How do you see the class average for an assignment on Canvas?
Through the assignment’s scoring details on the Grades page, in a web browser. From Instructure’s student guide:
- In Global Navigation, click Courses, then click the course name.
- In Course Navigation, click Grades.
- Find the assignment. “If you can view scoring details, click the Check Mark icon.” Instructure’s icons guide calls the same scoring details icon the Check Plus icon.
- Read the statistics. The mean is the class average for that assignment.
- Click Close when you’re done.
The grade summary sidebar also has a control to show or hide all scoring details, comments and rubrics on the page at once.
How do you read the Canvas grade distribution graph?
It is a box plot of the class’s scores with yours marked on it. Instructure describes it this way: “The graph’s horizontal line extends from 0 to the assignment’s highest possible score. The white box extends from the lowest to the highest student scores. Your score appears as a blue square on this plot.” The six numbers that come with it:
| Statistic | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Mean | The average score: all scores added up, divided by how many there are |
| Median | The middle score, with half the class at or above it |
| High and low | The best and worst scores in the class |
| Upper quartile | The score that a quarter of the class reached or beat |
| Lower quartile | The score that the bottom quarter of the class fell at or below |
When the mean sits well below the median, a few very low scores are pulling the average down. The median then tells you more about a typical score. If your blue square is between the two quartiles, you are in the middle half of the class.
Why can’t you see the class average on Canvas?
One of three things, by Instructure’s guides:
| Reason | What Instructure says |
|---|---|
| Too few submissions | “If you do not see the scoring details, then fewer than five students have submitted the assignment.” |
| Your instructor hid it | “When the grade distribution graph is hidden, students cannot view any aspect of the graph, including the high, low, and mean scores.” |
| Details are restricted | “Some details in the Grades page, such as scoring details and the total grade, may be restricted in your course.” |
The threshold is worded two ways. The student guide says “You will only see scoring details if more than five other students have submitted that assignment in the course,” while the instructor guide says the graph “displays for students after five or more students submit the assignment.” Either way, a small section or a brand-new assignment may show nothing.
Hiding is a course setting. Instructors tick Hide grade distribution graphs from students under Settings, Course Details. Instructure says they do it “to keep students from viewing the summary statistics of the class and figuring out each others’ grades.” The graph is on by default and “remains visible for instructors after hiding the graph from students.” If your whole total is missing too, see why a Canvas total grade is hidden.
Can you see the class average in the Canvas app?
On Android, sometimes. Instructure’s Android guide says: “If score statistics are visible in your course, you can view score statistics below your grade in the Assignment Details page.” Tap the assignment name on the course’s Grades screen to get there. Instructure’s iPhone grades guide lists the total score, What-If toggle, status labels and filters, but not score statistics, so open the Grades page in Safari or another browser instead.
Can you see the class average for the whole course?
Not in any student guide we read. Instructure’s student guides describe per-assignment scoring details and no course-wide class figure. A course average does exist on the instructor side: Course Analytics, from Instructure’s instructor guide, lets teachers view “the average course grade in an interactive chart graph” and compare sections and students with it. If you need that number, ask your instructor.
You can make a rough estimate yourself in a points-based course. Add up the mean for each assignment and divide by the total points possible, then compare it with your own points over the same total. A made-up course:
| Assignment (points) | Class mean | Your score |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz 1 (20) | 16.4 | 18 |
| Lab report (50) | 41.0 | 44 |
| Midterm (100) | 74.5 | 71 |
| Course so far (170) | 131.9 ÷ 170 = 77.6% | 133 ÷ 170 = 78.2% |
Treat the result as a ballpark. It drifts when classmates have excused or dropped work, or when some haven’t submitted yet. In a weighted course, work out each assignment group the same way and then apply the group weights, which the Canvas grade calculator can do for you. Only the mean adds up like this; medians can’t be combined.
Questions people ask
Can students see the class average on Canvas?
Yes, for single assignments. On the Grades page, the scoring details for an assignment show the mean, high, low, median and quartile scores, if your instructor allows it and enough students have submitted.
Why can’t I see the class average on Canvas?
Usually too few students have submitted the assignment, or your instructor turned on the course setting that hides grade distribution graphs from students. Some courses restrict scoring details altogether.
How many students have to submit before Canvas shows the class average?
About five. Instructure’s instructor guide says the graph displays after five or more students submit; its student guide says more than five other students must have submitted.
Can my teacher hide the class average on Canvas?
Yes. The Hide grade distribution graphs from students setting in Course Details hides the whole graph, including the high, low and mean scores. Instructors can still see it.
Can I see the class average in the Canvas app?
On Android, Instructure says score statistics show below your grade on the Assignment Details page when they are visible in your course. Instructure’s iOS grades guide doesn’t mention them, so use a browser.
Can I see the class average for the whole course on Canvas?
Not in anything Instructure documents for students. Instructors see a course average in Course Analytics. You can estimate one from the assignment means, as this guide shows.
Sources
All fetched and checked October 29, 2026.
- How do I view my grades in a current course? (Instructure, student guide)
- How do I hide grade distribution scoring details from students? (Instructure, instructor guide)
- How do I use the icons and colors in the Grades page? (Instructure, student guide)
- How do I view Course Grades in the Canvas app on my Android device? (Instructure, Android app guide)
- How do I view Course Grades in the Canvas app on my iOS device? (Instructure, iOS app guide)
- How do I compare the course average chart graph with an assignment, section, or student filter in Course Analytics? (Instructure, instructor guide)
How this guide was made. We read each Instructure guide listed above on October 29, 2026 and quote them directly. The statistics descriptions are standard definitions, and the worked example is a made-up course. We wrote the guide with AI assistance and checked each quote against its source, then re-checked every quote against the live pages on November 2, 2026.
Related guides: How do you see missing assignments on Canvas? · What does Excused mean on Canvas? · How do you see past courses on Canvas? · How do What-If grades work in Canvas? · Why is my Canvas total grade hidden? · All guides · Canvas · Canvas grade calculator
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