How to Make a Degree Symbol in Excel: Every Method Explained

Typing a degree symbol (°) in Excel isn't obvious — it's not on most keyboards, and Excel doesn't offer a dedicated button for it. But there are at least five reliable ways to insert one, and which method works best depends on how often you need it, what version of Excel you're using, and how your workflow is set up.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't Straightforward in Excel

Excel is built around numbers and formulas, so special characters like ° sit outside the standard keyboard layout. The symbol exists in Unicode (character code 176) and in Excel's symbol library, but getting it into a cell requires either a shortcut, a formula trick, or a manual insert. None of these are difficult once you know them — the friction is just in finding the right one for your situation.

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Windows)

The fastest method on Windows is a numeric keypad shortcut:

1. Click the cell where you want the degree symbol
2. Hold Alt
3. Type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the number row at the top of the keyboard)
4. Release Alt

The ° symbol appears immediately. This works across Excel versions on Windows and requires no setup.

⚠️ This only works with the dedicated numeric keypad. Laptops without one need a different approach (see Method 5 below).

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut (Mac)

On a Mac, the shortcut is simpler and doesn't require a numeric keypad:

• Press Option + Shift + 8

This inserts ° directly into the active cell or formula bar. It works in Excel for Mac across most recent versions.

Method 3: Insert Symbol Dialog

This method works on both Windows and Mac and is useful if you don't want to memorize shortcuts:

1. Click the cell
2. Go to Insert in the top menu
3. Select Symbol (on Windows, it may be under Insert → Symbols → Symbol)
4. In the dialog box, set the font to normal text and look for the degree symbol, or type 00B0 in the "Character code" field with the encoding set to Unicode (hex)
5. Click Insert, then Close

This approach is reliable but slower — better for occasional use than for entering many degree values.

Method 4: CHAR Formula

If you're building formulas or combining the degree symbol with numbers dynamically, the CHAR function is the cleanest solution.

On Windows Excel:

=A1&CHAR(176) 

This appends the degree symbol to whatever value is in A1. For example, if A1 contains 98, the result displays as 98°.

On Mac Excel, the character code may behave the same way, but it's worth testing — some older Mac Excel versions use a different character set where CHAR(176) may not render correctly.

This method is particularly useful when:

• You're generating temperature or angle data from other cells
• You want the symbol to update automatically when the source value changes
• You're building formatted output for reports or dashboards

Method 5: Copy-Paste or AutoCorrect

Copy-paste is an underrated option, especially on laptops without a numeric keypad. Simply copy the symbol from here — ° — and paste it into your cell. It sounds basic, but for infrequent use it's completely practical.

AutoCorrect is worth setting up if you use the degree symbol regularly:

1. Go to File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options (Windows) or Excel → Preferences → AutoCorrect (Mac)
2. In the "Replace" field, type a trigger like deg
3. In the "With" field, paste the ° symbol
4. Click Add, then OK

From that point forward, typing deg in a cell will automatically convert to °. This is a one-time setup that pays off quickly for users who work with temperature data, angles, or geographic coordinates regularly. 🔧

Comparing the Methods at a Glance

A Note on Formatting vs. Actual Symbol

There's a distinction worth understanding: some users format a cell to display a degree symbol automatically after any number, rather than typing it manually each time.

To do this:

1. Select the cells
2. Press Ctrl + 1 (or Command + 1 on Mac) to open Format Cells
3. Go to Number → Custom
4. In the Type field, enter: 0"°" or 0.0"°"

This displays the degree symbol after every number in those cells without it being part of the actual cell value. That matters if you're using the values in further calculations — a cell showing 98° through custom formatting still holds the number 98, while a cell containing =98&CHAR(176) holds text.

The Variables That Shape Which Method Fits

The "right" method depends on factors specific to your setup:

• Keyboard type — No numeric keypad rules out Alt + 0176 entirely
• How often you need the symbol — Once a month vs. dozens of times a day changes the math on whether AutoCorrect setup is worth it
• Whether values need to stay numeric — If ° is for display only and the numbers feed into formulas, custom formatting is the correct path; using CHAR or copy-paste converts the cell to text
• Excel version — Older versions of Excel for Mac handle some character codes differently than modern ones
• Shared workbooks — AutoCorrect settings are local to your machine, so colleagues opening the same file won't inherit your setup 🖥️

Each of those variables points toward a different method — and only your specific workflow reveals which one actually fits.