The MEDIAN formula with example in Excel

The MEDIAN function in Excel is used to find the median, or middle number, in a set of numbers. The median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample. If there is an even number of observations, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.

Syntax

MEDIAN(number1, [number2], ...)

• number1, number2, ...: These are the numbers or ranges of numbers for which you want to find the median.

Example

Suppose you have a list of test scores and you want to find the median score.

Data

A
55
70
85
90
75
60
80

You want to find the median score from this list.

Steps

1. Enter the test scores in column A (A1).

2. Use the MEDIAN function to find the median score. In cell B1, enter the following formula:

   =MEDIAN(A1:A7)
   

3. Press Enter.

Result

The formula returns 75, indicating that the median score in the list is 75.

Explanation of the Formula

• A1:A7 is the range containing the test scores.
• The MEDIAN function sorts the numbers and finds the middle value. Since there are 7 numbers, the median is the 4th number in the sorted list.

Example with Even Number of Values

Suppose you have another list of test scores and you want to find the median score.

Data

A
55
70
85
90
75
60

You want to find the median score from this list.

Steps

1. Enter the test scores in column A (A1).

2. Use the MEDIAN function to find the median score. In cell B1, enter the following formula:

   =MEDIAN(A1:A6)
   

3. Press Enter.

Result

The formula returns 72.5, indicating that the median score in the list is 72.5.

Explanation of the Formula

• A1:A6 is the range containing the test scores.
• The MEDIAN function sorts the numbers and finds the average of the two middle values. Since there are 6 numbers, the median is the average of the 3rd and 4th numbers in the sorted list.

Sorted List

• 55
• 60
• 70
• 75
• 85
• 90

The median is the average of 70 and 75, which is (70 + 75) / 2 = 72.5.

By using the MEDIAN function, you can quickly find the median value in a dataset, which is particularly useful for understanding the central tendency of your data, especially when the data set contains outliers.