List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment

This list of largest universities by enrollment in the world includes total active enrollment across all campuses and off-campus study. The enrollment numbers listed are the sum of undergraduate and graduate students in active enrollment. The universities included below confer degrees of bachelor-level or higher and either share a central board of governance and a single chancellor or president or confer degrees with the same institution name.

Many of these universities, especially those in the United States, are systems of individual campuses and may not accurately represent a comparable student body. For example, the enrollment listed for the University of California is the population of the entire student body in the University of California system, which consists of several individual campuses throughout the state. All University of California campuses are referred to as "The University of California" and then further identified by the campus location, such as "University of California, Irvine". Other states organize their public universities differently, further complicating direct comparisons.

Rank Institution Location Continent Founded Affiliation Distance/In-Person[a] Enrollment Ref
1 Indira Gandhi National Open University New Delhi, India Asia 1985 Public Distance/In-Person 7,140,000+
2 National University, Bangladesh Gazipur, Bangladesh Asia 1992 Public In-Person 3,425,832
3 Anadolu University Eskişehir, Turkey Asia 1958 Public Distance/In-Person 1,974,343
4 California Community Colleges California, United States North America 1967 Public In-Person 1,800,000
5 Islamic Azad University Iran Asia 1982 Private In-Person 1,778,000
6 Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad, Pakistan Asia 1974 Public Distance/In-Person 1,027,000
7 Laureate Education, Inc. International Global 1999 Private Distance/In-Person 875,000
8 Bangladesh Open University Gazipur, Bangladesh Asia 1992 Public Distance 650,000
9 Universitas Terbuka Jakarta, Indonesia Asia 1984 Public Distance 646,467
10 National Technological Institute of Mexico Mexico North America 1948 and 2014 Public In-Person 620,000 (2019)
11 Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune, Maharashtra, India Asia 1948 Public In-Person 665,000
12 Chaudhary Charan Singh University Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Asia 1965 Public In-Person 560,000
13 University of Mumbai Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Asia 1857 Public In-Person 549,432
14 Ramkhamhaeng University Bangkok, Thailand Asia 1971 Public In-Person 525,000
15 National Open University of Nigeria Nigeria Africa 2002 Public Distance 515,000
16 California State University system California, United States North America 1857 Public In-Person 457,992
17 Tribhuvan University Kirtipur, Nepal Asia 1959 Public In-Person 454,065 (2021/22)
18 University of the Punjab Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan Asia 1882 Public In-Person 450,000
19 Dr. B R Ambedkar Open University Telangana, India Asia 1982 Public Distance 450,000
20 State University System of Florida Florida, United States North America 1954 Public In-Person 430,000
21 University System of Ohio Ohio, United States North America 2007 Public In-Person 429,310
22 University of Delhi Delhi, India Asia 1922 Public In-Person/Distance 700,000
23 Payame Noor University Iran Asia 1987 Public Distance/In-Person 400,000
24 Sikkim Manipal University Sikkim, India Asia 1995 Private In-Person 390,000
25 University of South Africa Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa Africa 1873 Public Distance 370 000
26 State University of New York system New York, United States North America 1948 Public In-Person 363,612
27 National Autonomous University of Mexico Mexico City, Mexico North America 1551 Public In-Person 356,530
28 National Centre for Distance Education France Europe 1939 Public Distance 350,000
29 University System of Georgia Georgia, United States North America 1931 Public In-Person 318,027
30 University of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, Argentina South America 1821 Public In-Person 316,050
30 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Minnesota, United States North America 1995 Public In-Person 300,000
31 Osmania University Hyderabad, Telangana, India Asia 1918 Public In-Person 300,000
32 National University of Distance Education Spain Europe 1972 Public Distance/In-Person 260,079
33 Rajiv Gandhi Technical University Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Asia 1998 Public In-Person 260,000
34 Cairo University Giza, Egypt Africa 1908 Public In-Person 257,200
35 University of California system California, United States North America 1869 Public In-Person 256,000
36 City University of New York New York, United States North America 1961 Public In-Person 243,000
37 University of North Carolina system North Carolina, United States North America 1789 Public In-Person 242,000
38 University of Texas System Texas, United States North America 1881 Public In-Person 221,337
