How to calculate the average of text in Excel is not a very common scenario. However, we have to deal with various requirements based on our dataset demands. In this article, we demonstrate how to calculate the average of text in Excel using custom formulas.
Since we calculate the average of text depending on particular scenarios, we are not displaying any dataset as a sample dataset. You can use the below-mentioned formulas using your own dataset. Or you can download the dataset attached to this article.
Typical Average Functions in Excel Dealings with Texts
Excel offers AVERAGE, AVERAGEA, AVERAGEIF, and AVERAGEIFS to simply calculate the average values of a range or array. Every time you see or hear the term Average, these functions come to your mind. The syntaxes of these functions are:
AVERAGE (number1, [number2], ...)
AVERAGEA (value1, [value2], ...)
AVERAGEIF (range, criteria, [average_range])
AVERAGEIFS (avg_rng, range1, criteria1, [range2], [criteria2], ...)
Among these, the AVERAGE function ignores empty cells, cells that contain text or logical values.
The outcomes of the AVERAGE function result in a #DIV/0! error as it encounters no numeric values in the cells.
On the contrary, the AVERAGEA function includes the logical values TRUE and FALSE. Also allows texts in the entries but doesn’t account for texts in its calculations.
The AVERAGEA function takes texts but doesn’t include text values in the calculation. As a result, it displays 0 unable to find any numeric value to sum the average.
For the AVERAGEIF function, the range is anything with numbers or names, arrays, or references. And the criteria are anything with a number, expression, cell reference, or text. However, it averages the numeric values in the range that satisfies the imposed criteria. Similar arguments are applicable to the AVERAGEIFS function.
How to Calculate Average of Text in Excel: 2 Ways
Method 1: Using SUM and COUNTIF Functions to Calculate Average of Text in Excel
Suppose in a scenario, we have to calculate the average number of Product Names in the following dataset. This is the percentage of a particular product sold against the whole bunch of products.
To calculate the average, we have to first count the times a particular product appears in the entries. Then calculate its average using the simple average formula (i.e., count/total count).
Steps:
- As you want to count the times of appearance, use the following formula in any adjacent blank cell (i.e., E5).
=COUNTIF($C$5:$C$16,C5)The COUNT function has a syntax of COUNTIF (range, criteria). The formula counts the criteria (i.e., E5) among all the Product Names (i.e., C5:C16) and returns the occurred times. In the formula, we use absolute references to lock the range for each cell.
- Press ENTER and Drag the Fill Handle to display all the count numbers in the cells.
After applying the Fill Handle count numbers will appear in all cells. You can use the formula for counting any text appearances in a dataset.
- Now, since we have an individual occurrence number for each product, we can calculate the average of texts. Type the below formula in any adjacent cell.
=E5/SUM($E$5:$E$16)The formula divides the count numbers by the total count of products that appeared in the dataset.
- Hit ENTER and drag the Fill Handle. As a result, the average values of Product Names appear in all cells as shown in the picture below.
Read More: How to Average Filtered Data in Excel
Method 2: Using a Combined Formula While Assigning Value to the Text
Now, in this case, we have 10 Products along with their reviews. Let’s say we pick those product reviews and want to calculate the average of text by assigning review texts a value.
- Write the following formula in any blank cell (i.e., H5).
=SUM(INDEX($L$5:$L$9,N(IF(1,MATCH(C5:G5,$J$5:$J$9,0)))))The formula consists of multiple functions such as SUM, MATCH, IF, N, and INDEX.
Firstly, the IF function performs a logical_test (i.e., 1) and applies the MATCH function in case of TRUE outcomes. The MATCH function assigns values depending on the lookup_value matchings. For instance, it matches Excellent to point 5 and Bad to point 1.
Then, the MATCH function takes the reviews (C5:G5) as lookup_value and matches them to an array ($J$5:$J$9) for an absolute match.
The N function converts a value into a number. In this formula, the resultant number passes to the INDEX function as the row_num. Then the SUM function combines all the array points in cell H5.
- The custom formula used in Step 1 is an array formula.
- You have to press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER altogether to display the sum. Afterward, drag the Fill Handle to show all the sum in other cells depicted in the following image.
- After getting the total sum points against reviews, apply the typical average formula in the adjacent cell (i.e., I5).
=H5/SUM($H$5:$H$14)This formula calculates the average of each product by dividing it by total points.
- Use ENTER to apply the formula in cells.
- Drag the Fill Handle to make all the averages visible similar to the image below.
You can use any text and then assign values or points in order to calculate their averages. Assigning values to texts gives a relative understanding of how a product is performing compared to others.
Download Excel Workbook
Conclusion
In this article, we calculate the average of text in Excel. We use the SUM and COUNTIF functions or array formulas to count the occurrences of particular texts. After we get the individual count of each product, we can use a typical average operation (i.e., count/total count) to calculate the average of text. Hope our datasets, and formulas carry lucid insides of calculating the average of texts and able you to apply those in your instances. Comment, if you have further inquiries or have something to add.
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Hello! correct me if i’m wrong but doing the first method, even though formula wise it’s correct it will give wrong value has you are suming the range and adding the same value whenever the same name appears.
So counting the name Brian, you have it in the array only 3 times but if you sum the nnumber of time that name is showed it’s counting 9, so the percentage will be incorrect.
Hi TIAGO,
Thanks for your comment. I am replying to you on behalf of ExcelDemy. You can get the correct value by using the COUNTA function instead of the SUM function. Let’s see the steps.
Step-01: Write the following formula in the selected cell.
=E5/COUNTA($C$5:$C$16)Step-02: Press Enter to get the Average.
Step-03: Drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula to the other cells.
I hope this will help you to solve your problem. Please let me know if you have other queries.
Regards
Mashhura,
ExcelDemy.