How to Create a Bar Chart with Standard Deviation in Excel

If all the data were flawless, absolute, and comprehensive, that would be good. Excel, however, provides us with some helpful tools to communicate margins of error and standard deviations when it isn’t. Follow the instructions below to construct a bar chart with a standard deviation in Excel if you operate in a field where accurate data error ranges are required.

What Is Standard Deviation?

The average degree of variability in your dataset is represented by the standard deviation. It reveals the average deviation of each statistic from the mean. In general, values with a large standard deviation are spread out from the mean, and those with a low standard deviation are grouped together near the mean. So, the general formula for standard deviation is shown below.

Here,

S = Standard Deviation
X = Each Numeric Value
x̅ = Sample Mean
n = Number of Values in the Sample

Excel Bar Chart with Standard Deviation: Step-by-Step Procedures

Here, we will demonstrate how to create a bar chart with standard deviation and mean by finding the mean and standard deviation with the help of the Average function and the STDEV function in Excel.

Step 1: Making Data Set with Proper Parameters

In this step, we will create our data set, including some names and their marks in physics, chemistry, and geography.

In order to create a chart, we will first create a data set first.

Step 2: Finding Standard Deviation and Mean

Here, we will find the Mean and the Standard Deviation by applying the Average and the STDEV functions respectively.

Firstly, select cell C12.
Secondly, enter the following formula.

=AVERAGE(C5:C10)

Afterward, hit Enter and drag down the Fill Handle icon to see the results.

Firstly, select cell C13.
Secondly, enter the following formula.

=STDEV(C5:C10)

After that, hit Enter and drag down the Fill Handle icon to see the results.

Step 3: Utilizing Charts Group

Excel’s charts group provides a range of chart types. In particular, many charting tools enable users to visualize complex data in straightforward, graphical forms.

Firstly, go to the Insert tab after selecting the data range from the given data set.
Secondly, choose the Insert Column or Bar Chart from the Charts group.
Thirdly, select the Clustered Column option from the 2-D Column group.

So, this is our bar chart with the mean value. Now, we will organize this bar chart with standard deviation.
Therefore, choose the Error Bars option from the Chart Element group.
Then, select More Options.

After that, a Format Error Bars panel will appear to you.
Besides, tick the Custom option and click on the Specify Value.

Then, you will see the Custom Error Bars dialog box in the below image.
Therefore, select the Standard Deviation value from the data set and then click OK.

Read More: How to Flip Bar Chart in Excel

Step 4: Showing Excel Bar Chart with Standard Deviation

In this final section, we will show a bar chart with standard deviation according to our given data set of mark distribution among some students.

Finally, you will see a bar chart with standard deviation in the below image.

Download Practice Workbook

You may download the following Excel workbook for better understanding and practice it by yourself.

Standard Deviation Bar Chart.xlsx

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered step-by-step procedures of how to create a bar chart with a standard deviation in Excel. We sincerely hope you enjoyed and learned a lot from this article. If you have any questions, comments, or recommendations, kindly leave them in the comment section below.

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