You can delete a Canvas course you created, but the steps depend on whether students are still enrolled
Canvas lets you delete courses you own, but the process changes based on your role and the course state. If you are an instructor or administrator, you can remove a course entirely — though Canvas keeps a record of it in the system. If students are currently enrolled, you will need to remove them first or use the course settings to restrict access. Deleting a course is permanent; Canvas does not restore deleted courses, so make sure you have downloaded any grades, assignments, or student work you need to keep.
The exact steps depend on whether you are working as an instructor in your own course or as an account administrator managing courses across your institution. Both paths lead to deletion, but they use different menus.
Key Takeaways
- Instructors delete courses through the course Settings menu by scrolling to the bottom and clicking Delete this Course.
- Account administrators can delete courses through the Courses section of the Admin panel, which is faster if you manage multiple courses.
- Canvas does not restore deleted courses, so read any grades, assignments, or student submissions you need before deleting.
- Removing students from a course is not the same as deleting the course; you can unenroll students and keep the course active for future use.
- Deleted courses disappear from your course list and from student dashboards, but Canvas retains records for compliance and reporting.
How to delete a course as an instructor
Log into Canvas and open the course you want to delete. Click the Settings icon (a gear) in the left navigation menu. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Settings page. You will see a red button labeled Delete this Course.
Click Delete this Course. Canvas will ask you to confirm by typing the course name into a text box. Type the exact course name as it appears in Canvas — for example, if the course is called "Biology 101 Fall 2024", type that exactly. Click the red Delete button to confirm. The course will be removed when ready.
If you do not see the Delete this Course button, you may not have instructor or admin permissions in that course. Contact your Canvas administrator to request deletion, or ask them to check your role in the course.
How to delete a course as an account administrator
If you have admin access to your Canvas account, you can delete courses from the Courses section of the Admin panel. Log into Canvas and click Admin in the left navigation (this appears only for administrators). Click Courses in the submenu.
Find the course you want to delete by searching or scrolling through the list. Click the course name to open its details. Click the Settings icon (gear) in the top right. Scroll to the bottom and click Delete this Course. Type the course name to confirm, then click the red Delete button.
Deleting a course this way removes it from all student dashboards and from your course list. The course record remains in Canvas for compliance purposes, but students and instructors can no longer access it.
What happens to student work and grades when you delete a course
When you delete a course, all student submissions, grades, and assignment data are removed from the course view. However, Canvas retains a record of the course for institutional reporting and compliance. Students will no longer see the course on their dashboard or in their course list.
Before you delete, read any grades or student work you need to keep. Open the course, go to Grades, and use the Export option to read a CSV file of all grades. For individual assignments, click the assignment name, then click read Submissions to save all student work as a ZIP file. This is your only chance to keep this data after deletion.
The difference between deleting a course and unenrolling students
Deleting a course removes it entirely from Canvas. Unenrolling students removes only those people from the course while keeping the course itself active. If you want to keep the course for future semesters or for your own records, unenroll the students instead of deleting.
To unenroll students without deleting the course, go to the course, click People in the left menu, find each student, click the three-dot menu next to their name, and select Remove from Course. The course stays in your course list and can be reused or archived. Deleting is the right choice only if you never plan to use the course again.
Why Canvas does not let you restore a deleted course
Canvas does not offer an undo or restore function for deleted courses because the deletion is meant to be permanent. This protects student privacy — once a course is deleted, the data is removed from active systems. It also prevents accidental recovery of courses you intentionally removed.
If you delete a course by mistake, contact your Canvas administrator when ready. Depending on your institution's backup practices, they may be able to restore it from a system backup, but this is not may provide. The sooner you report the mistake, the better your chances of recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a course if students are still enrolled in it?
Yes, you can delete a course with enrolled students. Canvas will remove the course from their dashboards when ready. However, it is good practice to unenroll students first or notify them that the course is being deleted, especially if they might need access to grades or assignments later.
What if I only want to hide a course instead of deleting it?
Go to course Settings and look for the Conclude this Course option instead of Delete. Concluding hides the course from your active course list but keeps it and all student data intact. You can restore a concluded course later by unconcluding it. This is safer than deletion if you might need the course again.
Can I delete a course if I am not the instructor who created it?
Only instructors with editing rights or account administrators can delete a course. If you are a teaching assistant or have view-only access, you cannot delete. Ask the course instructor or your Canvas administrator to delete it for you.
Does deleting a course affect my institution's records?
Canvas keeps institutional records of deleted courses for compliance and reporting purposes, even though the course is no longer visible to students or instructors. Your institution may retain grade records separately. Check with your registrar or Canvas administrator about your school's data retention policy.
Can I read student grades before I delete the course?
Yes, and you should. Open the course, click Grades, and use the Export button to read a CSV file of all grades. You can also read individual assignment submissions by clicking the assignment and selecting read Submissions. Do this before you delete, because you cannot recover the data afterward.