Classroom Seating Chart Maker
Lay out the desks, then type names on them or fill them from your class list in order, A to Z or shuffled, keeping chosen students apart. Print it for your desk or a substitute.
- What you type stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
- Free, no sign-up, no daily limit.
- Works with Wi-Fi off once the page has loaded. Check it yourself
Updated by Khokhar Sab
How do I make a classroom seating chart?
Pick a desk layout and set the rows and desks across to match your room. Paste your class list, then press In list order, A to Z, By last name or Shuffle to fill the desks, or type names straight onto them. Add any pairs to keep apart, then download the PDF to print.
- Choose rows, pairs, groups or a U, and set the number of desks.
- Paste the class list, one name per line.
- Press Shuffle or another fill button, or type names on the desks.
- List any students to keep apart, then shuffle again.
- Download the PDF, from the students' side or the teacher's view.
What is the best classroom seating arrangement?
It depends on the task. A 2015 study of a second grade class in the Georgia Educational Researcher compared cluster, horseshoe and row seating during independent work and found the fewest off-task behaviors with rows. Groups suit discussion and shared work, and a U shape puts every student in view of the teacher and each other.
Because the best layout changes with the lesson, keep one draft per layout: rows for tests and independent work, groups of four for projects. A draft keeps the names, so switching back is quick.
How do I keep two students from sitting together?
List them under Keep apart, one pair per line, such as Ana Rivera, Sam Ortiz. Shuffle then tries up to 400 random seatings and keeps the first where no listed pair sits side by side or front to back. If the room is too full to separate everyone, it keeps the seating with the fewest pairs together and tells you.
Desks count as next to each other when they share a side within a pair, a pod or a row. Desks across an aisle do not, so in pairs the aisle is a natural divider.
How many students fit in each layout?
Rows, pairs and groups seat rows times desks across, so 5 rows of 6 desks is 30 students. A U shape seats two sides plus the back: 5 desks a side and 6 across the back is 16. Groups of four work best with an even number of rows and desks across, such as 4 by 6 for 24.
Limits
- Desks sit on a grid. You set rows and desks across; there is no free dragging of single desks.
- Up to 10 rows and 10 desks across (100 desks).
- No student photos. Names, plus a short note per student in the Substitute design.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Is my class list uploaded?
No. Names stay in this browser, and the PDF is made on your device.
Can I keep charts for several classes?
Yes. Each class can be its own named draft in this browser.
Which design suits a substitute?
Substitute. It prints a note under each name, such as Helper or Nut allergy, and the note stays with the student when you shuffle. Floor Plan suits the wall copy, and Bright Groups colors each pair or group for younger classes.
Can I get it as a spreadsheet?
Yes. Excel (.xlsx) and CSV downloads list each seat number with its name.