VAR.S Function in Excel: Variance of a Sample

⏱ 1 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

StatisticsLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2010+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. Related functions

VAR.S is the square of STDEV.S. You rarely report it directly, but it turns up in forecasting, portfolio risk and quality-control formulas.

Syntax

=VAR.S(number1, [number2], ...)
Argument What it means
number1… Sample values.

Examples

Example 1

=VAR.S(C2:C60)

Variance of daily returns.

STDEV.S · STDEV.P

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

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