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Math and school

How to calculate the mean, median, mode and standard deviation

You have a list of numbers — test scores, prices, times — and want to know the typical value and how spread out they are. You will paste the list and read every common statistic at once. Nothing leaves this tab.

5-minute read

Today's result Mean, median, mode, count, sum, minimum, maximum, range, sample and population standard deviation and variance, and geometric mean.

Open the average calculator with your numbers ready to paste, for example a column from a spreadsheet. Nothing is uploaded.

Open Average calculator
Contents

  1. Know the three averages

    Mean: add the numbers and divide by how many there are. Median: sort them and take the middle one (or the mean of the middle two). Mode: the value that appears most often. For 12 15 15 18 20 22 30: sum 132 ÷ 7 = 18.86, median 18, mode 15.

    Mean = sum ÷ count; median = middle value; mode = most frequent.
    Mean = sum ÷ count; median = middle value; mode = most frequent.

  2. Open Average calculator on cv.cm

    Seven sample numbers are filled in and the results sit on the right. Nothing is uploaded.

    Open Average calculator

  3. Paste your numbers

    Separate them with spaces, new lines or semicolons. Under Decimal mark pick 3.5 or 3,5 to match how you write decimals. Anything that is not a number is listed as skipped.

  4. Pick the right average

    Use the mean for evenly spread data. Use the median when a few values are extreme: incomes of 30, 32, 35 and 400 have a mean of 124.25 but a median of 33.5. Use the mode for the most common answer.

    30, 32, 35, 400: mean 124.25, median 33.5 — the median resists outliers.
    30, 32, 35, 400: mean 124.25, median 33.5 — the median resists outliers.

  5. Read the spread

    Standard deviation shows how far values sit from the mean. Use the sample value (n − 1) when the numbers are a sample of a larger group and the population value (n) when they are the whole group. Range is maximum − minimum.

  6. Copy the results

    Copy puts every line on the clipboard, ready for a report. Clear empties the list for the next set.

Use with these tools

FAQ

Is there a free mean, median and mode calculator?

Yes. cv.cm calculates them in your browser with standard deviation and variance. Nothing is uploaded.

When should I use the median instead of the mean?

When a few values are much larger or smaller than the rest, such as incomes or house prices.

What is the difference between sample and population standard deviation?

Sample divides by n − 1 and is used when the data is a sample; population divides by n and is used for the whole group.

What if no number repeats?

Then there is no mode; the tool shows None.

Can I paste numbers with decimal commas?

Yes. Set Decimal mark to 3,5; then commas are decimals and spaces, new lines or semicolons separate numbers.