How to change the order of DataFrame columns?

Question

I have the following DataFrame (df):

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame(np.random.rand(10, 5))

Answer 1

Just assign the column names in the order you want them:

In [39]: df
Out[39]: 
          0         1         2         3         4  mean
0  0.172742  0.915661  0.043387  0.712833  0.190717     1
1  0.128186  0.424771  0.590779  0.771080  0.617472     1
2  0.125709  0.085894  0.989798  0.829491  0.155563     1
3  0.742578  0.104061  0.299708  0.616751  0.951802     1
4  0.721118  0.528156  0.421360  0.105886  0.322311     1
5  0.900878  0.082047  0.224656  0.195162  0.736652     1
6  0.897832  0.558108  0.318016  0.586563  0.507564     1
7  0.027178  0.375183  0.930248  0.921786  0.337060     1
8  0.763028  0.182905  0.931756  0.110675  0.423398     1
9  0.848996  0.310562  0.140873  0.304561  0.417808     1

In [40]: df = df[['mean', 4,3,2,1]]

Now, 'mean' column comes out in the front:

In [41]: df
Out[41]: 
   mean         4         3         2         1
0     1  0.190717  0.712833  0.043387  0.915661
1     1  0.617472  0.771080  0.590779  0.424771
2     1  0.155563  0.829491  0.989798  0.085894
3     1  0.951802  0.616751  0.299708  0.104061
4     1  0.322311  0.105886  0.421360  0.528156
5     1  0.736652  0.195162  0.224656  0.082047
6     1  0.507564  0.586563  0.318016  0.558108
7     1  0.337060  0.921786  0.930248  0.375183
8     1  0.423398  0.110675  0.931756  0.182905
9     1  0.417808  0.304561  0.140873  0.310562