What Is Considered a High IQ, What’s Average, What Results Mean (2024)

IQ tests can measure language, processing, memory, and reasoning. Your score tends to remain consistent from childhood to adulthood.

IQ stands for intelligence quotient. IQ tests are tools to measure intellectual abilities and potential. They’re designed to reflect a wide range of cognitive skills, such as reasoning, logic, and problem-solving.

It’s a test of intelligence, something you’re largely born with. It’s not a test of knowledge, which represents what you learn through education or life experience.

To know your IQ, you take a standardized test in the presence of a trained professional. IQ tests you find online might be entertaining, but the results aren’t valid.

It’s also important to understand that your IQ score doesn’t exist in isolation. The number actually represents how your results compare to those of other people your age.

A score of 116 or more is considered above average. A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.

Keep reading as we explore more about high IQ, what it means, and what it doesn’t mean.

IQ tests have gone through significant changes through the decades to correct for racial, gender, and social biases, as well as cultural norms. Today, there are several versions in use. They may have different methods of scoring, but they all use 100 as the average.

IQ scores follow a bell curve. The very peak of the bell represents the average score of 100. Lower scores are represented on one slope of the bell while higher scores are represented on the other.

The IQ scores of most people are represented in the middle of the bell, between 85 and 115. Overall, about 98 percent of people have a score below 130. If you’re among the 2 percent with a higher score, you’re an outlier.

Basically, a high IQ means your score is higher than that of most people in your peer group.

What’s the highest possible IQ?

Theoretically, there’s no upper limit to an IQ score.

Who has the honor of the highest score isn’t entirely clear. Though there are many claims of super-high IQs, documentation is hard to come by. The fact that IQ tests have changed quite a bit over the years makes it difficult to compare results from different eras.

Mathematician Terence Tao is said to have an IQ of 220 or 230. Tao started high school in the 1980s at age 7, earned a bachelor’s degree at age 16, and a doctorate at 21.

In 2017, India Times reported that an 11-year-old girl living in the United Kingdom achieved a score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test. The publication also noted that Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking are both “thought” to have an IQ of 160.

Standardized IQ tests are given and scored by trained administrators. The score represents how you compare to your peer group in:

  • language
  • reasoning abilities
  • processing speed
  • visual-spatial processing
  • memory
  • math

If you have a high IQ score, it means your reasoning and problem-solving abilities are better than average and may signal intellectual potential.

An IQ of 70 or below may indicate limited intellectual functioning. However, IQ alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Testing of social, practical, and conceptual skills is needed to make that kind of determination.

There’s a lot of debate on the subject of intelligence and whether it can actually be measured.

There’s also no shortage of debate on the accuracy of scoring. A 2010 study validated the average scores in 108 countries, finding countries in Africa to have consistently lower scores. That same year, other researchers took great issue with that study, calling the methods used “questionable” and the results “untrustworthy.”

The decades-long controversy over IQs won’t end anytime soon. When it comes right down to it, don’t read into this single number as the definitive measure of your intelligence.

IQ scores can be affected by factors such as:

  • nutrition
  • health conditions
  • access to education
  • culture and environment

Whatever your IQ, it can’t accurately predict how your life will turn out. You can have a high IQ and attain little success in life, or you can have an IQ on the lower side and do very well.

There are many paths to success and we don’t all define success the same way. Life is more complicated than that, involving many variables. Life experience and curiosity about the world matter. So do character, opportunity, and ambition, not to mention a little luck.

The brain is a complex organ — we may never fully comprehend how intelligence, ability to learn, and knowledge overlap. You can have a high IQ, but lack education and general knowledge. You can earn a degree yet score a lower IQ.

IQ tests measure your ability to reason, grasp ideas, and solve problems. Intelligence, in that respect, may be a matter of inheritance and potential.

For the most part, IQ is generally considered stable throughout life. Your IQ score is still a measure of how you compare to others in your peer group. IQ scores will remain fairly stable if everyone in a group begins to perform better on testing.

