Mean Median Mode Calculator
Paste any list of numbers to get the mean, median, mode, range and standard deviation in one click.
Calculate the mean, median and mode
Your results
Your sorted values
Values sorted from smallest to largest, with each value’s distance from the mean. Highlighted rows are the mode.
How to find the mean, median and mode
This free calculator finds the mean, median and mode of any list of numbers. It is for students, teachers, researchers and anyone checking a data set. There is no sign-up, and everything runs in your browser, so your numbers never leave your device.
What is the mean of a set of numbers?
The mean is the ordinary average of a set of numbers. Add all the values together, then divide the total by how many values there are. For the numbers 1, 2, 2, 3 and 4, the total is 12 and there are 5 values, so the mean is 2.4. The mean uses every value in the set.
Because the mean uses every value, a single very large or very small number can move it a long way. That is why the mean alone can be misleading for skewed data such as house prices or incomes, where a few extreme values sit far from the rest.
What is the median of a set of numbers?
The median is the middle value of a data set once the numbers are sorted from smallest to largest. If there is an odd count, the median is the single middle number. If there is an even count, the median is the average of the two middle numbers. For 1, 2, 2, 3 and 4, the middle value is 2.
The median is often called a resistant measure, because extreme values barely move it. Adding a value of 1,000 to the example above would drag the mean up sharply, but the median would shift by only a small amount.
What is the mode of a set of numbers?
The mode is the value that appears most often in a data set. Count how many times each number occurs, and the number with the highest count is the mode. A set can have two or more modes, which is called bimodal or multimodal. If every value appears only once, the set has no mode at all.
The mode is the only average that works for categories as well as numbers. A shop can find the modal shoe size sold, or the modal answer in a survey, even when a mean would make no sense.
When should I use the median instead of the mean?
Use the median when your data has extreme values or outliers that would pull the mean away from the typical value. Salaries are the classic example, because a few very high earners raise the mean far above what most people earn. The median household income in the United States was 80,610 dollars in 2023, according to the US Census Bureau.
Report both when you can. When the mean and the median are close, the data is fairly balanced. When they are far apart, the gap itself tells you the data is skewed, and the direction of the gap tells you which way.
How is the standard deviation calculated?
The standard deviation measures how spread out the numbers are around the mean. Subtract the mean from each value, square each result, add the squares together, and divide by one less than the count for a sample. The square root of that result is the standard deviation. A larger value means the numbers are more spread out.
The table below was worked out with the same formulas this calculator uses. Notice how the third data set has a mode of 5 while its mean is 7, because two high values pull the mean upward.
| Data set | Values | Mean | Median | Mode | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Even spread | 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | 8 | 8 | None | 8 |
| One repeat | 2, 3, 3, 7, 9 | 4.8 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Skewed high | 5, 5, 5, 9, 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Frequently asked questions
Can a data set have more than one mode?
Yes. If two values tie for the highest frequency, the set is bimodal, and if three or more tie, it is multimodal. This calculator lists every tied value as a mode.
What if my numbers have decimals?
Decimals work fine. Paste values such as 1.5, 2.75 and 3.25 separated by commas, and the calculator handles them exactly like whole numbers.
What is the difference between sample and population standard deviation?
The sample standard deviation divides by one less than the count, while the population version divides by the count itself. This calculator shows the sample version, which is the one used when your numbers are a sample of a larger group.
Does the order of my numbers matter?
No. The calculator sorts your numbers before finding the median, the minimum and the maximum, so you can paste them in any order.
What happens if I paste text by mistake?
Anything that is not a number is ignored. Only the numeric values you paste are used in the calculation, so stray words or labels will not break the result.
Is the mean always between the minimum and the maximum?
Yes. The mean is a weighted centre of the values, so it can never fall below the smallest value or above the largest value in the set.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is uploaded, stored or shared with anyone.
More statistics tools
Working with chance? Try the Probability Calculator. Comparing two variables? Use the Correlation Coefficient Calculator. Ranking a score? Try the Percentile Calculator. For spread in more depth, see the Standard Deviation Calculator, and for standardised scores use the Z-Score Calculator, the P-Value Calculator and the Confidence Interval Calculator.
