How to Calculate Mean and Standard Deviation in Excel

8/13/2019 How to Calculate Mean and Standard Deviation in Excel

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Based on http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/siegle/research/Normal/stdexcel.htm

How to Calculate Mean,Median,ModeandStandard Deviation

in Excel

Calculating the Mean

1. Enter scores into a column in a spreadsheet. All scores must be entered, including anyzeroes. A blank space will not be read as zero, but will instead be skipped over by Excel.

Example: A 100 point test was given to an 8th

grade Science class of 20 students. The

scores are shown above.


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2. Once all of the scores have been entered, place the cursor in the cell where you wouldlike the mean (average) to appear and click the mouse button.

3. Now look at the top of the Excel screen. Underneath the title of the document, thereshould be a tab that is labeled Formulas. Click on this tab.

4. On the left side of the screen is the icon for Insert Function. The icon looks like fx.Click on this icon to open the tool. If you are having trouble finding this icon, you can

open the tool by clicking the shift key and the f3 key at the same time.


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5. Once the tool has been opened, a new box will pop up on the screen. This box gives usthe option to search for the function (equation) that we are looking for, or we can look

through categorized lists. To search for the equation for the mean (average), type

average into the search box and click go. Using the searching method, the equationwe want to use is the first option, simply titled AVERAGE. If we use the pull down

menu, we want to select the category of Statistical. In this way, the AVERAGE

equation is the second option from the top of the list. Once AVERAGE is highlighted,

click on the OK button in the lower right.

6. A new box will appear that is titled Function Arguments. This box allows you to setwhat numbers from the spreadsheet you would like to average. In the box labeled

Number1, you should enter the range of the cells that you would like to average. For

example, if your data were in column A, and in rows 1 through 20, you would enter

A1:A20. This tells Excel to average all of the numbers in the cells from cell A1 to cell

A20. If you dont want to type the range, you can click and drag your cursor across thecells that you want to average. For example, you would start by clicking on cell A1, than

you would hold down the mouse click as you were moving the cursor down to cell A20.

If done correctly, the Function Arguments box should look like this:


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The Function Arguments box shows us everything that we have done to this

point. It shows us what equation we are using, as well as what cells we are drawing the

data from. It even shows us what our average will be before we click OK.

7. Once you have clicked the OK button, your average should appear in the cell that youhad selected earlier.


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Calculating the Median


Example: A 100 point test was given to an 8th

grade Science class of 20 students.

The scores are shown above.


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2. Once all of the scores have been entered, place the cursor in the cell where you wouldlike the median to appear and click the mouse button.



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through categorized lists. To search for the equation for the median, type median into

the search box and click go. Using the searching method, the equation we want to use

is the first option, simply titled MEDIAN. If we use the pull down menu, we want to

select the category of Statistical. In this way, theMEDIAN is around the middle of

the list. Once MEDIAN is highlighted, click on the OK button in the lower right.

6. A new box will appear that is titled Function Arguments. This box allows you toset thenumbers in the spreadsheet for which the median is to be found. In the box labeled

Number1, you should enter the range of the cells for which the median is to be found.

For example, if your data were in column A, and in rows 1 through 20, you would enter

A1:A20. This tells Excel to find the median of all of the numbers in the cells from cell

A1 to cell A20. If you dont want to type the range, you can click and drag your cursor

across the cells for which the median is to be found. For example, you would start by

clicking on cell A1, than you would hold down the mouse click as you were moving the

cursor down to cell A20. If done correctly, the Function Arguments box should look

like this:


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7. Once you have clicked the OK button, the median should appear in the cell that youhad selected earlier.


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Calculating the Mode



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2. Once all of the scores have been entered, place the cursor in the cell where you wouldlike the mode to appear and click the mouse button.



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through categorized lists. To search for the equation for the mode, type mode into the

search box and click go. Using the searching method, the equation wewant to use is

the third option from the top, titled MODE.MULT. If we use the pull down menu, we

want to select the category of Statistical. In this way, theMODE.MULT is around

the middle of the list. Once MODE.MULT is highlighted, click on the OK button in

the lower right.

6. A new box will appear that is titled Function Arguments. This box allows you toset thenumbers in the spreadsheet for which the mode is to be found. In the box labeled

Number1, you should enter the range of the cells for which the mode is to be found.

For example, if your data were in column A, and in rows 1 through 20, you would enter

A1:A20. This tells Excel to find the mode of all of the numbers in the cells from cell A1

to cell A20. If you dont want to type the range, you can click and drag your cursor across

the cells for which the mode is to be found. For example, you would start by clicking on

cell A1, than you would hold down the mouse click as you were moving the cursor down

to cell A20. If done correctly, the Function Arguments box should look like this:


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7. Once you have clicked the OK button, the modeshould appear in the cell that you hadselected earlier.


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Calculating the Standard Deviation

1. Enter scores into a column in a spreadsheet. All scores must be entered, including anyzeroes. A blank space will not be read as zero, but will instead be skipped over by

Excel.


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2. Once all of the scores have been entered, place the cursor in the cell where you wouldlike the standard deviation to appear and click the mouse button.


4. On the left side of the screen is the icon for Insert Function. The icon looks likefx. Click on this icon to open the tool. If you are having trouble finding this icon,

you can open the tool by clicking the shift key and the f3 key at the same time.


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5. Once the tool has been opened, a new box will pop up on the screen. This box givesus the option to search for the function (equation) that we are looking for, or we can

look through categorized lists. To search for the equation for the standard deviation,

type standard deviation into the search box and hit Go.The equation for standard

deviation will be called STDEV and it will be the third from the top. If we use the

pull down menu, we want to select the category of Statistical. This menu is

arranged alphabetically, so our equation will be among the S section. The equation

will now be called STDEV.S. Click on this equation to highlight it, and then click

OK.

6. A new box will appear that is titled Function Arguments. This box allows you to setwhat numbers from the spreadsheet you would like to find the standard deviation for.

In the box labeled Number1, you should enter the range of the cells that you would

like to use. For example, if your data were in column A, and in rows 1 through 20,

you would enter A1:A20. This tells Excel to use all of the numbers in the cells from

cell A1 to cell A20. If you dont want to type the range, you can click and drag your

cursor across the cells that you want to use. For example, you would start by clicking

on cell A1, than you would hold down the mouse click as you were moving the cursor

down to cell A20. If done correctly, the Function Arguments box should look like

this:


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7. Once you have clicked the OK button, the standard deviation should appear in thecell that you selected earlier.

How to Calculate Mean and Standard Deviation in Excel

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