---
title: "CEILING (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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---
# CEILING (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)]

This function returns the smallest integer greater than, or equal to, the specified numeric expression.
  
![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)
  
## Syntax  
  
```sql
CEILING ( numeric_expression )  
```  
  
## Arguments  
*numeric_expression*  
An [expression](../../t-sql/language-elements/expressions-transact-sql.md) of the exact numeric or approximate numeric data type category. For this function, the **bit** data type is invalid.
  
## Return types
Return values have the same type as *numeric_expression*.
  
## Examples  
This example shows positive numeric, negative numeric, and zero value inputs for the CEILING function.
  
```sql
SELECT CEILING($123.45), CEILING($-123.45), CEILING($0.0);  
GO  
```  
  
[!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]
  
```sql
--------- --------- -------------------------   
124.00    -123.00    0.00                       
  
(1 row(s) affected)  
```  
  
## See also
[System Functions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-functions/system-functions-for-transact-sql.md)