Average Calculator: Mean, Median and Weighted Average
Our average calculator finds the mean, median, mode and range of any list of numbers in one step. It also works as a mean calculator with a weighted mode for grades, prices and scores. Paste or type your numbers to see every result at once.
What an Average Means
An average is one number that stands for a whole group of numbers. Most people mean the arithmetic mean, which is the sum divided by the count. The median and the mode are averages too, and the mean calculator above shows all three.
How to Use the Average Calculator
- Choose Simple average for a plain list, or Weighted average when some values count more than others.
- Type or paste your numbers with commas, spaces or line breaks between them.
- For a weighted average, enter the weights in the same order as the values.
Results update as you type, and negative numbers and decimals with a dot both work. Skip thousands separators and type 1500 rather than 1,500. Otherwise the comma splits it into two numbers.
How to Calculate Average by Hand
Add every value, then divide by how many values there are. Take 12, 15, 18, 22 and 33 as an example. The sum is 100 and there are five numbers, so the average is 20.
Mean
If you are wondering how to calculate mean values for a longer list, the method never changes. Sum first, then divide by the count. The default list in the mean calculator, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, adds up to 108 and gives 18.
Median
Sort the numbers from smallest to largest and pick the middle one. With an even count, average the two middle numbers, so the same list gives (15 + 16) ÷ 2 = 15.5. A median calculator does the sorting for you, which saves time on long lists.
Mode
The mode is the value that appears most often. Learning how to calculate mode takes one step: count each number and pick the winner. In 3, 7, 7, 9, 12, 7 and 5 the mode is 7, and a list where every value is different has no mode.
Mean vs Median
Look at five salaries: 30000, 32000, 35000, 38000 and 250000. The mean is 77000, but the median of 35000 describes a typical worker far better. Use the median for prices and incomes, and our mean calculator for evenly spread data such as test scores.
Weighted Average
A weighted average gives some values more influence than others. A final exam may count for 50 percent, a project 30 percent and homework 20 percent. With scores of 90, 80 and 70, the weighted average is (90 × 50 + 80 × 30 + 70 × 20) ÷ 100, or 83.
The weights do not need to add up to 100, because the weighted average calculator divides by their total. A plain average of the same scores would be 80. The weighting adds three points here.
Average Share Price
Investors use the same idea for a stock bought at different prices. Buy 100 shares at $20 and 50 more at $26, then enter the prices as values and the share counts as weights. The result is $22 per share, not the $23 a simple average would give.
Going Further
For variance and standard deviation, open our Statistics Calculator. For shares of a total, the Percentage Calculator is the better fit. Students can turn weighted grades into a grade point average with the GPA Calculator.
Why Use This Tool
Our mean calculator gives the mean, median, mode, range, sum, count and geometric mean on one screen. A switch turns it into a weighted average calculator for grades and share prices. Everything runs in your browser, so your numbers stay private. Paste your list and find your average now.
Frequently asked questions
Is this average calculator free?
Yes, it is free with no sign up and no limit on list length.
How to calculate average quickly?
Add all the values and divide the total by how many values there are.
How to calculate mean with negative numbers?
Add them with their signs and divide by the count, just as the tool does.
Does it work as a median calculator for even lists?
Yes, it averages the two middle values automatically.
How to calculate mode when no number repeats?
If every value appears only once, the list has no mode.
What is the geometric mean used for?
It averages growth rates, such as yearly investment returns.
Is the mean calculator accurate with decimals?
Yes, it keeps up to four decimal places in every result.
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