QUARTILE.INC function
Quick answer
QUARTILE.INC returns a quartile of a set of numbers: 1 for the first quartile (the 25th percentile), 2 for the median, 3 for the third quartile, and 0 and 4 for the minimum and maximum.
- Syntax
=QUARTILE.INC(array, quart)- Most common use
=QUARTILE.INC(B2:B9,1)returns $53,500 (A quarter of salaries are at or below this)
Use it for box-plot style summaries and to split data into four bands. QUARTILE is the older name for the same function.
- Available in
- Excel 2010 and later
- Category
- Statistical functions
- Returns
- A number; #NUM! if quart is below 0 or above 4.
- Google Sheets
- Google Sheets has QUARTILE.INC and QUARTILE, with the same results.
Syntax
=QUARTILE.INC(array, quart)
| Argument | Required? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
array | Required | The numbers. Text and blanks are skipped. |
quart | Required | 0 minimum, 1 first quartile, 2 median, 3 third quartile, 4 maximum. |
Examples
Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.
| Cell | Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| D2 | =QUARTILE.INC(B2:B9,1) | $53,500 | A quarter of salaries are at or below this |
| D3 | =QUARTILE.INC(B2:B9,3) | $68,250 | Three quarters are at or below this |
| D4 | =QUARTILE.INC(B2:B9,3)-QUARTILE.INC(B2:B9,1) | $14,750 | The interquartile range: the spread of the middle half |
Try it live
This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.
Show the sample data as a table
| Employee | Salary | Result | |
| A | $52,000 | $53,500 | |
| B | $61,000 | $68,250 | |
| C | $48,000 | $14,750 | |
| D | $75,000 | ||
| E | $58,000 | ||
| F | $91,000 | ||
| G | $66,000 | ||
| H | $54,000 |
Practice QUARTILE.INC
Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.
Interquartile range
E2, calculate the first quartile of the order values in B2:B11; in E3, the third quartile; and in E4, the interquartile range (third minus first).Common mistakes
| What you see | Why, and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| #NUM! | quart must be 0–4. Decimals are truncated, so 1.9 means 1. |
| The median doesn't match | QUARTILE.INC(range,2) always equals MEDIAN(range). If they differ, the two formulas use different ranges. |
Tips
- The interquartile range, Q3 minus Q1, measures spread without being pulled by one extreme value.
Questions
How do I find quartiles in Excel?
=QUARTILE.INC(B2:B100,1) for the first quartile and =QUARTILE.INC(B2:B100,3) for the third. 2 gives the median.
What is the difference between QUARTILE.INC and QUARTILE.EXC?
They use different methods. .INC includes the minimum and maximum (quart 0 and 4); .EXC only takes 1–3 and gives slightly wider quartiles on short lists.
Updated Checked by running: every formula on this page was run by our formula engine on .