In brief
- Every APA table has a bold number, an italic title in title case, column headings, a body and, when needed, notes.
- Use horizontal borders only: at the top, below the headings and at the bottom. Never use vertical lines.
- Notes appear in a fixed order: general note, then specific notes, then probability notes.
- Refer to every table by its number in the text and number tables in the order you first mention them.
- Figures follow the same number, title and note structure as tables.
How do you format a table in APA? ¶
To format a table in APA 7, put the table number in bold (Table 1) above the table, add a one-line-down title in italic title case, give every column a centered heading, use horizontal borders only, and place any notes below the table starting with the italic label Note. Double-space the number, title and notes.
Tables are for data that would be hard to follow in a sentence: descriptive statistics, test results, demographic summaries or qualitative themes with quotations. If you can state the result clearly in one or two sentences, you probably do not need a table.
Use the same font as the rest of your paper, and build the table with your word processor's table tool. Tabs and spaces break as soon as anything moves.
The anatomy of an APA table ¶
An APA style table has five parts. The table below explains each one.
| Part | Format | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Bold, flush left, above the title (Table 1) | Number tables in the order they are first mentioned in the text. |
| Title | Italic, title case, flush left, one double-spaced line below the number | Brief but descriptive: say what the data are and for whom. |
| Headings | Centered, sentence case | Every column needs one, including the leftmost (stub) column. "Variable" works when nothing else fits. |
| Body | Single-, 1.5- or double-spaced | Left-align the stub column and center the other cells, unless left alignment reads better for long text. |
| Note | Below the table, double-spaced, starting with Note. | Include only when needed: abbreviations, copyright, sample sizes, significance levels. |
A column spanner is a heading that covers two or more columns, such as "Control group" above M and SD. Put a border above the spanner's subheadings so readers can see which columns it covers.
APA table formatting rules ¶
Tables pasted straight from SPSS keep their vertical lines and odd decimals. Rebuild them in Word before submission.
- Borders: limit them to the top and bottom of the table, beneath column headings and above column spanners. You may add one above a totals row. Do not use vertical borders or a box around every cell.
- Spacing: the number, title and notes are double-spaced; the body can be single-, 1.5- or double-spaced, whichever is clearest.
- Font: the same font and size as your text.
- Statistical symbols: italicize them (M, SD, n, t, p, r). Greek letters such as α are not italicized.
- Decimals: use the same number of decimal places within a column and align the numbers. Omit the leading zero for values that cannot exceed 1, such as p and correlations (.03, not 0.03).
- Comparisons: place values that readers will compare next to each other, and put different statistics (means, standard deviations) in separate columns.
- Abbreviations: define any non-standard abbreviation in the general note, even if you defined it in the text.
- Long tables: repeat the heading row on each new page. Use landscape orientation for a page if the table is too wide.
In Word, select the heading row and choose Table Design, then Borders, then No Border. Add back only the top, bottom and below-heading borders. It is faster than removing grid lines one by one.
APA & Citation Formatting
Tables, figures and notes giving you trouble? An editor can bring them into APA 7 format and explain each change.
APA table example ¶
Here is a complete APA 7 table reporting a two-group comparison. The data are invented for illustration. In your paper the borders would be horizontal only.
APA 7 table example
Table 1
Outcome Scores by Condition at Week 8
| Outcome | Control M | Control SD | Intervention M | Intervention SD | t(118) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety (GAD-7) | 9.84 | 4.12 | 7.21 | 3.95 | 3.57*** |
| Sleep quality (PSQI) | 8.12 | 3.40 | 7.05 | 3.22 | 1.77 |
| Well-being (WEMWBS) | 44.60 | 8.30 | 48.10 | 8.90 | −2.23* |
Note. N = 120 (n = 60 per condition). Higher GAD-7 and PSQI scores indicate more anxiety and poorer sleep; higher WEMWBS scores indicate greater well-being. GAD-7 = Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale; PSQI = Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; WEMWBS = Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale.
*p < .05. ***p < .001.
In a formal APA table, "Control" and "Intervention" would be column spanners above M and SD columns. We have written them into each heading here so the example displays clearly on screen. In the text you would then write: "As shown in Table 1, anxiety scores were lower in the intervention group, t(118) = 3.57, p < .001."
APA table notes: general, specific and probability ¶
Notes sit below the table body. Use only the types you need, in this order:
- General note: begins with Note. in italics, followed by information about the whole table: abbreviations, units, sample size, and the source if you reprinted or adapted the table (for example, "Adapted from ..." with the copyright attribution).
- Specific notes: refer to one column, row or cell. Mark the item with a superscript lowercase letter (a, b, c) and start each note with the same superscript letter. Letter them from left to right and top to bottom.
- Probability notes: explain the asterisks used for significance, for example "*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001." Use the same thresholds throughout the paper.
Each type starts on a new line. Many journals now prefer exact p values in a column instead of asterisks; follow the journal's author guidelines.
Table 1 (bold) Title of the Table in Italic Title Case ------------------------------------------------------------ Variable n M SD Range ------------------------------------------------------------ Variable one 00 0.00 0.00 0–00 Variable two 00 0.00 0.00 0–00 Variable three 00 0.00 0.00 0–00 ------------------------------------------------------------ Note. N = 000. Define abbreviations and units here. Adapted from ... [copyright attribution, if reprinted]. aSpecific note for a superscript-marked cell, if needed. *p < .05. **p < .01.
Where to put tables and how to cite them in the text ¶
You have two placement options in APA 7:
- Embedded: place each table after the paragraph where you first mention it. If the table is short and shares a page with text, put it at the top or bottom of the page, with one double-spaced blank line between table and text.
- At the end: place each table on its own page after the reference list.
Either way, refer to every table by its number: "Table 2 shows..." or "(see Table 2)." Avoid "the table above" or "the following table," because page layout can change. Your text should highlight what matters in the table, so do not repeat every number in the prose.
To cite a table you reproduced from another source, add a copyright attribution in the general note and include the source in your reference list. Our APA in-text citations guide covers the citation itself.
How to make an APA table in Word ¶
- Type Table 1 in bold on its own line, then the title in italic title case on the next line.
- Choose Insert, then Table, and select the number of rows and columns you need.
- Enter the headings and data. Italicize statistical symbols and align decimals.
- Remove all borders, then add a top border to the first row, a bottom border to the heading row and a bottom border to the last row.
- Set column heading alignment to center and the stub column to left.
- For long tables, select the heading row and choose Repeat Header Rows in the Table Layout tab.
- Type the notes below the table, double-spaced, starting with Note.
If you produce tables in SPSS, R or Stata, export them and then apply these steps. Our SPSS help team can show you how to set up output so it converts cleanly.
APA figures: the same structure, briefly ¶
Figures (graphs, charts, diagrams, photographs) follow the table pattern. The figure number appears in bold above the figure (Figure 1), then the title in italic title case one double-spaced line below. Then comes the image itself, followed by any note.
- Text inside the image, such as axis labels, should be a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points.
- A legend (key), if needed, goes inside the borders of the figure and uses title case.
- Tables and figures are numbered separately: Table 1, Table 2 and Figure 1, Figure 2.
- Make sure the figure reads clearly in grayscale; many readers print in black and white.
For page setup, headings and references around your tables, see our APA format guide. If you would like an editor to check every table, figure and caption in your manuscript, our APA formatting service returns all corrections with Track Changes and comments.