Mean, median, mode and range of a list of numbers.
Paste in a list of test scores, prices, times or measurements, and this average calculator gives you the mean, median, mode and range at once. It also shows the count, sum, smallest and largest values, and the geometric mean, with the steps for the mean and median written out.
Quick answer: to find the average (mean), add all the numbers and divide by how many there are: (4 + 7 + 10) ÷ 3 = 7. The median is the middle value in order, the mode is the most common value, and the range is the largest minus the smallest.
How to Use the Average Calculator
- Type or paste your numbers into the box. Separate them with commas, spaces or new lines. You can copy a column straight from a spreadsheet.
- Read the results:
- Mean (average), median, mode and range
- Count, sum, min and max
- Geometric mean, for growth rates and other values that multiply
Mean, Median, Mode and Range Formulas
- Mean = sum of all values ÷ number of values
- Median = the middle value once the numbers are in order. With an even count, it is the average of the two middle values.
- Mode = the value that appears most often. There can be more than one, or none.
- Range = largest value − smallest value
Worked Example
For the numbers 12, 15, 11, 15, 20, 18, 15, 9:
- Count: 8. Sum: 115.
- Mean: 115 ÷ 8 = 14.375
- Sorted: 9, 11, 12, 15, 15, 15, 18, 20
- Median: the two middle values are 15 and 15, so the median is 15
- Mode: 15, which appears 3 times
- Range: 20 − 9 = 11
- Geometric mean: about 13.96
Mean or Median: Which Should You Use?
The mean uses every value, so one very large or very small number pulls it a long way. The median only looks at the middle, so it is not affected by outliers.
Example: five salaries of $42,000, $45,000, $48,000, $51,000 and $250,000.
- Mean: $87,200, higher than four of the five salaries.
- Median: $48,000, a much better picture of a typical salary.
This is why house prices and incomes are usually reported as medians. Use the mean when the values are fairly even, such as test scores in a class.
Weighted Averages
When some values count more than others, use a weighted average:
Weighted average = (value₁ × weight₁ + value₂ × weight₂ + …) ÷ (sum of weights)
Example: coursework scores 85 and counts for 40%, and the exam scores 72 and counts for 60%.
(85 × 0.4) + (72 × 0.6) = 34 + 43.2 = 77.2.
For exam marks out of different totals, the marks percentage calculator adds up the marks correctly instead of averaging the percentages.
Averaging Averages
You cannot simply average two averages when the groups are different sizes.
Example: class A has 20 students with a mean score of 70. Class B has 30 students with a mean of 80.
- Wrong: (70 + 80) ÷ 2 = 75.
- Right: total marks are 20 × 70 + 30 × 80 = 3,800, over 50 students, so the overall mean is 76.
The same applies to percentages from groups of different sizes.
Average Calculator FAQs
What is the difference between mean and average?
In everyday use, “average” means the mean. In statistics, “average” can describe any measure of the middle, including the median and mode.
What if there is no mode?
If every value appears only once, there is no mode. If two values tie for most frequent, both are modes, and the data is called bimodal.
What is the geometric mean used for?
Averaging growth rates, investment returns and ratios, where values are multiplied together rather than added. It can only be worked out when all values are positive.
How many numbers can I enter?
As many as you like. Paste a full column from a spreadsheet and the calculator will handle it.
For more formulas like these, see our list of basic math formulas. To compare two values as a percentage, use the percentage difference calculator.
How we checked this page: every result in the worked example and the salary example was calculated by hand and matches the calculator.
Written by Tanveer Anwar · Last checked 26 October 2026