How to Use the Median Function in Excel

The MEDIAN function calculates the middle number in a group of numbers.

When people talk about finding an average, they often are referring to the mean, the sum of a group of values divided by the total number of values. However, the median can be a useful measure of the middle of a distribution as well. It is the point where half the items are greater than and half are less than. In Excel, you can find the median in any list of numbers by using the MEDIAN function.

Instructions

1. Launch Excel to start with a blank spreadsheet or open an existing workbook with a list of numbers.

2. Enter numbers in a column, if you are using a blank sheet.

3. Click on an empty cell, either at the end of your list or in a column next to the list.

4. Type "=MEDIAN(A1:A20)", without quotation marks, and replacing "A1:A20" with the beginning and ending cell numbers of your list. Alternatively, after you type the open-parenthesis in the formula, click on the first cell in your list and drag until you have highlighted the last cell in your list. Type the close-parenthesis.

5. Press "Enter."

References

• Microsoft: Calculate the Median of a Group of Numbers