Skip to content
xlsoffice. All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Excel For Beginners
  • Excel Intermediate
  • Advanced Excel For Experts

Lookup and Reference Examples

  • How to use Excel ROW Function
  • Get nth match with INDEX / MATCH in Excel
  • How to use Excel COLUMN Function
  • Create hyperlink with VLOOKUP in Excel
  • How to use Excel FORMULATEXT function

Data Analysis Examples

  • How to create running total in an Excel Table
  • How to calculate correlation coefficient Correlation in Excel
  • Add Outline to Data in Excel
  • Understanding Pivot Tables in Excel
  • How To Remove Duplicates In Excel Column Or Row?

Data Validation Examples

  • Excel Data validation must not contain
  • Excel Data validation no punctuation
  • Excel Data validation must begin with
  • How To Create Drop-down List in Excel
  • Excel Data validation specific characters only

Excel Standard Deviation

by

What is Standard Deviation (STDEV.P, STDEV.S)?

This page explains how to calculate the standard deviation based on the entire population using the STDEV.P function in Excel and how to estimate the standard deviation based on a sample using the STDEV.S function in Excel.

What is Standard Deviation?

Standard deviation is a number that tells you how far numbers are from their mean.

1. For example, the numbers below have a mean (average) of 10.

Explanation: the numbers are all the same which means there’s no variation. As a result, the numbers have a standard deviation of zero. The STDEV function is an old function. Microsoft Excel recommends using the new STEDV.S function which produces the exact same result.

Worked Example:   STDEV.S function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

2. The numbers below also have a mean (average) of 10.

Explanation: the numbers are close to the mean. As a result, the numbers have a low standard deviation.

3. The numbers below also have a mean (average) of 10.

Explanation: the numbers are spread out. As a result, the numbers have a high standard deviation.

STDEV.P

The STDEV.P function (the P stands for Population) in Excel calculates the standard deviation based on the entire population. For example, you’re teaching a group of 5 students. You have the test scores of all students. The entire population consists of 5 data points. The STDEV.P function uses the following formula:

Worked Example:   STDEV.S function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

In this example, x1 = 5, x2 = 1, x3 = 4, x4 = 6, x5 = 9, μ = 5 (mean), N = 5 (number of data points).

1. Calculate the mean (μ).

2. For each number, calculate the distance to the mean.

3. For each number, square this distance.

4. Sum (∑) these values.

5. Divide by the number of data points (N = 5).

6. Take the square root.

7. Fortunately, the STDEV.P function in Excel can execute all these steps for you.

STDEV.S

The STDEV.S function (the S stands for Sample) in Excel estimates the standard deviation based on a sample. For example, you’re teaching a large group of students. You only have the test scores of 5 students. The sample size equals 5. The STDEV.S function uses the following formula:

Worked Example:   STDEV.S function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

In this example, x1=5, x2=1, x3=4, x4=6, x5=9 (same numbers as above), x̄=5 (sample mean), n=5 (sample size).

1. Repeat steps 1-5 above but at step 5 divide by n-1 instead of N.

2. Take the square root.

3. Fortunately, the STDEV.S function in Excel can execute all these steps for you.

Note: why do we divide by n – 1 instead of by n when we estimate the standard deviation based on a sample? Bessel’s correction states that dividing by n-1 instead of by n gives a better estimation of the standard deviation.

Post navigation

Previous Post:

How To Compare Two Lists in Excel

Next Post:

Count Unique Values in Excel

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Learn Basic Excel

Ribbon
Workbook
Worksheets
Format Cells
Find & Select
Sort & Filter
Templates
Print
Share
Protect
Keyboard Shortcuts

Categories

  • Charts
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Validation
  • Excel Functions
    • Cube Functions
    • Database Functions
    • Date and Time Functions
    • Engineering Functions
    • Financial Functions
    • Information Functions
    • Logical Functions
    • Lookup and Reference Functions
    • Math and Trig Functions
    • Statistical Functions
    • Text Functions
    • Web Functions
  • Excel VBA
  • Excel Video Tutorials
  • Formatting
  • Grouping
  • Others
  • How to abbreviate names or words in Excel
  • How to get first word in Excel
  • PROPER function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Excel MAX, MATCH and ADDRESS function illustration
  • PHONETIC function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Get first day of month in Excel
  • Get project end date in Excel
  • Get month from date in Excel
  • DAYS360 function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Convert date string to date time in Excel
  • DB function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Compound Annual Growth Rate CAGR formula examples in Excel
  • TBILLYIELD function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • TBILLEQ function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • NOMINAL function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
Acronyms, Abbreviations, Initialism & What They Stand For
© 2022 xlsoffice . All Right Reserved. | Teal Smiles