One small 2011 study suggests that intellectual capacity can increase or decrease during teen years. There’s some evidence that you might be able to increase your IQ score by a few points. You can probably improve focus, memory, or some other skill. You might even become a better test taker.

You can take the same test multiple times and end up with slight variations in score. For example, if you were sick or fatigued the first time around, you might do a little better in a second test.

All of this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more intelligent now than you were before.

There’s no proof that cognitive training raises overall intelligence. Though, you can — and should — continue to learn throughout your life. The keys to learning tend to involve curiosity and being receptive to new information. With those qualities, you can enhance your ability to:

Reading, both fiction and nonfiction, is one way to boost your abilities in these areas. Mental stimulation can help slow or prevent cognitive decline as you age. In addition to reading, activities such as puzzles, playing music, and group discussions can be useful.

If you have a high IQ score, your intelligence and potential for intelligence is above that of your peers. This could mean you’ll fare well when faced with unusual or complex problems. A high IQ might give you a leg up in certain situations, like getting the job you want.

A lower IQ score doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent or incapable of learning. A low score shouldn’t prevent you from working toward your goals. There’s no telling what you can achieve — regardless of IQ numbers.

Whatever the number, IQ scores are still highly controversial. It’s just one of many indicators and doesn’t need to define who you are.

What Is Considered a High IQ, What’s Average, What Results Mean (2024)

FAQs

What Is Considered a High IQ, What’s Average, What Results Mean? ›

It's also important to understand that your IQ score doesn't exist in isolation. The number actually represents how your results compare to those of other people your age. A score of 116 or more is considered above average. A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ.

What are considered high IQ scores? ›

85 to 114: Average intelligence. 115 to 129: Above average or bright. 130 to 144: Moderately gifted. 145 to 159: Highly gifted.

Is 120 IQ a good IQ? ›

How did you score on this IQ test? An IQ score over 140 indicates that you're a genius or nearly a genius, while 120 - 140 is classed as "very superior intelligence". 110 - 119 is "superior intelligence", while 90 - 109 is "normal or average intelligence".

What do IQ scores mean? ›

IQ is a type of standard score that indicates how far above, or how far below, his/her peer group an individual stands in mental ability. The peer group score is an IQ of 100; this is obtained by applying the same test to huge numbers of people from all socio-economic strata of society, and taking the average.

What is the average to high average IQ? ›

In general, an IQ score is defined with a median and mean of 100. Scores above 130 are labeled as above average or “very superior,” while scores under 70 would be considered below average or labeled as “borderline impaired.” Most people have an average IQ between 85 and 115.

What is the average high IQ range? ›

Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale Fifth Edition
IQ Range ("deviation IQ")IQ Classification
130–140Gifted or very advanced
120–129Superior
110–119High average
90–109Average
5 more rows

What is Tom Cruise IQ? ›

"We would give them an IQ test, and he just about made the cut. The cutoff is 110, and he scored exactly 110."

What is the IQ of Albert Einstein? ›

His performance beats those of physicists Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, who were both estimated to have IQs around 160.

What is Brad Pitt's IQ? ›

What IQ Did These Famous People Have?
NameOccupationIQ
Albert EinsteinPhysicist160
Brad PittHollywood actor126
Abraham LincolnPolitician148
Andy WarholArtist86
60 more rows

Does IQ increase with age? ›

Does an individual's IQ change with age? An individual's IQ does not change with age. In other words: if you did an IQ test now and then another one in 10 years' time, your IQ score will probably be very similar. This is because IQ is always measured relative to other people your age.

What is the average IQ of a female? ›

IQ scores between 90 and 109 indicate a normal range or average intelligence. Individual adults usually score somewhere in between the 70-130 range, with 100 being the theoretical average.

