Using Excel Pivot Tables to Analyze Student Data Aaron Porter, Dean of Enrollment Management Carson-Newman University Using Excel Pivot Tables to Analyze Student Data

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Discussion Points Introduction to PivotTables Prepare the source data 3 Create a PivotTable 4 Add a report filter Discussion Points 5 Show Details 6 Create a PivotChart Assumption - You already know how to navigate and use basic features in Excel. 7 Useful Tips 8 Demo

Imagine an Excel worksheet of student enrollment figures with hundreds or thousands of rows of data. The worksheet lays out all the data about your students’ academic history, bio/demo information, test scores and GPA. It's a lot of data to deal with — listed in row after row and divided into multiple columns. How can you easily obtain useful information out of the worksheet? How can you make sense out of all of this data? You can get all the answers you need by using Excel PivotTable — it's like turning a mob of students into a marching band. A PivotTable turns all that data into small, concise reports that tell you exactly what you need to know.   Introduction

Introduction How many of you have seen something like this before? Often, the presentation is quickly followed up by the request – “How many of our deposited students are coming from XYZ city, county, or state?” or “What is the average ACT score?” and… oh, by the way, I need this information in a ½ hour. Introduction

Prepare the source data Before you start to work with a PivotTable report, take a look at your Excel worksheet to make sure it is well prepared for the report. When you create a PivotTable report, each column of your source data becomes a field that you can use in the report (fields summarize multiple rows of information from the source data). The names of the fields for the report come from the column titles in your source data. Be sure that you have named each column across the first row of the worksheet in the source data. Prepare the source data

Prepare the source data In the example below, the column titles: Student ID, Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, and Address Line 1 will become the field names. Prepare the source data

Prepare the source data The remaining rows below the headings should contain similar items in the same column. In other words, a column that contains Student IDs should not include Last Name, and so on. There should be no empty columns within the data that you are using for the PivotTable. Prepare the source data I would also recommend that there be no empty rows; for example, blank rows that are used to separate one block of data from another should be removed if feasible. Note     You can also use data from OBDC external sources

When the data is ready, select the data (including the column titles) that you wish to review in the Pivot Table. Then, on the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click on the PivotTable icon. The Create PivotTable dialog box opens. Select a table or range is already selected for you. The Table/Range box shows the range of the selected data. New Worksheet is also selected for you as the place where the report will be placed. Create a PivotTable Or select just the data you want to use in the report. (you can click Existing Worksheet if you don't want the report placed in a new worksheet)

On one side of the new worksheet is the Layout Area and on the other side is the PivotTable Field List (this list shows the column titles from the source data (i.e., Student ID, First Name, Counselor, State etc.) You create a PivotTable report by right-clicking a field name and selecting a location to move the field to or by dragging and dropping the field name to 1) Report Filter, 2) Column Labels, 3) Row Labels, or 4) Values. Create a PivotTable Layout Area Field list Tip: If you click outside of the layout area (of a PivotTable report), the PivotTable Field List goes away. To get the field list back, click inside the PivotTable layout area or report.

Now you are ready to build the PivotTable Now you are ready to build the PivotTable. The fields you select for the report depend on what you want to know. We’ll start with finding out how many Deposited students we have. To get the answer, you need data using the confirmation flag. Right click on the field Confirmation Flag (in the PivotTable Field List) and select “Add to Row Labels.” You also need data to count, so right click on the field Student ID (in the PivotTable Field List) and select “Add to Values.” Remember – you can drag and drop the fields. Create a PivotTable Notice that you don't have to use all the fields on the field list to build a report.

That's it! With just two mouse clicks you know how many students are deposited in your admission funnel.   Create a PivotTable

A report filter is used to focus on a subset of data in the report A report filter is used to focus on a subset of data in the report. For example, if you are looking at deposit counts for multiple counselors, you can add the Confirmation Flag field to the PivotTable report as a report filter. By using the Counselor description field as a row, you can see a separate report for each admission counselor, or you can see students for all counselors together. To add this field as a report filter, right-click the Confirmation flag field (in the PivotTable Field List) and then click “Add to Report Filter.” Then, right-click Counselor description and select “Add to Row Labels”.   Add a report filter

The new Confirmation flag report filter is added to the top of the report. The arrow by the confirmation flag field shows (All), and you see the data for every student assigned to these counselor. To see the data for only deposited students, select the “Y” option and click on “OK”.   Add a report filter

If you want to drill down on a particular summary value, just double click on it. Excel will create a new sheet with the data corresponding to that specific PivotTable value (this is extremely useful). Show Details

A PivotChart provides a graphical representation of the data in a PivotTable. A PivotChart displays data series, categories, data markers, and axis just as standard charts do. You can also change the chart type and other options such as the titles, the legend placement, the data labels, and the chart location. To create a PivotChart from an existing PivotTable report: Click on the PivotTable Click on the PivotChart button on the Excel ribbon Select chart type and press OK   Create a PivotChart data series: Related data points that are plotted in a chart and originate from datasheet rows or columns. Each data series in a chart has a unique color or pattern. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have only one data series. data marker: A bar, area, dot, slice, or other symbol in a chart that represents a single data point or value that originates from a worksheet cell. Related data markers in a chart constitute a data series. axis: A line bordering the chart plot area used as a frame of reference for measurement. The y axis is usually the vertical axis and contains data. The x-axis is usually the horizontal axis and contains categories. titles in charts: Descriptive text that is automatically aligned to an axis or centered at the top of a chart. legend: A box that identifies the patterns or colors that are assigned to the data series or categories in a chart. data label: A label that provides additional information about a data marker, which represents a single data point or value that originates from a worksheet cell.

Examples: Create a PivotChart

Once you create a PivotChart, you can manipulate (or filter) the data you wish to view in the chart by modifying the data elements. To do this, select the dropdown menu and select only the items you wish to view. Dropdown menu Create a PivotChart Select the “Select All” checkbox to uncheck all boxes on the list. You can then select only the values you wish to view. Once selected, click OK. Dropdown menu

In the example below, we initially viewed all Deposited students by State (example A). After selecting the Counselor Description dropdown menu, clicking on the “Select All” checkbox, and selecting the “Blank” checkbox, the chart changed to only reflect a single territories deposits by State (example B).   (example A) Create a PivotChart (example B)

Useful Tips Some useful tips on Excel PivotTables You can apply any formatting to the pivot tables/charts. You can easily change the pivot table summary formulas. Right click on the pivot table and select “summarize data by” option. If the original data from which pivot tables is modified, right click on the pivot table and select “Refresh Data” option. SHORTCUT - If you press F11 while your cursor is somewhere inside the pivot table, you’ll get a very nice, dynamic and customizable pivot chart. There are many other useful PivotTable and PivotChart features available in Excel. To learn more, search the Microsoft Excel Help keywords “PivotTable” or “PivotChart.”   Useful Tips

Demo

Aaron Porter, Dean of Enrollment Management Carson-Newman University aporter@cn.edu 865-471-3229 Questions?