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Math function

Excel ROUNDUP function

ROUNDUP rounds a number up to the digits you choose, no matter how small the remainder. Use it when a partial unit still counts as a whole one, like boxes needed or hours billed.

=ROUNDUP(number, num_digits)

Arguments

number
The number or cell to round up.
num_digits
How many decimal places to keep. 0 gives a whole number, negative values round up to tens, hundreds and so on.

ROUNDUP examples

Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

ABCD
1OrderUnitsPer boxHours worked
2SO-2041130243.2
3SO-204248241.05
4SO-204375126.5
  1. =ROUNDUP(B2/C2,0)

    Result: 6

    130 units at 24 per box is 5.4 boxes. You cannot ship 0.4 of a box, so you need 6.

  2. =ROUNDUP(D3,0)

    Result: 2

    Bill a full hour for any started hour. 1.05 becomes 2.

  3. =ROUNDUP(D2*2,0)/2

    Result: 3.5

    Round up to the nearest half hour: 3.2 hours bills as 3.5.

  4. =ROUNDUP(-3.2,0)

    Result: -4

    ROUNDUP moves away from zero, so a negative number gets more negative: -4.

How to use ROUNDUP

  1. Click an empty cell.
  2. Type =ROUNDUP( and the number or calculation.
  3. Type a comma and the number of digits to keep.
  4. Close the bracket and press Enter.

Common ROUNDUP mistakes

Expecting negatives to go toward zero

ROUNDUP goes away from zero, so -3.2 becomes -4. Use CEILING.MATH if you need -3.

Rounding an already whole number

ROUNDUP(48/24,0) stays 2. It only rounds up when there is a remainder, which is usually what you want.

Using it for nearest 5 or 0.25

ROUNDUP only works in powers of ten. Divide, round, then multiply back, as in the half-hour example.

ROUNDUP FAQ

How do I always round up in Excel?

Use =ROUNDUP(A1,0) to round up to the next whole number. Change the 0 to keep decimals.

How do I round up to the nearest 10 in Excel?

Use =ROUNDUP(A1,-1). For the nearest 100 use -2.

What is the difference between ROUNDUP and CEILING?

ROUNDUP rounds to a number of digits. CEILING rounds up to a multiple you choose, like 5 or 0.25.

Practice ROUNDUP in these lessons

Guides that use ROUNDUP

Related functions

Updated