Variance Calculator

Calculate sample or population variance for free. Paste your numbers, choose VAR.S or VAR.P, and get the variance, standard deviation, and step-by-step working, plus the exact Excel formulas to use.

Game of Excel · Variance Calculator
fx=VAR.S(A1:A10)
AData

Separate values with commas, spaces, tabs or new lines. Text entries are ignored, the same way VAR.S ignores text in a range.

BType
Is your data a sample or the whole population?

Not sure? Use Sample. Choose Population only when you have every value in the group.

Result
Enter at least two numbers and click Calculate variance.

How to use this calculator

  1. Type or paste your numbers into the box. You can copy a column straight from Excel.
  2. Choose Sample (VAR.S) if your data is part of a larger group, or Population (VAR.P) if you have every value.
  3. Click Calculate variance to see the result, the standard deviation, and each step of the calculation.
  4. Use Copy results to paste the numbers into a report, or copy the Excel formulas shown to repeat the calculation in your workbook.

Learn how to find variance in Excel

Want to do this directly in your spreadsheet? Read our step-by-step guide on how to find variance in Excel, with VAR.S, VAR.P, VARA, and common errors explained.