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The purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets is to calculate the middle value in a set of numerical data. This function is useful for finding the central tendency or the most representative value in a dataset, especially when there are outliers present. The MEDIAN function is commonly used in statistical analysis and can help users make informed decisions by providing a more accurate representation of the data. It can also help identify any potential skewness in the data.
Google Sheets MEDIAN Function
MEDIAN Function
The MEDIAN function is a premade function in Google Sheets, which returns the middle value in the data.
It is typed =MEDIAN and gets a list of cells:
=MEDIAN(value1, [value2, …])You can select cells one by one, but also ranges, or even multiple ranges.
Note: The median is a type of average value, which describes where the center of the data is located. You can learn about median in our Statistics Median Tutorial.
Calculating the median manually requires that the data is sorted and arranged from low to high. This is not necessary using the MEDIAN function, it does it for you.
Median Function Example
Find the median of this list of numbers 1,1,2,2,3,4,4:
MEDIAN function, step by step:
- Select a cell
H2 - Type
=MEDIAN - Click the MEDIAN command
- Specify the range
A2:G2 - Hit enter
Now, the function returns the median:
Great! You successfully found the median using the =MEDIAN function.
Note that it found the value in the middle of the data, which is cell D2, the one that is marked red:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). What is the purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-median-function-in-google-sheets/
stats writer. "What is the purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 30 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-median-function-in-google-sheets/.
stats writer. "What is the purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-median-function-in-google-sheets/.
stats writer (2024) 'What is the purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-median-function-in-google-sheets/.
[1] stats writer, "What is the purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. What is the purpose of the MEDIAN function in Google Sheets?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.