How to Use the Google Sheets CEILING Function (2024 Guide)

What is the CEILING Function in Google Sheets?

This function rounds a number up to the nearest multiple of significance that you specify. The basic syntax is:

CEILING(value, [factor])

Where:

• value is the number you want to round up.
• factor (optional) is the multiple to which you want to round the value. If omitted, it defaults to 1.

For example: 

To round 4.3 up to the nearest whole number, you would use: =CEILING(4.3) which returns 5.

To round 4.3 up to the nearest 0.5, you would use: =CEILING(4.3, 0.5) which returns 4.5.

To round -2.5 up to the nearest 2, you would use: =CEILING(-2.5, 2) which, in Google Sheets, returns -2.

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Note that CEILING in Google Sheets behaves differently with negative numbers compared to some other spreadsheet software. It rounds away from zero, making the result closer to zero than the original number, unlike the Excel version that rounds negative numbers away from zero.

How to Use the CEILING function in Google Sheets

Follow the steps below to use the CEILING function in Google Sheets.

Step 1: Select a Cell

Click on the cell where you want the result to appear.

Step 2: Enter the Ceiling Function

Type the CEILING function with the appropriate value and factor. For example: =CEILING(A1, 0.5).

Press Enter, and the cell will display the rounded-up number.

The CEILING function is very useful for rounding numbers up in financial calculations, setting price points (e.g., rounding to the nearest 0.99), or anytime you need to adjust numbers to specified intervals.

We hope that this article has helped you and given you a better understanding of how to use the CEILING function in Google Sheets. If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our articles on how to set up a custom number format for millions in Google Sheets and how to use the FLOOR function in Google Sheets.