450000
Dr. B R Ambedkar Open University	Telangana, India	Asia	1982	450000
University of South Africa	Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa	Africa	1873	420000
University of Delhi	Delhi, India	Asia	1922	400000
Payame Noor University	Iran	Asia	1987	400000
Sikkim Manipal University	Sikkim, India	Asia	1995	390000
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities	Minnesota, United States	North America	1995	375000
National Autonomous University of Mexico	Mexico City, Mexico	North America	1551	356530
University System of Georgia	Georgia, United States	North America	1931	318027
University of Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires, Argentina	South America	1821	316050
State University System of Florida	Florida, United States	North America	1954	358522
Osmania University	Hyderabad, Telangana, India	Asia	1918	300000
City University of New York	New York, United States	North America	1961	274357
National University of Distance Education	Spain	Europe	1972	260079
Rajiv Gandhi Technical University	Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India	Asia	1998	260000
Cairo University	Giza, Egypt	Africa	1908	257200
University of California system	California, United States	North America	1869	238700
University of Texas System	Texas, United States	North America	1881	221337
Estácio de Sá University	Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	South America	1970	215000
University of Guadalajara	Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico	North America	1791	209406
University of Nuevo León	Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico	North America	1933	206000
Open University	Milton Keynes, United Kingdom	Europe	1969	205420
University of Applied Science and Technology	Iran	Asia	1992	200000
Technical College System of Georgia	Georgia, United States	North America	1970	191567
Utah System of Higher Education	Utah, United States	North America	1894	189351
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration	Moscow, Russian Federation	Europe	1977	180000
King Abdulaziz University	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	Asia	1976	177234
Technical and Vocational University	Iran	Asia	1965	175000
University of Karachi	Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan	Asia	1951	174000
National Polytechnic Institute	Mexico City, Mexico	North America	1936	171581
Autonomous University of Santo Domingo	Santo Domingo	North America	1538	170530
Ain Shams University	Cairo, Egypt	Africa	1950	170000
University of London	London, United Kingdom	Europe	1836	170000
Southern New Hampshire University	New Hampshire, United States	North America	1932	170000
University of North Carolina system	North Carolina, United States	North America	1789	169792
Illinois Board of Higher Education	Illinois, United States	North America	1862	163786
University of Wisconsin System	Wisconsin, United States	North America	1848	162933
Universiti Teknologi MARA	Shah Alam, Malaysia	Asia	1956	160957
Korea National Open University	South Korea	Asia	1972	151413
Uttar Pradesh Technical University	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India	Asia	2000	150000
Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University	Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India	Asia	1991	150000
Sapienza University of Rome	Rome, Italy	Europe	1303	147000
University System of Maryland	Maryland, United States	North America	1988	144363
University of the Republic	Montevideo, Uruguay	South America	1849	144108
Norte do Paraná University	Londrina, Paraná, Brazil	South America	1972	130000
University of the People	California, United States	North America	2009	126000
University of San Carlos of Guatemala	Guatemala City, Guatemala	North America	1676	124000
National Centre for Distance Education	France	Europe	1939	120000
UNIMINUTO system	Colombia	South America	1990	116782
Texas A&M University System	Texas, United States	North America	1876	114691
National University of Córdoba	Córdoba, Argentina	South America	1613	113558
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education	Pennsylvania, United States	North America	1982	110428
Liberty University	Virginia, United States	North America	1971	110000
Université du Québec	Quebec, Canada	North America	1968	101915
Virtual University of Pakistan	Lahore, Islamabad, Pakistan	Asia	2002	100000
IU International University of Applied Sciences	Erfurt, Germany	Europe	1998	100000
Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	Asia	1995	98648
University of Belgrade	Belgrade, Serbia	Europe	1808	97696
University of Vienna	Vienna, Austria	Europe	1365	91715
Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education	Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico	North America	1943	91200
University of Toronto	Toronto, Canada	North America	1827	88766
Complutense University of Madrid	Madrid, Spain	Europe	1293	83000
Farhangian University	Iran	Asia	2012	80000
University of Hagen	Hagen, Germany	Europe	1974	76096
Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research	Iran	Asia	1980	60000

The universities listed as the largest in the world by enrollment have grown to their immense sizes for several reasons, reflecting broader trends in higher education and societal needs. Here are some of the key factors contributing to their massive enrollments:

Accessibility and Affordability

• Open and Distance Learning Institutions: Universities like IGNOU and Anadolu University offer distance and open learning programs, making higher education accessible to those who cannot attend traditional campus-based programs due to geographical, financial, or personal constraints. Their affordability and flexibility attract a vast number of students.
• Online Education: Institutions like the University of the People provide tuition-free, accredited online degree programs, breaking down financial and geographical barriers to education.

Demand for Higher Education

• The global increase in demand for higher education, driven by a growing recognition of its importance for career advancement and economic development, has led to an expansion in university enrollments.
• Population growth and increasing high school graduation rates in many countries have also contributed to a higher demand for university education.

Government and Policy Support

• In many countries, government policies aimed at increasing access to higher education have led to the establishment and expansion of open universities and distance learning programs.
• Funding and support for community college systems, like those in the United States, have made it possible for more students to begin their higher education journey.

Technological Advancements

• Advances in technology have made online and distance learning more viable and effective, allowing universities to reach a global student body.
• The development of digital platforms and resources has enabled institutions to scale up their offerings and enroll more students than traditional campus-based models would allow.

Societal and Economic Factors

• In many regions, there is a high value placed on education as a means of social mobility and economic security, leading to a large number of individuals seeking higher education degrees.
• The evolving needs of the labor market, emphasizing specialized skills and lifelong learning, have increased the demand for diverse and flexible educational programs.

Strategic Expansion and Diversification

• Some universities have strategically expanded their program offerings and modes of delivery to include online courses, evening and weekend classes, and satellite campuses, attracting a broader range of students.
• The diversification into various academic and vocational fields meets the varied interests and career goals of a wide student population.

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