Median function

To use this function, choose Calc > Calculator.

Calculates the middle value of the data: half the observations are less than or equal to it and half the observations are greater than or equal to it.

If the data set contains an odd number of values then the median is the value in the middle of the ordered data set. In a data set where there is an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values. For example, for the set of numbers 1, 2, 3, 21, 35, 42, the median is the average of the two middle values (3 and 21) which is 12.

Syntax

Column statistic
MEDIAN(number)

For number, specify the column number.

Row statistic
RMEDIAN(number,number,...)

For number, specify each column number to define the length of the rows.

Examples

Column	Calculator expression	Result
C1 contains 6, 3, 15	MEDIAN (C1)	6
C1 contains 6, C2 contains 3, and C3 contains 15	RMEDIAN (C1,C2,C3)	6

Uses

Use the median to describe an entire set of observations with a single value representing the center of the data.

Compared to the mean, the median is not sensitive to extreme data values, and is, thus, often a more informative measure of the center of skewed data. For example, the mean may not be a good statistic for describing salaries within a company. The relatively high salaries of few top earners inflates the overall average, giving a false idea of salaries at the company. In this case the median is more informative. The median is equivalent to the 2nd quartile or the 50th percentile.