Exceljet

Quick, clean, and to the point

nth smallest value

Excel formula: nth smallest value
Generic formula 
=SMALL(range,nth)
Summary 

To get the 2nd smallest value, 3rd smallest value, 4th smallest value, and so on, from a set of data, you can use the SMALL function. In the example shown, the formula in G5 is:

=SMALL(times,F5)

which returns the nth smallest times using the value in column F for n.

Explanation 

The SMALL function is fully automatic — you just need to supply a range and an integer for"nth" to specify the ranked value you want. The official names for these arguments are "array" and "k".

Note: you can also use the MIN function to get the smallest value (i.e. the 1st smallest value).

Author 
Dave Bruns
Related formulas 
Excel formula: nth largest value
nth largest value
The LARGE function is fully automatic — you just need to supply a range and an integer for"nth" to specify the ranked value you want. The official names for these arguments are "array" and "k". For example we can use LARGE to get the top 3 scores...
Excel formula: Find lowest n values
Find lowest n values
The small function can retrieve the smallest values from data based on rank. For example: = SMALL ( range , 1 ) // smallest = SMALL ( range , 2 ) // 2nd smallest = SMALL ( range , 3 ) // 3rd smallest In this case, the rank simply comes from column E...
Excel formula: nth smallest value with criteria
nth smallest value with criteria
The SMALL function is fully automatic — you just need to supply a range and an integer for"nth" to specify the ranked value you want. The problem in this case is that we don't want SMALL to operate on every value in the range, just values that are...
Related functions 
Excel SMALL function
Excel SMALL Function

The Excel SMALL function returns numeric values based on their position in a list ranked by value. In other words, it can retrive "nth smallest" values - 1st smallest value, 2nd smallest value, 3rd smallest value, etc.

Related videos 
How to get nth values with SMALL and LARGE
In this video, we'll look at how to calculate the nth smallest or largest values in a range using the SMALL and LARGE functions. This would be for example the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd smallest or largest values.

Excel Formula Training

Formulas are the key to getting things done in Excel. In this accelerated training, you'll learn how to use formulas to manipulate text, work with dates and times, lookup values with VLOOKUP and INDEX & MATCH, count and sum with criteria, dynamically rank values, and create dynamic ranges. You'll also learn how to troubleshoot, trace errors, and fix problems. Instant access. See details here.

500 Formulas | 101 Functions

Download 100+ Important Excel Functions

Get over 100 Excel Functions you should know in one handy PDF.