How to use the average calculator
Enter your numbers separated by commas, spaces or line breaks. A column copied from Excel or Google Sheets pastes straight in. The mean is what most people call the average. The median is the middle value once the numbers are sorted, and it is the better guide when a few very large or very small values would drag the mean around, as with house prices or salaries. The mode is the value that appears most often.
The formula
- Mean:
sum of the numbers ÷ how many there are - Median: the middle number in sorted order, or the mean of the two middle numbers when the count is even
- Range:
largest − smallest - Standard deviation: the square root of the average squared distance from the mean. The sample version divides by n − 1 and is the one to use when your numbers are a sample from a larger group.
Worked example
For the test scores 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, the sum is 108 and there are 6 scores, so the mean is 108 ÷ 6 = 18. The two middle scores are 15 and 16, so the median is 15.5. No score repeats, so there is no mode.
Common questions
Which average should I use?
Use the mean for evenly spread data, the median when there are outliers, and the mode for the most typical category or value.
Can there be more than one mode?
Yes. If two or more values tie for the most appearances, all of them are listed.
Population or sample standard deviation?
Use population when your list is the entire group you care about, and sample when it is a selection from a bigger group.