Seat Utilization

Seat utilization is the percentage of filled seats relative to total available capacity in a course section, department, or institution. It is calculated as (enrolled students / enrollment capacity) x 100. A section with 28 students enrolled and a capacity of 35 has a seat utilization rate of 80%. Across higher education, average seat utilization typically ranges from 60% to 75%, meaning 25-40% of available seats go unfilled each term.