Average Calculator
Find the mean, median, mode and range of any set of numbers, or a weighted average.
Separate numbers with commas, spaces or new lines. You can paste a column from a spreadsheet.
Weights can be percentages, credits, quantities or any other numbers.
Results are rounded to 6 decimal places.
How to use the average calculator
Paste or type any list of numbers and this calculator instantly finds the mean, median, mode, range and more. It's useful for test scores, sales figures, measurements, survey results and anything else you need to summarize.
- Choose Average for a simple list, or Weighted average when some values count more than others.
- Enter your numbers, separated by commas, spaces or new lines. You can paste a column straight from a spreadsheet.
- Read your results. They update as you type.
Mean, median and mode explained
"Average" usually means the mean, but there are three common types of average. Each tells you something slightly different about your data.
Mean
Add all the numbers together and divide by how many there are.
For 12, 15, 18, 22, 22 and 30, the sum is 119 and there are 6 numbers, so the mean is 119 ÷ 6 ≈ 19.83.
Median
Put the numbers in order and pick the middle one. If there's an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle numbers. For the list above, the middle two are 18 and 22, so the median is 20.
Mode
The mode is the value that appears most often. In our example, 22 appears twice, so the mode is 22. A list can have more than one mode, or no mode at all if every value appears only once.
Which average should you use?
| Average | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | Data without extreme values, like test scores | Pulled up or down by outliers |
| Median | Data with outliers, like incomes or house prices | Ignores how big the extremes are |
| Mode | Categories or the most common choice, like shoe sizes | May not exist, or there may be several |
For example, if nine people earn $40,000 and one earns $1,000,000, the mean income is $136,000, which doesn't describe anyone well. The median of $40,000 is much more representative.
Other results explained
- Range: the largest value minus the smallest, which shows how spread out the data is.
- Sum and count: the total of all values and how many there are.
- Geometric mean: multiplies the values and takes the nth root. It's the right average for growth rates and investment returns. It only works with positive numbers.
For a deeper look at how spread out your data is, try the standard deviation calculator.
How to calculate a weighted average
A weighted average is used when some values matter more than others. Each value is multiplied by its weight, the results are added up, and the total is divided by the sum of the weights.
Example: a course grade where homework is worth 30%, the midterm 30% and the final exam 40%.
- Scores: homework 85, midterm 90, final 78.
- 85 × 30 + 90 × 30 + 78 × 40 = 2,550 + 2,700 + 3,120 = 8,370.
- 8,370 ÷ 100 = 83.7.
Notice the simple average of the three scores is about 84.3. The weighted average is lower because the final exam, the lowest score, counts the most. The same idea is used to calculate GPA; see the GPA calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the average of numbers?
Add all the numbers together and divide by how many numbers there are. For example, the average of 4, 8 and 9 is (4 + 8 + 9) ÷ 3 = 7.
What's the difference between mean and median?
The mean adds everything up and divides by the count, so extreme values affect it. The median is the middle value in order, so it isn't affected by a few very high or very low numbers.
What if there's no mode?
If every value appears only once, there is no mode. The calculator will show "No mode" in that case.
Can I paste numbers from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy a column or row and paste it into the box. Numbers separated by new lines, tabs, spaces or commas all work.
Can the weights be percentages?
Yes. Weights can be percentages, credits, quantities or any other numbers. They don't need to add up to 100.