Excel MEDIAN Function (Middle Value) – Examples & Practice
Practice the Excel MEDIAN function online with an interactive grid, instant feedback, and clear formula help.
Instruction
Return the median (middle) value from range B2:B6.
Formula Syntax
=MEDIAN(number1, [number2], ...)
- number1: First number, cell, or range.
- [number2]: Optional additional numbers or ranges.
- ...: Up to 255 arguments.
What it does
MEDIAN returns the middle value in a sorted set of numbers. It is a robust alternative to the mean when data is skewed. Even-sized sets average the two central values.
Excel MEDIAN Function Examples
Median of scores
=MEDIAN(B2:B6)
Returns the middle value of the numeric set.
Median with an even count
If six numbers exist, MEDIAN averages the 3rd and 4th sorted values.
statistics-sample.xlsx
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sample | Value |
| 2 | S1 | 12 |
| 3 | S2 | 15 |
| 4 | S3 | 15 |
| 5 | S4 | 18 |
| 6 | S5 | 21 |
| 7 | Output |
Input Formula
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Tips
- Show AVERAGE and MEDIAN side by side to explain skew.
- Clean data before comparing statistics.
- Pair with charts to visualize outliers.
MEDIAN Function Use Cases
- Report typical salary or house price with skewed tails
- QC metrics where outliers distort AVERAGE
- Scientific measurements with occasional spikes
- Compare MEDIAN to AVERAGE to detect skew
- Robust summaries on customer spend
Common mistakes - MEDIAN function not working
- Using MEDIAN on text-heavy columns
- Expecting MODE behavior
- Including headers as numbers
- Forgetting even-count averaging behavior
- Mixing incompatible units in one MEDIAN
FAQ
How does MEDIAN handle even counts?
Excel averages the two middle values when there is an even number of numeric entries.
MEDIAN vs AVERAGE?
MEDIAN resists outliers; AVERAGE can be pulled by extremes.
Does MEDIAN ignore blanks?
Yes. Blank cells are ignored.
Does MEDIAN work with dates?
Yes, because dates are numeric serials.
Is MEDIAN the same as MODE?
No. MODE is the most frequent value; MEDIAN is the middle sorted value.
Comparison
| Stat | Robust to outliers? |
|---|---|
| MEDIAN | Usually yes |
| AVERAGE | No |
| MODE | Different concept |
Example
=MEDIAN(B2:B6).
Advanced examples
Filter then median
In modern Excel, nest FILTER inside MEDIAN to ignore irrelevant rows:
=MEDIAN(FILTER(B2:B6, A2:A6="North"))