* By student enrollment: This is the most common metric. However, data varies across sources and years, and the ranking fluctuates. Often, universities in large countries like Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain appear at the top. No single university consistently holds the title of largest.
* By campus size: This is a less common measure, and data is difficult to collect comprehensively.
* By number of employees: This would include faculty, staff, and researchers. Again, precise and universally agreed-upon data is hard to obtain.
To find a contender for the largest by student enrollment in a particular year, you would need to consult recent university rankings and statistical data from individual countries. These rankings frequently change.