Percentile Calculator

Find the value at a given percentile in a data set.

Values

Comma-separated numbers

Percentile

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Percentile value

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How it works

A percentile tells you the value below which a given percentage of data falls, and this calculator finds the value at any percentile you choose from a list of numbers. You enter the data and the desired percentile, and it sorts the values and returns the figure at that position, interpolating between data points when the percentile does not land exactly on one. The 50th percentile is the median, splitting the data in half; the 25th and 75th percentiles are the quartiles; and percentiles are the basis of many familiar rankings, such as a child's height on a growth chart or a test taker's standing on a standardised exam. Saying a score is at the 90th percentile means it is higher than 90 percent of the scores. Percentiles are especially useful for skewed data where the mean can mislead, because they describe position within the distribution regardless of shape. There are several conventions for computing percentiles; this calculator uses the common linear interpolation method, which matches the default in many spreadsheets and statistics tools. Analysts, educators, doctors, and researchers all use percentiles to summarise and compare data. Enter your values and a percentile to find the corresponding value.

Formula

rank = (p/100)(n − 1); interpolate between the surrounding values

To find a percentile, the data are sorted and a rank position is computed as the percentile fraction times one less than the number of values. If the rank lands between two data points, the calculator interpolates linearly between them. The 50th percentile is the median, the 25th and 75th are the lower and upper quartiles, and the 0th and 100th are the minimum and maximum.

Source:Descriptive statistics

We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.

Worked example

Values:1, 2, 3, 4, 5Percentile:50

The 50th percentile (median) of 1–5 is 3.

How to use this calculator

1
Enter your values
Enter values and percentile.
2
Adjust the options
Fine-tune any options to match your situation.
3
Read your result
Percentile value updates instantly as you type — no button to press.

Frequently asked questions

What is a percentile?

A percentile is a value below which a certain percentage of a data set falls. The 70th percentile, for instance, is the value that 70 percent of the data lie at or below. Percentiles describe relative standing within a distribution and are widely used in test scores, growth charts, and any ranking where position matters more than the raw number.

How is a percentile calculated?

The data are first sorted in ascending order. A rank position is then found by multiplying the percentile fraction by one less than the number of values. If that rank falls between two data points, the calculator interpolates linearly between them to estimate the percentile value. This is the standard method used by many spreadsheets and statistical packages.

What is the difference between percentile and percentage?

A percentage is a proportion out of one hundred, like scoring 80 percent on a test. A percentile is a ranking that shows how a value compares with others: scoring in the 80th percentile means you did better than 80 percent of test takers. You can score 80 percent yet be in a very different percentile depending on how everyone else did.

What percentiles are the quartiles?

The quartiles divide data into four equal parts. The first quartile is the 25th percentile, the second quartile is the 50th percentile or median, and the third quartile is the 75th percentile. Together with the minimum and maximum, they summarise a distribution and are the basis of box plots and the interquartile range.

Why use percentiles instead of the mean?

Percentiles describe position within a distribution and are robust to skew and outliers, whereas the mean can be pulled toward extreme values. For skewed data like incomes or house prices, the median and other percentiles give a truer picture of the typical value and spread than the average, which is why percentiles are favoured in many real-world summaries.