When should I use sample vs. population standard deviation?

Use population standard deviation when your data represents the entire group you care about; use sample standard deviation when your data is a sample used to estimate a larger population's spread.

What does a high standard deviation mean?

It means the values are spread widely around the mean; a low standard deviation means values cluster tightly around the mean.

Education Calculators

Standard Deviation Calculator

Calculate sample or population standard deviation and variance.

Numbers (comma or space separated)

Calculation type

Standard deviation

13.4907

Variance

182.0000

Mean

18.0000

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About this tool

Paste in a data set to calculate its standard deviation and variance — measures of how spread out the values are from the mean — choosing between sample and population formulas.

How to use this tool

1
Paste your numbers
Separate numbers with commas, spaces, or new lines.
2
Choose sample or population
Pick sample if your data is a subset of a larger population, or population if it's the complete data set.
3
Read the results
See standard deviation, variance, and mean.

Frequently asked questions

When should I use sample vs. population standard deviation?: Use population standard deviation when your data represents the entire group you care about; use sample standard deviation when your data is a sample used to estimate a larger population's spread.
What does a high standard deviation mean?: It means the values are spread widely around the mean; a low standard deviation means values cluster tightly around the mean.

EducationCalculators