Student Pathways Sankey Diagram: Editable Template
Follow one cohort through each year of a programme to graduation, repeating a year, transferring or withdrawing. Replace the example counts with your cohort data.
A student pathways Sankey follows one entering cohort year by year. At each year the students who continue, repeat or leave are separate ribbons.
The example cohort has 1,000 students on a three-year programme. 650 graduate on time. The rest repeat a year, withdraw, transfer out or are still enrolled when the picture ends.
Define each category the same way every year, and note the date the counts were taken, since students can change status after it.
How to read this diagram
- 650 of 1,000 students (65%) graduate; 150 (15%) withdraw along the way.
- The largest loss is in year 1: 100 withdraw and 80 repeat, from 1,000 students.
- 120 students repeat a year, grouped in one node whichever year it was.
- 50 are still enrolled, so the graduation share may rise when they finish.
The data behind it
Invented figures for illustration. Not data about any real business.
| From | To | Amount (students) |
|---|---|---|
| Entering cohort | Continued to year 2 | 820 |
| Entering cohort | Repeating a year | 80 |
| Entering cohort | Withdrew | 100 |
| Continued to year 2 | Continued to year 3 | 730 |
| Continued to year 2 | Repeating a year | 40 |
| Continued to year 2 | Withdrew | 50 |
| Continued to year 3 | Graduated | 650 |
| Continued to year 3 | Transferred out | 30 |
| Continued to year 3 | Still enrolled | 50 |
The same data as CSV
source,target,value
Entering cohort,Continued to year 2,820
Entering cohort,Repeating a year,80
Entering cohort,Withdrew,100
Continued to year 2,Continued to year 3,730
Continued to year 2,Repeating a year,40
Continued to year 2,Withdrew,50
Continued to year 3,Graduated,650
Continued to year 3,Transferred out,30
Continued to year 3,Still enrolled,50How it works
Fix the cohort
Choose the intake year and list who is in it.
Record each student's status at each year end
Continued, repeated, withdrew, transferred or graduated.
Enter the flows
From each year's node to the next year or to an outcome.
Check the balance
Each year's node should send on exactly the students it received.
Frequently asked questions
Why is repeating one node for every year?
To keep the diagram readable. If the difference matters, give repeating a node per year.
Can I compare cohorts?
Draw one Sankey per cohort on the same scale, or compare the shares in a table.
Edit this pathways Sankey
Open the example as your own chart and enter your cohort counts.