# Course Completion Rate Calculator

> Work out the share of learners who finished a course, with a clear denominator, optional exclusions and how many more completions a target needs.

Category: Education · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/course-completion-rate-calculator

Completion rate is completers divided by the learners who could have completed. Say who you exclude (refunds, transfers) so rates from different courses stay comparable.

Also called: Training completion rate calculator, Dropout rate calculator.

## Inputs
- Learners enrolled (default 250)
- Learners excluded (default 10; optional)
- Learners who completed (default 168)
- Target completion rate (unit %; default 75; optional)

## Results
- Completion rate
- Learners counted
- Did not complete
- Non-completion rate
- More completions needed for target

## Formula

```
Completion rate = Completed ÷ (Enrolled − Excluded) × 100;  Needed for target = ⌈Target% × (Enrolled − Excluded)⌉ − Completed
```

Where:
- Enrolled: learners who started
- Excluded: learners removed from the denominator by your policy
- Completed: learners who met the completion criteria

## Worked example
1. Learners counted = 250 − 10 = 240.
2. Completion rate = 168 ÷ 240 = 70%.
3. A 75% target needs 0.75 × 240 = 180 completers, 12 more than now.

**Result:** 168 of 240 counted learners finished, a 70% completion rate; 12 more completions would reach 75%.

## What the result means

Always report the denominator with the rate. Self-paced online courses often finish in the low teens, while cohort-based or required training is usually much higher, so compare like with like.

## Assumptions and limits
- Every learner counted had the same chance and time to complete.
- A single rate hides when learners drop out; look at module-by-module completion to find the problem.

## Questions

### Should withdrawals be excluded?

Only if your reporting rules say so, for example withdrawals before a census date. Excluding too many flatters the rate.

### Is completion the same as pass rate?

No. Pass rate divides passes by those who sat the assessment; completion divides by everyone who enrolled.

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Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/course-completion-rate-calculator