enrollment

enrollment — noun

1. The official process of signing up or registering to become a member of a school

1.nounB1
Definition

The official process of signing up or registering to become a member of a school, course, organization, or program.

Example

Shanti completed her enrollment at City College last week.

enrollment at [institution]

The online enrollment process for the training program takes about ten minutes.

enrollment process

Common collocations
  • enrollment form
  • enrollment process
  • enrollment period
  • enrollment requirements
  • open enrollment
  • enrollment fee
Synonyms
  • registration

    more general; used for events, conferences, or online accounts, not just schools

  • sign-up

    informal; suggests a simpler, quicker process than full enrollment

  • admission

    focuses on being accepted into a selective institution, which often happens before enrollment

Antonyms
  • withdrawal

    the act of leaving a school or program after enrolling

Grammar Patterns

enrollment + in + [course/school/program]

enrollment + at + [institution]

enrollment + of + [people]

Usage Note

This is the standard US spelling; the British variant is enrolment (spelled with one 'l').

Common Mistakes

I need to do enrollment.
I need to complete my enrollment.
In this sense, enrollment is a countable/uncountable noun that pairs with verbs like 'complete,' 'submit,' or 'process,' not 'do.'
My enrollment is in English class.
I enrolled in an English class.
Use the verb form when referring to the specific action of joining a class; the noun 'enrollment' describes the process or official status, not the class itself.

2. The total number of students or members who are officially registered in a schoo

2.nounB2
Definition

The total number of students or members who are officially registered in a school, course, or organization at a given time.

Example

The school's enrollment has grown to over two thousand students this year.

enrollment grows to [number]

Shirin was surprised by the large enrollment in the evening yoga class.

Common collocations
  • enrollment figures
  • enrollment numbers
  • enrollment growth
  • enrollment decline
  • total enrollment
  • enrollment rate
Synonyms
  • intake

    British English term for the number of people accepted into a program at one time

  • numbers

    more general; can refer to attendance or membership counts beyond enrollment contexts

  • roll

    a formal list or count of enrolled members, often used in schools and legislatures

Grammar Patterns

enrollment + of + [number]

enrollment + at + [institution]

Usage Note

Often used with a singular verb even though it refers to many people, because the focus is on the total as a single figure.

Common Mistakes

The enrollment are increasing every year.
The enrollment is increasing every year.
When enrollment means 'the number enrolled,' it is treated as a singular uncountable noun and takes a singular verb.
There are many enrollments this year.
Enrollment is high this year.
The plural form 'enrollments' is rare; use the singular form for the overall number of people registered.

Word family

  • enroll
    verbB1
  • enrolled
    adjectiveB1
  • enrolment
    nounB2
  • re-enroll
    verbB2
  • re-enrollment
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Registration is the broadest term — it covers signing up for anything from a conference to an online account, often focusing on the paperwork or data entry. Enrollment is more specific: it implies officially joining an educational institution or structured program over a longer period. Admission focuses on being accepted into a selective institution, so chronologically it comes before enrollment — you are admitted first, then you enroll. Matriculation is the most formal term, used almost exclusively for officially joining a university as a degree-seeking student. Sign-up is the informal counterpart, common for clubs, short courses, or volunteer events. For example: 'She registered for the conference online, but enrollment in the semester-long program required an interview. After her admission was confirmed, she completed her matriculation at the university office.'

registration ↗admission ↗matriculationsign-up

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • open enrollment
  • early enrollment
  • late enrollment

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old French 'enrôler' (to put on a roll of parchment listing names), from 'en-' (in) + 'rôle' (a roll of names). English adopted the word around the 1300s as 'enrollen.' The US spelling with double 'l' (enrollment) became standard in American English during the 1800s, while British English kept the single-l variant 'enrolment.'