A new overview identifies seven U.S. colleges that enroll more than 48,000 students, highlighting the scale and administrative complexity of the country’s largest public institutions. These campuses often resemble small cities, with sprawling housing, health, and student‑services operations and large lecture models that require robust advising and retention strategies. For leaders in higher education, the list underscores resource allocation challenges—housing, mental health services, student success programs—and the operational demands of serving tens of thousands of students. Enrollment figures include undergraduates, graduates and online learners and vary year to year. Campus executives and trustees should consider how scale affects learning outcomes, student engagement and campus safety investments.