This free Excel template helps teams manage course section demand forecast. This free Course Section Demand Forecast Excel Template helps course operations teams estimate course demand and translate it into recommended section counts. Enter historical enrollment, expressed interest, section capacity, minimum viable enrollment, planned sections, and relevant course details in 200 prepared operational rows.
The workbook calculates demand and seat-position outputs, while its Dashboard summarizes included records for a selected forecast term and campus. Populated course rows are samples rather than institutional forecasts.
In practice
What this template helps you manage
- Combine two demand signals: Compare growth-adjusted historical enrollment with converted expressed interest instead of relying on only one source. Forecast Demand uses the higher of the available calculated signals.
- Turn demand into section recommendations: Convert Forecast Demand into Recommended Sections by dividing demand by Section Capacity and rounding up to a whole section.
- Compare recommendations with the schedule plan: Enter Planned Sections to calculate Planned Seats and Seat Position. A negative seat position indicates that planned seats are below forecast demand.
- Identify records that need attention: Calculated statuses evaluate inclusion, setup completeness, source-data availability, capacity, planning, seat position, and minimum viable enrollment. Formula-defined outcomes include Excluded, Setup Incomplete, Insufficient Data, Capacity Missing, Plan Missing, Seat Shortage, Below Minimum, and Excess Capacity.
How to use it
How to use the workbook
Inside the file
Included features and controls
Forecast course demand from enrollment history and student interest
Calculate recommended sections and evaluate planned seats
Review demand forecasts by term, campus, and department
Common questions
About this template
The workbook calculates Weighted Historical Demand from available values in Enrollment T-3 through T-1 using the weights on the Assumptions sheet. It applies the row's growth rate to that historical result and separately calculates Interest-Based Demand from Expressed Interest and the interest conversion rate.
Forecast Demand uses the higher of adjusted historical demand or converted expressed interest. If both underlying demand results are unavailable, the forecast remains blank.
Recommended Sections divides Forecast Demand by Section Capacity and rounds up to a whole section. The calculation remains blank when forecast demand or a valid positive section capacity is unavailable.
Yes. Enter an optional Growth Override between -50% and 100%. When an override is present, it becomes the Applied Growth Rate. Otherwise, the workbook uses the Default Growth Rate calculated from the department assumptions, with the fallback growth rate available when the department lookup does not return a value.
Planned Seats equals Planned Sections multiplied by Section Capacity. Seat Position equals Planned Seats minus Forecast Demand.
A negative Seat Position means planned seats are below forecast demand. When the applicable formula conditions are met, the row receives a Seat Shortage status.
No. Leave a cell blank when data is unavailable. Enter zero only when the actual count or plan is zero. This distinction matters because the workbook evaluates missing source data and missing plans when calculating row status.
Editorial process
Prepared and reviewed against the workbook
Course Ops Workbook Team
Workbook preparationThis functional byline identifies the team role that structures the workbook, sample data, calculations, and operating checks.
Course Ops Editorial Team
Editorial reviewThis functional byline identifies the team role that checks the page against the generated workbook and states its limits.