To calculate range in excel

Normally, when I use the word range in my tutorials about Excel, it’s a reference to a cell or a collection of cells in the worksheet.

But this tutorial is not about that range.

A ‘Range’ is also a mathematical term that refers to the range in a data set (i.e., the range between the minimum and the maximum value in a given dataset)

In this tutorial, I will show you really simple ways to calculate the range in Excel.

What is a Range?

In a given data set, the range of that data set would be the spread of values in that data set.

To give you a simple example, if you have a data set of student scores where the minimum score is 15 and the maximum score is 98, then the spread of this data set (also called the range of this data set) would be 73

Range = 98 – 15

‘Range’ is nothing but the difference between the maximum and the minimum value of that data set.

How to Calculate Range in Excel?

If you have a list of sorted values, you just have to subtract the first value from the last value (assuming that the sorting is in the ascending order).

But in most cases, you would have a random data set where it’s not already sorted.

Finding the range in such a data set is quite straightforward as well.

Excel has the functions to find out the maximum and the minimum value from a range (the MAX and the MIN function).

Suppose you have a data set as shown below, and you want to calculate the range for the data in column B.

Below is the formula to calculate the range for this data set:

=MAX(B2:B11)-MIN(B2:B11)

The above formula finds the maximum and the minimum value and gives us the difference.

Quite straightforward… isn’t it?

Calculate Conditional Range in Excel

In most practical cases, finding the range would not be as simple as just subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value

In real-life scenarios, you might also need to account for some conditions or outliers.

For example, you may have a data set where all the values are below 100, but there is one value that is above 500.

If you calculate arrange for this data set, it would lead to you making misleading interpretations of the data.

Thankfully, Excel has many conditional formulas that can help you sort out some of the anomalies.

Below I have a data set where I need to find the range for the sales values in column B.

If you look closely at this data, you would notice that there are two stores where the values are quite low (Store 1 and Store 3).

This could be because these are new stores or there were some external factors that impacted the sales for these specific stores.

While calculating the range for this data set, it might make sense to exclude these newer stores and only consider stores where there are substantial sales.

In this example, let’s say I want to ignore all those stores where the sales value is less than 20,000.

Below is the formula that would find the range with the condition:

=MAX(B2:B11)-MINIFS(B2:B11,B2:B11,">20000")

In the above formula, instead of using the MIN function, I have used the MINIFS function (it’s a new function in Excel 2019 and Microsoft 365).

This function finds the minimum value if the criteria mentioned in it are met. In the above formula, I specified the criteria to be any value that is more than 20,000.

So, the MINIFS function goes through the entire data set, but only considers those values that are more than 20,000 while calculating the minimum value.

This makes sure that values lower than 20,000 are ignored and the minimum value is always more than 20,000 (hence ignoring the outliers).

Note that the MINIFS is a new function in Excel is available only in Excel 2019 and Microsoft 365 subscription. If you’re using prior versions, you would not have this function (and can use the formula covered later in this tutorial)

If you don’t have the MINIF function in your Excel, use the below formula that uses a combination of IF function and MIN function to do the same:

=MAX(B2:B11)-MIN(IF(B2:B11>20000,B2:B11))

Just like I have used the conditional MINIFS function, you can also use the MAXIFS function if you want to avoid data points that are outliers in the other direction (i.e., a couple of large data points that can skew the data)

So, this is how you can quickly find the range in Excel using a couple of simple formulas.

I hope you found this tutorial useful.

Other Excel tutorials you may like:

• How to Calculate Standard Deviation in Excel
• How to Calculate Square Root in Excel
• How to Calculate and Format Percentages in Excel

1. Select the cell where you want the result to appear.

2. On the Formulas tab, click More Functions, point to Statistical, and then click one of the following functions:

   • COUNTA: To count cells that are not empty

   • COUNT: To count cells that contain numbers.

   • COUNTBLANK: To count cells that are blank.

   • COUNTIF: To count cells that meets a specified criteria.

     Tip: To enter more than one criterion, use the COUNTIFS function instead.

3. Select the range of cells that you want, and then press RETURN.

1. Select the cell where you want the result to appear.

2. On the Formulas tab, click Insert, point to Statistical, and then click one of the following functions:

   • COUNTA: To count cells that are not empty

   • COUNT: To count cells that contain numbers.

