Excel MEDIAN Function

The MEDIAN function, one of Excel's statistical functions, shows you the middle number in a data list.

Middle, in this case, refers to arithmetic value rather than the location of the numbers in a list.

If there is an even set of numbers, the median is the average of the middle two values.

The syntax for the MEDIAN function is:

= MEDIAN ( number1, number2, ... number255 )

number1, ... number255: means that up to 255 numbers can be entered into the function. These can be numbers or the cell references where the data is located.

MEDIAN Function Example

For help with this example, see the image above.

1. Enter the following data into cells D1 to D5:

   4, 12, 49, 24, 65.

2. Click on cell E1 - the location where the results will be displayed.
   
   
3. Click on the Formulas tab.
   
   
4. Choose More Functions > Statistical from the ribbon to open the function drop down list.
   
   
5. Click on MEDIAN in the list to bring up the function's dialog box.
   
   
6. Drag select cells D1 to D5 in the spreadsheet to enter this range of cell references into the dialog box.
   
   
7. Click OK.
   
   
8. The answer 24 should appear in cell E1. It is the median value since there are two numbers larger (49 and 65) and two numbers smaller (4 and 12) than it in the list.
   
   
9. When you click on cell E1, the complete function = MEDIAN ( D1 : D5 ) appears in the formula bar above the worksheet.

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