Average Calculator
Paste or type a list of numbers to get the average (mean), median, mode, sum, count and range at once.
Last updated October 20, 2026
Separate numbers with commas, spaces or new lines.
Result
Mean = 86.6
| Mean (average) | 86.6 |
|---|---|
| Median | 88 |
| Mode | None |
| Sum | 433 |
| Count | 5 |
| Smallest | 78 |
| Largest | 92 |
| Range | 14 |
Show the work
Formula: mean = sum of the numbers / how many numbers
- Add the numbers: 85 + 90 + 78 + 92 + 88 = 433
- Count the numbers: 5
- Divide the sum by the count: 433 / 5 = 86.6
Result: Mean = 86.6
How the average is calculated
average (mean) = sum of the numbers ÷ how many numbers there are
The average, or arithmetic mean, adds up all the numbers and divides by how many there are. It is the most common “average”, but it is pulled toward very large or very small values.
The median and the mode are two other kinds of average. The median is the middle number once the list is sorted, and the mode is the number that appears most often.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Also useful alongside this calculator: Percentage Calculator, Z-Score Calculator and Probability Calculator.
Which average should you use?
Use the mean when the values are fairly even and every value matters, such as test scores or daily temperatures. Use the median when a few extreme values would distort the picture. For five house prices of 200, 220, 250, 260 and 1,500 (in thousands), the mean is 486 but the median is 250, and 250 describes a typical house far better.
Use the mode for the most common category or size, such as the shoe size sold most often. The mode is the only one of the three that also works for values that are not numbers.
How adding a value changes the average
Adding a score of 100 to the worked example makes the list 78, 85, 88, 90, 92, 100. The sum rises to 533 and the mean to 533 ÷ 6 ≈ 88.83. The median becomes the average of the two middle values, (88 + 90) ÷ 2 = 89.
You can also work backwards from a target. To finish six scores with a mean of 88, the total must be 6 × 88 = 528, so the sixth score has to be 528 − 433 = 95. A target of 90 would need 107 on the sixth score, which is impossible on a 100-point test.
Simple and weighted averages
This calculator treats every number equally. When some values count for more, such as an exam worth 60% and homework worth 40%, a weighted average is needed: multiply each value by its weight and divide by the total weight. Scores of 90 (weight 40) and 80 (weight 60) give (90 × 40 + 80 × 60) ÷ 100 = 84, while the simple mean of 90 and 80 is 85.
Negative numbers and decimals work in the same way. For −4, 0, 6 and 10 the sum is 12 and the mean is 12 ÷ 4 = 3.
How the median is found
Sort the numbers from smallest to largest. With an odd count, the median is the middle number. With an even count, it is the average of the two middle numbers, so for 1, 2, 3, 10 the median is (2 + 3) ÷ 2 = 2.5.
The median is not affected by one extreme value, which is why it is often used for incomes and house prices. In 1, 2, 3, 10 the mean is 4 but the median is 2.5.
How the mode is found
The mode is the value that occurs most often. A list can have more than one mode, and if every value appears only once there is no mode. In 5, 5, 5, 8, 9 the mode is 5.
How to use the Average Calculator
- Type or paste your numbers, separated by commas, spaces or new lines.
- Read the mean, median, mode, sum, count and range.
- Use Copy, Print or Share to keep the result.
Worked example
Five test scores are 85, 90, 78, 92 and 88. The sum is 433, so the mean is 433 ÷ 5 = 86.6. Sorted, the scores are 78, 85, 88, 90, 92, so the median is the middle one, 88. No score repeats, so there is no mode. The range is 92 − 78 = 14. As a check on the mean, the differences of the scores from 86.6 (−1.6, +3.4, −8.6, +5.4 and +1.4) add up to 0, which is true for any mean.
| Numbers | Mean | Median | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3, 5, 7 | 5 | 5 | none |
| 2, 4, 4, 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 1, 2, 3, 10 | 4 | 2.5 | none |
| 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 | 30 | 30 | none |
| 5, 5, 5, 8, 9 | 6.4 | 5 | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the average of a list of numbers?
Add the numbers together and divide by how many numbers there are.
What is the difference between mean, median and mode?
The mean is the sum divided by the count, the median is the middle value of the sorted list and the mode is the most frequent value.
Can a list have no mode, or more than one?
Yes. If every value appears once there is no mode, and if several values tie for most frequent they are all modes.
How many numbers can I enter, and are they stored?
Up to 1,000 numbers, separated by commas, spaces or new lines. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you enter is saved or uploaded.
Does one very large number change the average?
It changes the mean a lot and the median very little. Adding 1,500 to a list of values near 250 pulls the mean far above all of them, while the median stays near the middle.