Sample Standard Deviation

Estimate sample standard deviation for observations drawn from a larger population.

How this calculator works

Enter the values for first value, second value and review the units before calculating.

Formula / method

s = √(Σ(x − x̄)² ÷ (n − 1))

Worked example

For 10, 12 and 14, the sample standard deviation is 2.

Assumptions and limitations

The observations are a sample and are independent enough for this estimate.

Sampling bias, dependence and outliers can make this estimate misleading.