Average Calculator

This average calculator finds the mean of a list of numbers, and also gives the median, mode, range, sum and count. Type or paste your numbers, separated by commas, spaces or new lines, and the answers show as you type.

Separate numbers with commas, spaces or new lines. Decimals and negative numbers work.

10.7143Mean = 75 ÷ 7

Median
9
Mode
7
Range
17
Sum
75
Count
7
Smallest
4
Largest
21

Numbers in order

4, 7, 7, 9, 12, 15, 21

How to use the average calculator

  1. Type or paste your numbers into the box.
  2. Separate them with commas, spaces or new lines.
  3. Read the mean in the highlighted box. The median, mode, range, sum and count are shown under it.
  4. Press Use example to see how it works, or Clear to start again.

Mean, median and mode explained

The mean is the sum of the numbers divided by how many there are. The median is the middle number when the list is in order. The mode is the number that appears most often. The range is the largest number minus the smallest.

Average calculator example

Take the list 12, 7, 9, 15, 7, 21, 4. The sum is 75 and there are 7 numbers, so the mean is 75 ÷ 7 = 10.7143. In order the list is 4, 7, 7, 9, 12, 15, 21, so the median is 9. The number 7 appears twice, so the mode is 7. The range is 21 minus 4, which is 17.

Which average should you use?

  • Use the mean when the numbers are fairly even, such as test scores for one class.
  • Use the median when a few very high or very low numbers could pull the mean away from the middle, such as house prices or salaries.
  • Use the mode to find the most common value, such as the shoe size sold most often.

How to find the average by hand

  1. Add all the numbers together.
  2. Count how many numbers there are.
  3. Divide the sum by the count.

For test scores of 80, 90 and 70 the sum is 240 and there are 3 scores, so the mean is 240 ÷ 3 = 80.

Why the median can differ from the mean

One very large number can pull the mean up. Take the salaries 30, 32, 35, 36 and 200 (in thousands). The mean is 66.6, but the median is 35, which is closer to what most people in the group earn. Paste both lists into the calculator to compare them.

Where averages are used

People use averages for school grades, sports scores, prices, weather and survey results. Pick the kind of average that fits your question, and look at the whole list, not just one number. If the mean and the median are far apart, the list probably has a few very high or very low values.

The range tells you how spread out the numbers are. A small range means the numbers sit close together, and a large range means they are far apart.

Frequently asked questions

Is average the same as mean?

In daily use, average usually means the mean. Median and mode are other kinds of average.

Can a list have more than one mode?

Yes. If two numbers appear the same number of times, both are modes. If no number repeats, the list has no mode.

How is the median found when there is an even number of values?

The calculator takes the two middle numbers and finds their mean. For 2, 4, 6, 8 the median is (4 + 6) ÷ 2 = 5.

Does the average calculator work with decimals and negative numbers?

Yes. Type them as usual, such as -3.5 or 2.75.

Is my data saved?

No. Everything is worked out in your browser, and nothing is sent or stored.

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