How to find the mean in google sheets

There are three main types of average that you may want to calculate when working in Google Sheets: The Mean, Median, and Mode. Fortunately Google Sheets has functions for each of these so all three are easy to calculate.

This tutorial goes through each type of average in turn and describes what it is and the corresponding Google Sheets function.

Calculating Mean in Google Sheets

Quick Navigation

• Calculating Mean in Google Sheets
• Calculating Median in Google Sheets
• Calculating Mode in Google Sheets
• Summary

The most basic type of average is the mean. If someone refers to the average without specifying the type of average, this is what they are most likely referring to. Because of this, the Google Sheets function used to calculate the mean is simply called AVERAGE

The mean of a data set is the sum of all numbers in the dataset, divided by the number of data points.

Here’s how to calculate the mean in Google Sheets:

Step 1

Select the cell you want to calculate the mean in and type the following formula: “=AVERAGE(A:A)”, where the data set you want to find the mean of is stored in column A

Step 2

Hit enter to complete your formula and the calculated mean will appear in the cell

Step 3

By default, the mean will calculate to a large number of digits after the decimal. To reduce the number of digits, select the cell and click on the Decrease Decimal Places button in the toolbar. Keep clicking till you have the right number of digits

Step 4

Note also that you can calculate the mean of multiple ranges but including all of them inside the parentheses separated by commas

Calculating Median in Google Sheets

Another type of average is the median. The median of a data set is the middle number if all numbers are ranked in order, or the mean of the two middle numbers if there are an even number of numbers.

To calculate the median, follow the steps above for calculating the mean, but use the MEDIAN function.

Calculating Mode in Google Sheets

The last commonly used type of average is the mode. The mode of a dataset is the number that appears most frequently in the data set. If more than one number is tied for most frequent, Google Sheets returns the number that appears first in the input arguments

To calculate the mode of a data set, follow the steps for calculating the mean but use the MODE function.

Summary

Example Spreadsheet: Make a copy of the example spreadsheet

In this tutorial, I covered how to calculate average on Google Sheets. Want more? Check out all the Google Sheets Tutorials.

This article explains how to use the AVERAGE function in Google Sheets. Sheets has several functions that make it easy to find some of the more commonly used average values. The AVERAGE function finds the arithmetic mean for a list of numbers.

Finding the AVERAGE Function

As with all other built-in functions in Google Spreadsheets, you can access the AVERAGE function by selecting Insert > Function in the menus to open a drop-down list of commonly used functions that includes the AVERAGE function.

Alternatively, because it is so widely used, a shortcut to the function has been added to the program's toolbar to make it even easier to find and use.

The icon on the toolbar for this and several other popular functions is the Greek letter Sigma (Σ).

Google Spreadsheets AVERAGE Function Example

The steps below cover how to use the shortcut to the AVERAGE function mentioned above.

1. Select the cell where the formula results will be displayed.

2. Select the Functions icon on the toolbar above the worksheet to open the drop-down list of functions.

   
   

3. Select Average from the list to place a blank copy of the function in the cell.

   
   

4. Select the cells you want to enter as arguments for the function and press the Enter key on the keyboard.

   
   

5. The average number should appear in the selected cell. When you select the cell, the complete function appears in the formula bar above the worksheet.

   
   

Individual cells, rather than a continuous range, can be added as arguments, but a comma must separate each cell reference. 

After entering the function, if you make changes to the data in the selected cells, the function, by default, automatically recalculates to reflect the change.

The AVERAGE Function's Syntax and Arguments

A function's syntax refers to the layout of the function and includes the function's name, brackets, comma separators, and arguments.

The syntax for the AVERAGE function is:

=AVERAGE(number_1, number_2, ...number_30)

• number_1 — (required) the data to be averaged by the function
• number_2 to number_30 — (optional) additional data values to be included in the average. The maximum number of entries allowed is 30

The number arguments can contain:

• A list of numbers to be average.
• Cell references to the location of the data in the worksheet.
• A range of cell references.
• A named range.

Text entries and cells containing Boolean values (TRUE or FALSE) are ignored by the function.

If you alter cells that are blank or contain text or Boolean values later to hold numbers, the average will recalculate to accommodate the changes.

Blank Cells vs. Zero

When it comes to finding average values in Google Spreadsheets, there is a difference between blank or empty cells and those containing a zero value.

Blank cells are ignored by the AVERAGE function, which can be very handy since it makes finding the average for non-contiguous cells of data very easy. Cells containing a zero value, however, are included in the average.

Check out our guides on how to use the MEDIAN function, which finds the middle value in a list of numbers, and the MODE function, which finds the most commonly occurring value in a list of numbers.

How to Sort in Google Sheets

FAQ

• How do I search in Google Sheets?

  To search data in Google Sheets, launch the app and select Edit > Find and Replace. Next to Find, enter the data you'd like to search for. If you want to specify replacement data, enter it next to Replace With. Next to Search, select the Sheet to search. Select Find > Replace or Replace All.

• How do I merge data in Google Sheets?

  To merge spreadsheet cells in Google Sheets, highlight the cells you want to merge, and then select Merge from the toolbar (the icon looks like a square with arrows pointed inward). To specify merge behavior, select Merge All, Merge Horizontally, or Merge Vertically. Select Undo Merge if you change your mind.

• How do I alphabetize in Google Sheets?

  Highlight the cells you want to alphabetize. (Freeze the first row if you have a header row.) Select Data > Sort Range > Advanced range sorting options. Select Data has header row if you have column titles. Select the first column, choose to sort alphabetically, and select Sort.

  What is the mean function in Google Sheets?

  There are a number of similar formulas that can be used to calculate averages in Google Sheets. These formulas are: =MEAN(range of cells), =MEDIAN(range of cells), and =MODE(range of cells).

  How do you find the mean and median on Google Spreadsheet?

  Syntaxes.

  =AVERAGE( value1 , [ value2, … ]) ... .

  value1 – value or range of values for which we want to calculate mean, median or mode..

  value2, … ... .

  =AVERAGE(B2:B10) //Returns the mean value of the range B2:B10..

  =MEDIAN(B2:B10) //Gives the median value..

  =MODE(B2:B10) //Returns the mode value..

  How do you find the mean on a spreadsheet?

  To find the mean in Excel, you start by typing the syntax =AVERAGE or select AVERAGE from the formula dropdown menu. Then, you select which cells will be included in the calculation. For example: Say you will be calculating the mean for column A, rows two through 20. Your formula will look like this: =AVERAGE(A2:A20).

  What is the average formula in Google Sheets?

  =AVERAGE(value1, [value2, ...]) You can select cells one by one, but also ranges, or even multiple ranges. It adds up all the cell values and divides that sum by the total number of values.