"total variance" refers to the total amount of variation or difference that exists within a set of data. It encompasses the combined effect of all the individual variations present in the data. Full definition
Although it accounts for the least total variance of the data (a mere 0.3 %), it shows fluctuations which suggest an annual cycle. (tamino.wordpress.com)
A straightforward national indicator of disparities between Australian schools is the percentage of total variance in students» performances attributable to «between - school» differences (with the remaining variance being «within - school»). (teachermagazine.com.au)
Clustering to five groups explains only 38 percent of total variance in continuous clustering variables. (educationnext.org)