Day 3 of 100 Days • 100 Excel Formulas (MIN Function in Excel)

Finding the lowest number in a large Excel dataset doesn’t need to involve manually scanning rows and rows of values.

The MIN function in Excel can find the smallest number in a range almost instantly.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use MIN with a simple sales example, understand its syntax, practice with real-world data, and download a free Excel workbook to try the exercises yourself.

Today’s formula: MIN
Level: Beginner
Category: Math & Statistics
Learning goal: Find the smallest value in an Excel range
Practice file: Available below

What Does the MIN Function Do in Excel?

The MIN function returns the smallest numerical value from a group of numbers, cells, or a range.

For example, if your sales values are:

You could manually look through the numbers to find the lowest sale.

But Excel can do it for you.

Use:

=MIN(B2:B6)

The result is:

6,750

Excel has identified the smallest number in the range.

MIN Function Syntax

The basic syntax is:

=MIN(number1,[number2],...)

What does this mean?

• number1 — the first number or range you want Excel to evaluate
• [number2] — an optional additional number or range
• ... — you can provide additional values or ranges

The most common way you’ll use MIN is with a cell range:

=MIN(B2:B10)

How to Use MIN in Excel

Let’s work through a practical example.

Imagine you’re analyzing employee sales performance.

You want to know:

What is the lowest sales value?

Click an empty cell and enter:

=MIN(C2:C11)

Press Enter.

The result is:

5,950

So the lowest sales value in this dataset is 5,950.

Why MIN Is Useful in Real-World Excel Work

MIN isn’t limited to employee sales.

You can use it whenever you need to identify the smallest numerical value in your data.

Sales

Find the lowest sales transaction.

=MIN(C2:C100)

Inventory

Find the lowest stock level.

=MIN(F2:F500)

Pricing

Find the lowest product price.

=MIN(D2:D200)

Student Results

Find the lowest score.

=MIN(E2:E50)

Financial Data

Find the lowest monthly expense.

=MIN(G2:G13)

The same basic formula can solve all of these problems.

MIN Can Work With Individual Numbers Too

You don’t always have to reference a range.

For example:

=MIN(450,780,125,920,340)

The result is:

125

This is useful when you have a small number of individual values.

However, when you’re working with business data, using a cell range is generally much more practical.

MIN Can Also Work With Multiple Ranges

You can give MIN more than one range.

For example:

=MIN(B2:B10,D2:D10)

Excel checks both ranges and returns the smallest numerical value it finds.

You can also combine individual values and ranges:

=MIN(B2:B10,500,250)

Excel evaluates all of them together.

A Real Business Example

Imagine you’re managing inventory.

You want to know the lowest stock level.

Use:

=MIN(B2:B6)

Result:

18

This immediately tells you that the lowest current stock level is 18 units.

That could be a signal to review the product and decide whether additional inventory is required.

Important: MIN Finds the Value, Not the Person

This is an important concept to understand.

Suppose:

=MIN(C2:C11)

returns:

5,950

MIN tells you the lowest sales value.

It does not automatically return the employee associated with that value.

So you get:

Lowest sales = 5,950

But you don’t automatically get:

Employee = Vivek

Finding the corresponding employee requires another technique, such as XLOOKUP or another lookup approach.

That’s an important distinction between finding a value and finding the record associated with that value.

You’ll encounter these more advanced techniques later in the 100 Days • 100 Excel Formulas challenge.

MIN vs Manually Checking Numbers

Imagine a report contains 5,000 transactions.

You could manually scan the column looking for the smallest value.

That’s slow and error-prone.

Instead:

=MIN(C2:C5001)

Excel checks the entire range and returns the smallest numerical value.

This is one reason basic Excel functions are so valuable: simple formulas can eliminate repetitive manual work.

Common MIN Function Mistakes

Mistake 1: Selecting the Wrong Range

If your sales are in column C but you write:

=MIN(B2:B100)

you’re analyzing the wrong column.

Always check the selected range.

Mistake 2: Forgetting the Equals Sign

Incorrect:

MIN(C2:C10)

Correct:

=MIN(C2:C10)

Excel formulas normally begin with =.

Mistake 3: Expecting MIN to Return a Name

This:

=MIN(C2:C11)

returns the lowest number, not the employee name.

If you need the associated employee, you’ll need a lookup solution.

MIN Function Practice Challenge

Now it’s your turn.

Consider these numbers:

Your challenge

Write a formula that finds the smallest number.

Try it before looking at the answer.

Answer

=MIN(A2:A6)

Result:

125

📥 Download the Day 3 Practice File

I’ve created a dedicated workbook for this lesson so you can practice the formula instead of simply reading about it.

The workbook includes:

• START HERE — lesson instructions
• DATA — realistic employee sales data
• PRACTICE — guided exercises
• ANSWERS — correct formulas and results
• CHALLENGE — a professional-level MIN exercise

Download: Day 3 — MIN Function Practice Workbook

Tip: Try completing the PRACTICE and CHALLENGE sheets before opening the ANSWERS sheet.

Professional Tip: Use MIN With an Excel Table

If your data is stored in an Excel Table called SalesData, you can use a structured reference:

=MIN(SalesData[Sales])

This is especially useful for professional workbooks because the table can expand as new records are added.

Instead of constantly changing:

=MIN(C2:C100)

you can work with the table column directly.

Quick Formula Reference

Day 3 Complete 🎯

Today you learned how to:

• Find the smallest value in Excel
• Use the MIN function with a range
• Use MIN with individual values
• Use MIN with multiple ranges
• Apply MIN to sales, inventory, pricing, and other business data
• Understand the difference between finding a minimum value and finding the associated record

But there’s one more important question:

If MIN finds the lowest value, how do we find the highest value?

That’s exactly what we’ll learn next.

Day 4 → MAX Function in Excel

100 Days • 100 Excel Formulas

One formula at a time. One practical skill at a time.

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