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Finding unique values from multiple columns in Excel is a simple process that allows you to identify and extract distinct values from a dataset. By using the “Remove Duplicates” function in Excel, you can quickly eliminate any duplicate values within a selected range of columns and keep only the unique values. This function is useful for organizing and analyzing large sets of data, as it allows you to focus on the unique data points without the clutter of repetitive values. Additionally, you can use filters and pivot tables to further manipulate and analyze the unique values in your dataset. Overall, utilizing Excel’s built-in functions and tools makes it easy to efficiently identify and extract unique values from multiple columns.
Excel: Find Unique Values from Multiple Columns
You can use the following formula to find unique values from multiple columns in Excel:
=INDIRECT(TEXT(MIN(IF(($A$2:$C$11<>"")*(COUNTIF($E$1:E1,$A$2:$C$11)=0),ROW($2:$11)*100+COLUMN($A:$C),7^8)),"R0C00"),)&""
This particular formula finds the unique values in the cell range A2:C11 and returns a list of the unique values in column E.
The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.
Example: Find Unique Values from Multiple Columns in Excel
Suppose we have the following three lists of basketball team names in Excel:

To find the unique values from each of the three columns, we can use the following formula:
=INDIRECT(TEXT(MIN(IF(($A$2:$C$11<>"")*(COUNTIF($E$1:E1,$A$2:$C$11)=0),ROW($2:$11)*100+COLUMN($A:$C),7^8)),"R0C00"),)&""
We can type this formula into cell E2 and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter:

We can then click and drag this formula down to other cells in column E until blank values start appearing:

From the output we can see that there are 11 unique team names across the three columns of team names.
Note: To use this formula with more columns, simply modify the A2:C11 cell range in the formula to include more columns.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common operations in Excel:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I find unique values from multiple columns using Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-unique-values-from-multiple-columns-using-excel/
stats writer. "How can I find unique values from multiple columns using Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 1 Jul. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-unique-values-from-multiple-columns-using-excel/.
stats writer. "How can I find unique values from multiple columns using Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-unique-values-from-multiple-columns-using-excel/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I find unique values from multiple columns using Excel?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-find-unique-values-from-multiple-columns-using-excel/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I find unique values from multiple columns using Excel?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, July, 2024.
stats writer. How can I find unique values from multiple columns using Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.
