Average Calculator
For a quick "what is typical here?" on a short list - quiz scores, readings, a handful of measurements. For variance, standard deviation, or the sample-vs-population question, use the statistics calculator instead.
Last updated: August 2026 · Written and verified by Akash Pandey
Calculate averages
Mean
This runs the same calculation engine as the main scientific calculator, entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Mean, median and mode
The "average" of a data set can mean three different things, and choosing the wrong one can be misleading.
| Measure | How to calculate | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | sum ÷ count | Data is roughly symmetric with no extreme outliers |
| Median | middle value when sorted | Data is skewed or has outliers |
| Mode | most frequent value | Data is categorical, or you want the most common case |
Range and spread
Range tells you how spread out the data is: it is simply the largest value minus the smallest. It is quick to compute but sensitive to a single outlier - one unusually high or low reading can make the range far bigger than a typical gap between values.
range = max − min
Worked example
Six quiz scores out of 10: 7, 8, 8, 9, 6, 8 - what is typical?
7, 8, 8, 9, 6, 8
- Given: six scores. We want a single "typical" figure to report.
- Mean:
7+8+8+9+6+8 = 46, and46 ÷ 6 ≈ 7.67. - Median: sorted, the set is
6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9. With six values (an even count), average the middle two:(8 + 8) ÷ 2 = 8. - Mode: 8 appears three times, more than any other value, so the mode is 8.
- Range:
9 − 6 = 3- the scores are tightly clustered. - Interpretation: all three measures agree the class is scoring around 8, and a range of 3 out of a possible 10 says nobody did dramatically better or worse than the rest.
= Mean ≈ 7.67, Median = 8, Mode = 8, Range = 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this page exist separately from the statistics calculator?
They compute the same numbers - this page is for someone who wants a fast mean/median/mode/range check without wading through variance and the sample-vs-population question, which the statistics calculator covers in depth. Both pages use the identical calculation, so a figure will never disagree between them.
When should I use the mean vs the median?
Use the mean when the data is roughly symmetric with no extreme outliers. Use the median when the data is skewed or has outliers, because one extreme value can drag the mean far from the centre.
What if there is no mode, or more than one?
If every value appears exactly once, there is no mode - the calculator reports that rather than picking one arbitrarily. If two or more values tie for the highest frequency, all of them are modes and the set is bimodal or multimodal.
How do I calculate the mean?
Add all the values together and divide by the count. For example, the mean of 2, 4, 6 is (2+4+6) ÷ 3 = 4.
When should I use the range instead of standard deviation?
Range is a fast, rough first check - it only uses the two most extreme values, so one outlier can make it misleading. Standard deviation uses every value and is the more reliable measure of spread; see the statistics calculator for it.
What is a weighted mean, and when do I need one?
A weighted mean gives more importance to some values than others - useful when a final grade counts an exam twice as much as homework, for instance. Multiply each value by its weight, sum those products, then divide by the sum of the weights, rather than dividing by a plain count.
Can the mean be negative?
Yes. If your data set contains negative numbers, the mean can be negative. For example, the mean of −2, −4, 6 is 0.
How do I find the median of an even-sized data set?
Sort the numbers and take the average of the two middle values. For example, with 1, 3, 5, 7 the median is (3 + 5) ÷ 2 = 4. The calculator does this automatically.