39 Estácio de Sá University Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil South America 1970 Private In-Person 215,000
40 University of Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico North America 1791 Public In-Person 209,406
41 University of Nuevo León Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico North America 1933 Public In-Person 206,000
42 Open University Milton Keynes, United Kingdom Europe 1969 Public Distance/In-Person 205,420
43 University of Applied Science and Technology Iran Asia 1992 Public In-Person 200,000
44 Technical College System of Georgia Georgia, United States North America 1970 Public In-Person 191,567
45 Utah System of Higher Education Utah, United States North America 1894 Public In-Person 189,351
46 Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Moscow, Russian Federation Europe 1977 Public In-Person 180,000
47 King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Asia 1976 Public In-Person 177,234
48 Technical and Vocational University Iran Asia 1965 Public In-Person 175,000
49 National Polytechnic Institute Mexico City, Mexico North America 1936 Public In-Person 171,581
50 Autonomous University of Santo Domingo Santo Domingo North America 1538 (reopened 1914) Public In-Person 170,530
51 Ain Shams University Cairo, Egypt Africa 1950 Public In-Person 170,000 (Undergraduates Only)
52 University of London London, United Kingdom Europe 1836 Public In-Person 170,000
53 Southern New Hampshire University New Hampshire, United States North America 1932 Private Distance/In-Person 170,000
54 Illinois Board of Higher Education Illinois, United States North America 1862 Public In-Person 163,786
55 University of Wisconsin System Wisconsin, United States North America 1848 Public In-Person 162,933
56 Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Malaysia Asia 1956 Public In-Person 160,957
57 University of the People California, United States North America 2009 Private Distance 152,000
58 Korea National Open University South Korea Asia 1972 Public Distance/In-Person 151,413
59 Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India Asia 2000 Public In-Person 150,000
60 Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Asia 1991 Public Distance 150,000
61 Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy Europe 1303 Public In-Person 147,000
62 University System of Maryland Maryland, United States North America 1988 Public In-Person 144,363
63 University of the Republic Montevideo, Uruguay South America 1849 Public In-Person 144,108
64 Norte do Paraná University Londrina, Paraná, Brazil South America 1972 Private Distance/In-Person 130,000
65 IU International University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Germany Europe 1998 Private Distance/In-Person 130,000
66 University of San Carlos of Guatemala Guatemala City, Guatemala North America 1676 Public In-Person 124,000
67 University of Lyon Lyon, France Europe 2007 Public In-Person 120,000
68 UNIMINUTO system Colombia South America 1990 Private Distance/In-Person 116,782
69 Texas A&M University System Texas, United States North America 1876 Public In-Person 114,691
70 National University of Córdoba Córdoba, Argentina South America 1613 Public In-Person 113,558
71 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Pennsylvania, United States North America 1982 Public In-Person 110,428
72 Liberty University Virginia, United States North America 1971 Private Distance/In-Person 110,000
73 University of Toulouse Toulouse, France Europe 1229 Public In-Person 110,000
74 Université du Québec Quebec, Canada North America 1968 Public In-Person/Distance 101,915
75 Virtual University of Pakistan Lahore, Islamabad, Pakistan Asia 2002 Public Distance 100,000
76 Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Asia 1995 Public In-Person 98,648
77 University of Belgrade Belgrade, Serbia Europe 1808 Public In-Person 97,696
78 University of Vienna Vienna, Austria Europe 1365 Public In-Person 91,715
79 Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico North America 1943 Private In-Person 91,200
80 University of Toronto Toronto, Canada North America 1827 Public In-Person 88,766
81 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki, Greece Europe 1925 Public In-Person 88,283
82 Polytechnic University of the Philippines Philippines Asia 1904 Public Distance/In-Person 83,328
83 Complutense University of Madrid Madrid, Spain Europe 1293 Public In-Person 83,000
84 Farhangian University Iran Asia 2012 Public In-Person 80,000
85 Aix-Marseille University Marseille, France Europe 1409 Public In-Person 80,000
86 University of Hagen Hagen, Germany Europe 1974 Public Distance 69,982
87 Université de Montréal Canada North America 1878 Public Distance/In-Person 67,109
88 University of the Philippines Philippines Asia 1908 Public Distance/In-Person 64,144
89 Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research Iran Asia 1980 Private In-Person 60,000

a Indicates if most or all students are enrolled in a fully Distance Learning modality