put a list of data into categories

[max3dlee]

Doing a basic search for an answer to this question only brings up the Sort button - this is NOT what I'm after.

I have generated a list of General Education classes:

HIS1500
ENG1010
SPH1060
MTH1010
PSY1010

I want to automatically put these into categories.

HIS1500 is a Humanities course
ENG1010 is a Communications
SPH1060 is a Communications
MTH1010 is a Math
PSY1010 is a Social Science

How do I automatically sort my generated list into those categories.

I have created a table on another sheet that lists every single GenEd the school offers, and they are categorized by Humanities, Communications, etc., and tried to use a vlookup for each individual class, but is there not a way I can simply select my entire generated list and use a formula to automatically sort into categories? (without "0" or spaces?!?!)

I know the answer is simple, I just cant figure it out.

Thanks!

[arlu1201]

In your table, do you have a column which states which class belongs to which category? Or which category contains which classes?

[max3dlee]

Yes.

In sheet 2 I have created a table that lists all geneds in their respective categories.

Looks kinda like...

Comm Art Soc. Math
ENG1010 ART1010 PSY1010 MTH1010
ENG1020 HIS1500 SOC1010 MTH1090

I want to take the list of geneds I created in sheet 1 and automatically sort them into their respective categories. I created the table in sheet 2 thinking that I could get vlookup to work (and it does, kinda).

I just want to tell excel, "Take this list I've generated and put the data into categories."

I have a test sheet I've created to test different solutions - should I post that? It has no formulas, just data.

[arlu1201]

Sure you can post the file.

My question to you is - how will excel / macro know which line should fall under which category?

[max3dlee]

excelsorttest.xlsx

On sheet1 in column A is the list I would generate. Then I want excel to automatically sort that list into the categories I set up off to the side.

There is a sheet called GenEds. This is the database I thought I could use to tell excel how the list on sheet1, column A, should be sorted.