Estimate the cost of an online course per enrolled learner and per expected completer. Fixed development and platform costs are combined with learner-level variable costs, while the completion assumption shows how outcomes change the effective cost per completion. Use it to compare cohort sizes, delivery models, or budget scenarios without hiding fixed and variable cost behavior.
Cost per completion is higher than cost per enrolled learner whenever not every enrollee completes. It is a planning ratio, not a measure of learning quality or financial return.
Enter costs for the same time period and cohort. Exclude or include staff, platform, and content costs consistently across scenarios.
With $45,000 fixed cost, $18 variable cost, 1,000 enrolled learners, and a 70% expected completion rate, total cost is $63,000, cost per enrolled learner is $63.00, and cost per expected completion is $90.00.
Include development when it belongs to the fixed cost boundary used for your scenario.
Expected completions are fewer than enrollments whenever the completion rate is below 100%.
Yes. Allocate only the share of fixed cost attributable to the cohort being modeled.
Include costs that rise with enrollment, such as licenses, materials, support, or transaction charges.
No. ROI also requires a defined monetary benefit; this calculator reports cost ratios only.
| Component | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Fixed cost | Added once for the modeled cohort |
| Variable cost | Multiplied by enrolled learners |
| Completion rate | Applied to enrollment for expected completions |
| Cost per completion | Total cost divided by expected completions |