Quick Statistics Summary

What it does

Computes count, mean, median, mode, sample standard deviation, min, max, and range for a single column of numbers. Writes a labeled stats block two columns to the right of your selection. One click, no formula typing, no helper sheet.

Real-world example

A college sophomore is doing a statistics assignment. The dataset is 87 reaction times from a psychology experiment, in milliseconds. The assignment asks for descriptive statistics: mean, median, standard deviation, min, max, range, and the mode if there is one. Standard stuff, exactly the kind of calculation Excel was built for.

Doing it by formula means typing eight separate functions: =COUNT(A:A), =AVERAGE(A:A), =MEDIAN(A:A), =MODE(A:A), =STDEV.S(A:A), =MIN(A:A), =MAX(A:A), =MAX(A:A)-MIN(A:A). Each one in its own cell, each one labeled. About 4 minutes if you remember the syntax, 8 minutes if you have to look up which is STDEV.S vs STDEV.P.

He selects the reaction time column, runs QuickStatisticsSummary, and gets a labeled two-column block right next to his data. Stats first, assignment writeup second, all in under a minute. He copy-pastes the block into his lab report, formats the table once, and submits.

The real value is on the homework AFTER this one, when he has to repeat the same exercise on a different dataset. He runs the macro again. Stats appear. He doesn't have to remember whether sample standard deviation divides by n or n-1 (it's n-1, and the macro labels it as "Std Dev (sample)" so the lab report reads correctly).

Realistic time saved per assignment: 5 to 8 minutes. Across a stats course, maybe 4 hours over the semester. The bigger benefit is one fewer thing to mis-type.

How to use

First time? See How to run our tools for the 30-second setup.

1. Paste your data into the workbook.
2. Select a single column of numeric values. Header row optional, non-numeric cells are skipped.
3. Press Alt + F8 / Option + F8, pick QuickStatisticsSummary, click Run.
4. A two-column stats block appears two columns to the right of your selection.

FAQ

Sample or population standard deviation?

Sample. The macro divides by n minus 1, matching Excel's STDEV.S and what most stats classes use. For population standard deviation, edit the .bas source: change count - 1 to count in the variance calculation. The label in the output says "Std Dev (sample)" so your readers know which one they're looking at.

What if my data has multiple modes?

Excel's underlying mode function returns the first one it finds. The label is still "Mode" but only one of the modal values is shown. If you need full multimodal reporting, build a frequency table with COUNTIF. For most descriptive-stats use cases, single-mode reporting is fine.

Will it overwrite my data?

It writes the stats block two columns to the right of your selection. If those columns have data, that data gets overwritten. Insert blank columns first if needed.

Can I run it on multiple columns at once?

Not in a single run. Select one column at a time. You can run it three times in a row for three score columns, and the stats blocks won't collide as long as your columns are at least four columns apart.

What happens if my column has no numeric data?

The macro shows "No numeric values found in the selection" and exits without writing anything. So if you accidentally select a column of names instead of scores, nothing breaks.