   • COUNTBLANK: To count cells that are blank.

   • COUNTIF: To count cells that meets a specified criteria.

     Tip: To enter more than one criterion, use the COUNTIFS function instead.

3. Select the range of cells that you want, and then press RETURN.

We usually require certain metrics to understand the data that we are working with. There are a number of such representative metrics, like the average, the median, etc. Among these metrics, an often-used value is the ‘Range’.

In this tutorial, we will show you two easy ways in which you can find the range of a series of numbers in Excel:

1. Using a formula with the MIN and MAX built-in functions
2. Using a formula with the SMALL and LARGE built-in functions

What is Range and How is it Calculated?

The range is a measure of the spread of values in a series. In other words, it is the variation between the upper and lower limits of the series on a particular scale.

To find the range of a set of numbers, you need to find the difference between the largest and smallest numbers.

For example, if you have a series of numbers {4,2,6,5,3} then the range can be calculated as follows:

Range = largest value - smallest value

= 6 – 2

Calculation of the range is a very simple process, requiring three basic arithmetic operations:

1. Finding the largest value
2. Finding the smallest value
3. Finding the difference between the two

Given below are two methods to quickly calculate the range of a set of numbers in Excel. To demonstrate both methods, we will use the following dataset:

Finding the Range in Excel with MIN and MAX Functions

The first way to find the range is to use a combination of the MIN and MAX functions.

The MIN Function

The Excel MIN function returns the smallest numeric value in a range of values. The syntax for the MIN function is as follows:

=MIN (number1, [number2], ...)

Here,

• number1 can be a numeric value, a reference to a numeric value, or a range of numeric values.
• number2,… is optional. It can be a numeric value, a reference to a numeric value, or a range of numeric values.

For example, to find the minimum value of numbers in the range B2:B7, you will write the MIN function as follows:

=MIN(B2:B7)

The MAX Function

The Excel MAX function returns the largest numeric value in a range of values. The syntax for the MAX function is as follows:

=MAX (number1, [number2], ...)

Here,

• number1 can be a numeric value, a reference to a numeric value, or a range of numeric values.
• number2, … is optional. It can be a numeric value, a reference to a numeric value, or a range of numeric values.

For example, to find the maximum value of numbers in the range B2:B7, you will write the MAX function as follows:

=MAX(B2:B7)

Note: Both MIN and MAX functions ignore empty cells, logical values like TRUE and FALSE, as well as text values.

Using the MIN and MAX functions to Find the Range of A Series

To find the range of values in the given dataset, we can use the MIN and MAX functions as follows:

1. Select the cell where you want to display the range (B8 in our example).
2. Type in the formula: =MAX(B2:B7)-MIN(B2:B7)
3. Press the Return key.

Note: You can replace the reference B2:B7 with reference to the cells containing the values you want to calculate the range for.

Explanation of the Formula

The formula simply performed the basic steps required to calculate the range:

1. Finding the largest value: =MAX(B2:B7)
2. Finding the smallest value: =MIN(B2:B7)
3. Finding the difference between the two: =MAX(B2:B7) – MIN(B2:B7)

Finding the Range in Excel with SMALL and LARGE Functions

The second way to find the range is to use a combination of the SMALL and LARGE function.

The SMALL Function

The Excel SMALL function returns the ‘n-th smallest value’ in a range of values. So you can use it to find the 1st smallest value, 2nd smallest value, 3rd smallest value, and so on.

The syntax for the SMALL function is as follows:

=SMALL (array, n)

Here,

• array is the range of cells that you want to find the n-th smallest value from.
• n is an integer that specifies the position from the smallest value, i.e. the nth position.

For example, to find the 3rd smallest value in the range B2:B7, you will write the SMALL function as follows:

=SMALL(B2:B7,3)

Similarly, to find the smallest value in the range B2:B7, you will write the function as follows:

=SMALL(B2:B7, 1)

Notice the above function gives a result equivalent to the function:

=MIN(A2:A7)

The LARGE Function

The Excel LARGE function returns the ‘n-th largest value’ in a range of values. So you can use it to find the 1st largest value, 2nd largest value, 3rd largest value and so on.

