How to calculate the average
- Type or paste your numbers into the field, separated by spaces, commas or line breaks.
- See the average highlighted at the top, with the median and the mode right below.
- Check the count, the sum, the minimum, the maximum and the range.
- If you work with statistics, look at the sample and population standard deviation. Tap “Copy result” to take everything with you.
Average, median and mode: what each one means
The average or arithmetic mean is the sum of the values divided by how many there are. The median is the middle value when the data is sorted (with an even count, the average of the two middle ones) and it handles extreme values better. The mode is the value that appears most often; there can be more than one, or none.
Example with 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7 and 9: the sum is 40 and there are 8 values, so the average is 5. The median is 4.5 (the average of 4 and 5), the mode is 4 and the range is 7 (9 minus 2). The population standard deviation is 2 and the sample one is 2.138: use the sample one when your data is a sample of a larger set.
Good to know
- Numbers with a decimal comma or point are accepted. Text that isn't a number stops the calculation and tells you which one it is.
- The sample standard deviation needs at least two values.
- The result is rounded for display; the internal calculation uses full precision.
Frequently asked questions
How is the average calculated?
Add up all the numbers and divide by how many there are. For 2, 4 and 9, the average is (2 + 4 + 9) ÷ 3 = 5.
What is the difference between mean and median?
The mean uses every value; the median is the middle value and barely changes if there is one very large or very small value.
What if two numbers repeat the same number of times?
There is more than one mode and the tool shows them all. If no value repeats, there is no mode.
When do I use sample and when population standard deviation?
Population if you have all the data of the group; sample if it is just a sample. The sample one divides by n − 1.
Can I paste data from a spreadsheet?
Yes. Copy a column and paste it: line breaks separate the numbers.