Online Course Completion Sankey Diagram: Template
See where learners stop in an online course, module by module, from enrolment to certificate. Each drop-off is its own ribbon. Replace the counts with your course data.
A course completion Sankey shows where learners stop. Each module has a node for those who continue and one for those who drop out after it.
5,000 learners enrol and 1,300 complete. The shape matters more than the average: here the largest single loss is before module 1 even starts.
Dropout nodes are kept apart for each module so the course can be edited where the leaks are. Replace the counts with a platform export.
How to read this diagram
- 1,300 of 5,000 learners (26%) complete the course.
- 1,200 (24%) never start, which is a different problem from losing learners mid-course.
- After starting module 1, 1,400 of 3,800 (37%) stop, the largest in-course loss.
- 700 of the 1,300 who finish (54%) buy a certificate.
The data behind it
Invented figures for illustration. Not data about any real business.
| From | To | Amount (learners) |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled | Never started | 1200 |
| Enrolled | Started module 1 | 3800 |
| Started module 1 | Stopped after module 1 | 1400 |
| Started module 1 | Started module 2 | 2400 |
| Started module 2 | Stopped after module 2 | 700 |
| Started module 2 | Started module 3 | 1700 |
| Started module 3 | Stopped after module 3 | 400 |
| Started module 3 | Completed course | 1300 |
| Completed course | Bought certificate | 700 |
| Completed course | No certificate | 600 |
The same data as CSV
source,target,value
Enrolled,Never started,1200
Enrolled,Started module 1,3800
Started module 1,Stopped after module 1,1400
Started module 1,Started module 2,2400
Started module 2,Stopped after module 2,700
Started module 2,Started module 3,1700
Started module 3,Stopped after module 3,400
Started module 3,Completed course,1300
Completed course,Bought certificate,700
Completed course,No certificate,600How it works
Export progress per learner
Enrolment date and the last module each learner started.
Count learners who reached each module
A learner reaches a module when they open its first lesson.
Enter the flows
Each module sends learners to the next module or to a stopped node.
Check the balance
Each started node should send on exactly what it received.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as stopping?
Choose a rule such as no activity for 30 days, apply it consistently and state it on the chart.
Can I add lessons instead of modules?
Yes, but a long course needs grouping or the picture becomes unreadable. Show modules, then a second chart for the module with the biggest leak.
Edit this course Sankey
Open the example as your own chart and enter your module counts.