The syntax for the LARGE function is as follows:

= LARGE (array, n)

Here,

• array is the range of cells that you want to find the n-th largest value from.
• n is an integer that specifies the position from the largest value, i.e. the nth position.

For example, to find the 3rd largest value in the range B2:B7, you will write the LARGE function as follows:

= LARGE (B2:B7,3)

Similarly, to find the largest value in the range B2:B7, you will write the function as follows:

= LARGE (B2:B7, 1)

Notice the above function gives a result equivalent to the function:

=MAX(B2:B7)

Note: In cases where you’re working with large volumes of data, using the MIN and MAX functions are more efficient to use than the SMALL and LARGE. This is because the SMALL and LARGE functions require more computing and resources.

Using the SMALL and LARGE functions to Find the Range of A Series

To find the range of values in the given dataset, we can use the SMALL and LARGE functions as follows:

1. Select the cell where you want to display the range (B8 in our example).
2. Type in the formula: =LARGE(B2:B7,1) – SMALL(B2:B7,1)
3. Press the Return key.

Note: You can replace the reference B2:B7 with reference to the cells containing the values you want to calculate the range for.

Explanation of the Formula

The formula simply performed the basic steps required to calculate the range:

1. Finding the largest value: = LARGE(B2:B7,1)
2. Finding the smallest value: = SMALL(B2:B7,1)
3. Finding the difference between the two: =LARGE(B2:B7,1)-SMALL(B2:B7,1)

Applications and Limitations of the Range

The range provides a great way for us to get a basic understanding of how spread out the numbers in the dataset are.

So, a higher range value means the data is quite spread out, while a smaller range value means the data is less spread out, or more concentrated.

It must be noted, though, that the range is a very crude measurement since it is quite sensitive to outliers.

A single value that is too high or too low can completely alter the range, giving an erroneous representation of the data. As such, it doesn’t always provide a true indication of the spread in the dataset.

Having said that, the range is easy to calculate. It only requires basic operations. So, it is a good way to help you get a very basic understanding of the nature of your data.

Other Excel tutorials you may also like:

• How to Calculate Standard Error In Excel
• How to Square a Number in Excel
• How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Use‌ ‌Pi‌ ‌(π) in‌ ‌Excel‌ ‌
• How to Calculate Antilog in Excel
• How to Use e in Excel | Euler’s Number in Excel
• How to Find Outliers in Excel
• How to Find Slope in Excel (Easy Formula)
• How to Find Percentile in Excel (PERCENTILE Function)

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Categories: Advanced Excel
Tags: Excel Range Formula

An essential skill any Excel user should know is how to determine the range of values in Excel. Most businesses don’t have time to waste sorting through rows and rows in Excel in order to find the highest and lowest values of revenue, sales, or other information. The difference between the highest and lowest figures in a group of data – the range – can be valuable in accurate decision making, budgeting, and forecasting.

Let’s pretend you are the purchasing manager for Revelation, Inc., a small business that distributes computers. You can bid bulk pricing for raw materials that will significantly improve Revelation’s profits. The sooner you can purchase materials, the better, because the price increases the closer they are to the ship date. You can use sales data from the prior fiscal year to budget for raw materials, and the range can help you forecast next year’s sales based on this year’s results. You can use the average sales per month for insight into what raw materials you should need when. Identifying that specific gap is also great for setting performance standards, because you can figure out how you perform against other months.

Because Excel offers multiple ways to write range formulas to suit your individual needs, here are three range formula options to get you started!

1.      Minimum and Maximum Formulas

Revelation keeps a spreadsheet with information including the state, model, number of units, unit price, and total revenue for each product per state. The past year’s product sales are arranged as follows:

You need to find which products have the smallest and largest demand. This is a small list, but if you sell or resell a lot of product, the following formula can be invaluable. You can find minimum and maximum units easily with the MIN() and MAX() functions.

• In cell B15, type “=MIN(C2:C13)”.
• In cell B16, type “=MAX(C2:C13)”.

You now have a quick report of the fewest number of units sold in a state (102 tablets in Iowa) and the most sold (450 laptops in Illinois).

2.      Top k and Bottom k Formulas

Suppose you’re interested in more data – not just the lowest selling item but the three lowest. You can find these with the SMALL() function. To use SMALL(), you’ll need two parameters:

1. The same range or list of values as you used for MIN().

Note: If you are using multiple values instead of a single continuous range, you’ll need to place each set in parentheses.

