In statistics, what is the mean?

The mean refers to the average of a set of numbers, which is computed by adding all the values in the dataset together and then dividing by the total number of values. This measure provides a central value that summarizes the data set, making it a commonly used statistic in various fields, including education and healthcare. Understanding the mean is critical because it offers insight into the overall level of the data, allowing for comparisons and interpretations that are essential in fields that rely on statistical analysis.

In contrast, other options represent different statistical concepts: the mode is the most frequently occurring number in a dataset, the median is the middle value when the numbers are ordered, and the range is the difference between the highest and lowest values in the set. Each of these metrics serves a unique purpose in data analysis, but only the mean specifically refers to the average.