Which statement best differentiates qualitative from quantitative data?

• A. Qualitative data are numerical
• B. Quantitative data are non-numerical
• C. Qualitative data are non-numerical; quantitative data are numerical
• D. Quantitative data are subjective

Answer: (C)

The central idea is that data are categorized by whether they are numerical or descriptive. Qualitative data are non-numerical and describe qualities, kinds, or categories—things you might label as red/blue, types of infection, or responses like “agree/disagree.” Quantitative data, on the other hand, are numerical and represent amounts or counts—heights, weights, temperatures, test scores. This distinction makes the statement the best because it clearly assigns non-numerical nature to qualitative data and numerical nature to quantitative data.

The other statements miss this fundamental distinction. Saying qualitative data are numerical is incorrect, as is saying quantitative data are non-numerical. And labeling quantitative data as subjective confuses data type with interpretation; the numbers themselves are objective measurements, even if how they’re used or interpreted can vary.