1. The value k, which is the desired position from the bottom of the list. If you’re looking for the smallest value, then k = 1. To find the second smallest value, k = 2, etc.

To find the largest three values, use the LARGE() function with the same parameters as SMALL().

Note that SMALL() with k = 1 produces exactly the same result as MIN(). Similarly, LARGE() with k = 1 yields the same as MAX().

3.      Conditional Minimum and Maximum Formulas

In some situations, you might need a minimum value that meets specific criteria. For example, you might want to know the fewest units sold for the spring quarter duration or for a specific product type.

Excel provides SUMIF(), COUNTIF(), and other helpful conditional formulas. Unfortunately, there is no MINIF() or MAXIF(), but you can create the same effect with a slightly more complicated method called an array formula. An array formula evaluates a range of cells instead of a single cell.

Typically an IF() formula tests the truth value of a single cell, but as an array formula, we can force it to evaluate each cell in a range. With an array formula you will get an error if you just press enter – #VALUE!. Remember to press CTRL, SHIFT, and ENTER after you finish your array formula.

Let’s find the minimum value for desktops. First, type the matching value (desktop) into the cell you compare your function to. If you are looking for desktop values, then type “desktop” in B18. The formula below will compare that cell reference to the range you are testing. Nest the MIN() and IF() statements as follows: “=MIN(IF(B2:B13=B18,C2:C13))” and press <CTRL>-<SHIFT>-<ENTER>.

The three formulas in rows 18, 19, and 20 calculate the minimum numbers of desktops, laptops, and tablets sold. You can write identical formulas with MAX() to find the greatest number of each product sold.

Next Steps

Now you can use three different methods (Minimum and Maximum Formulas, Top k and Bottom k Formulas, Conditional Minimum and Maximum Formulas) to find the range of values in any data set.

 

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Range is the difference between minimum and maximum value in a dataset. In Excel you can calculate range using the functions MIN and MAX.

For example, if you have your data in cells A1 to A15, you can calculate range in a single formula:

=MAX(A1:15)-MIN(A1:A15)

The first part of the formula, MAX(A1:A15), finds the highest value in the data (75 in the screenshot above).

The second part, MIN(A1:15), finds the lowest value (14).

If you subtract the minimum from the maximum, you get range (61).

Calculating Range in Excel VBA

Range is so commonly needed, it is surprising there is no built-in RANGE function in Excel, which would make the calculation easier than the formula above. We could just use a formula like this:

=RANGE(A1:A15)

Unfortunately, there is no built-in RANGE function in Excel.

However, with some basic VBA, we can create our own custom function that would work just like that.

Function Range(Data)
    ' Calculates range (maximum - minimum) of data
    
    Range = Application.WorksheetFunction.Max(Data) _
            - Application.WorksheetFunction.Min(Data)
    
End Function

With this function defined in VBA, we can now use it in a spreadsheet to calculate range more simply:

=RANGE(A1:A15)

This gives the same result as

=MAX(A1:15)-MIN(A1:A15)

Note: Although «range» means a different, very common thing in Excel and VBA – a range of cells – it is not a reserved word in VBA and you can call your custom function RANGE. That said, you may want to consider another name to avoid any confusion, such as RNG.

Calculating Trading Range in Excel

In the financial markets, range is the difference between highest and lowest price (high and low) in a particular time period, such as a trading day. As above, it is calculated by subtracting the minimum (low) from the maximum (high):

Range = High – Low

If you have market data in the OHLC (open-high-low-close) format in Excel, simply take the cell containing the high and subtract the cell containing the low from it – see screenshot from ATR Calculator below.

Unlike most other market statistics and technical indicators, closing price does not enter the calculation of range in any way.

Calculating Range in ATR Calculator

You can calculate average range in the ATR Calculator by selecting «Range» in the drop-down box in cells K4/L4/M4. You can also see the range for each bar in column G.

Average True Range (ATR)

Average True Range (ATR) is a more advanced concept of range and more suitable in some types of markets. While the traditional (high minus low) range only considers the volatility (range) of the trading session itself, ATR also looks at overnight volatility (a possible price gap from the previous day’s close to the current day’s opening price).

Here you can see a detailed explanation of true range and ATR calculation.