Returns the average of the values given as its argument(s).
Syntax
=AVERAGE(Value, ...)
| # | Argument | Argument description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Value | Either a number or a range/array of multiple numbers. |
| 2 | … | Any number of more numbers or ranges/arrays of multiple numbers. Up to 255 can be given. |
Explanation
Excel’s average function calculates the average of the values given. In this example, we use the range B2:B5 as argument. So it will take the average of the values in that range.
You can also use =AVERAGE(B2, B3, B4, B5) or even =AVERAGE(B2:B4, B5). Really any combination of numbers and/or ranges works.
Questions
The average value is calculated by summing all the values and then dividing this sum by the number of values there are. So, for example, for the numbers 1, 2 and 3, the average is 1+2+3 / 3 = 2. So we summed all numbers (1+2+3) and then divided by 3 because there are 3 numbers in total.
Yes, they are. You can use the MODE() or MEDIAN() functions to calculate those.
The average function will simply ignore empty cells or text. Taking the average of errors will result in an error.