How to Find Coefficient of Variation in Google Sheets (Easiest Way in 2024)

Coefficient of Variation in Google Sheets

The coefficient of variation (CV) in statistics is a measure of relative variability that indicates the size of the standard deviation in relation to the mean. It's often expressed as a percentage and is useful for comparing the degree of variation from one data series to another even if the means are drastically different from each other.

Google Sheets Coefficient of Variation Formula

In Google Sheets, to calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) for a dataset, you would use a formula that divides the standard deviation of the dataset by the mean of the dataset and then multiplies the result by 100 to express it as a percentage.

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Here's how the formula looks:

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=(STDEV.S(range) / AVERAGE(range)) * 100

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In this formula:

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• STDEV.S(range) calculates the standard deviation of your sample data. If you're working with an entire population, you would use STDEV.P(range) instead.
• AVERAGE(range) calculates the mean of your data.
• range is the range of cells that contain your data (e.g., A2:A100).

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So, if your data is in cells A2 through A10, you would write the formula like this:

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=(STDEV.S(A2:A10) / AVERAGE(A2:A10)) * 100

How to Find Coefficient of Variation in Google Sheets

Follow the steps below to find the coefficient of variation in Google Sheets. 

1. Input Data into Google Sheets

For our example, enter your data in column B, starting from cell B2. Place scores 82, 76, 90, and so on, down to 85 in cells B2 through B11.

2. Calculate the Average Score

Use the formula to find the average score of your data. In a new cell, type =AVERAGE(B2:B11) and press Enter.

3. Compute the Standard Deviation of Scores

Determine how much your scores vary from the average. For a sample, in another cell, type =STDEV.S(B2:B11) and press Enter. Use STDEV.P if you have the whole population.

4. Find the Coefficient of Variation as a Percentage

Find the CV to see the variability of scores relative to the average. In a different cell, enter =(STDEV.S(B2:B11) / AVERAGE(B2:B11)) * 100.

This formula calculates the CV as a percentage.

We hope that you now have a better understanding of how to find coefficient of variation in Google Sheets. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our article on how to shuffle rows in Google Sheets or our article on how to set up Google Sheets reverse array.