What is the average IQ in the United States? ›

What's The Average IQ In The U.S.? According to 2019's The Intelligence of the Nations report, the average IQ in the United States is 97.43, which was calculated using multiple versions of IQ tests as well as detailed sample data regarding socioeconomic and environmental factors.

How do I know my IQ level? ›

The IQ score can be calculated with the formula of IQ = (intelligence age/actual age) x100. Here is a short list of the most common IQ tests (intelligence quotient test), other than MentalUP's online IQ test that you or your children may want to take: Stanford-Binet (SB-V) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV)

How can you tell if someone is smart or just average? ›

4 Unexpected Signs You're Smarter Than the Average Person
  1. They seek the wisdom of others. Sure, books, webinars, podcasts, classes, and the like will help, but smart people stretch their knowledge beyond intellectual pursuits. ...
  2. They exercise self-awareness. ...
  3. They are intellectually curious. ...
  4. They're exceptional listeners.
Oct 27, 2022

How do you know if you have a high IQ? ›

A score of 116 or more is considered above average. A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.

What is IQ of Bill Gates? ›

The average IQ varies from country to country, with the US standing at 98. Anything above 130 is high. Here are some of the glimpses of genius that attest to Bill Gates' high IQ, even to the point of being a 160 score.

What is the average IQ by age? ›

What Is the Average IQ By Age?
Age RangeAverage IQ Score
20 to 24-year-olds99
24 to 34-year-olds97
35 to 44-year-olds101
45 to 54-year-olds106
3 more rows
Jan 8, 2022

Can you increase your IQ? ›

Although science is on the fence about whether you can raise your IQ or not, research does seem to suggest that it's possible to raise your intelligence through certain brain-training activities. Training your memory, executive control, and visuospatial reasoning can help to boost your intelligence levels.

Who has the highest IQ in the world? ›

William James Sidis has the World's Highest IQ. Anywhere from 250 to 300 is his IQ score, almost twice the score of Albert Einstein. At the age of eleven, William famously entered Harvard University, becoming the youngest person to enter. He also claimed to be conversant in 25 languages.

What is the highest IQ ever recorded? ›

In conclusion, the highest recorded IQ score belongs to William James Sidis (1898-1944) with an IQ of 250. The second highest recorded IQ score belongs to Terence Tao (b. 1975) with an IQ of 225.

What is the highest IQ of all time? ›

The appropriately named Marilyn vos Savant is in a class of her own. According to Guinness World Records, her astonishing IQ of 228 is the highest ever recorded. The daughter of an Italian and a German immigrant, vos Savant was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1946.

What is Snoop Dogg's IQ? ›

Conversation. : FACTS: According to IMDB, Snoop Dogg's IQ score is 147, which is considered to be extremely high and that of a gifted genius.

What is Johnny Depp's IQ score? ›

According to Wrap, Johnny Depp received an 88 Q score in 2015.

Does Ashton Kutcher have a high IQ? ›

Ashton Kutcher

But little do fans of That '70s Show and Dude, Where's My Car know that Kutcher bears no similarities to some of his former on-screen characters. The-now 44-year-old has an estimated IQ of 160, evident in his humanitarian work (he's assisted with the plight of child trafficking) and investment work.

What was the IQ of Ted Bundy? ›

Ted Bundy - 136

Let's not forget that he was also a vicious rapist and murderer of women too, though.

What was Steve Jobs IQ? ›

"Steve Jobs likely had an IQ roughly 160 or above. In Walter Isaacson's biography, near the end of 4th grade, Jobs was tested. Jobs said: 'I scored at the high school sophom*ore level. ' This means he was a 4th grader performing at the 10th grade level.

What was Bob Dylan's IQ? ›

Bob Dylan, famous folk and rock musician had an IQ test score of 106.

What's George Clooney's IQ? ›

George Clooney, IQ 127

The handsome actor has an IQ slightly above average with 127.

What is Taylor Swift's IQ? ›

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer songwriter. According to some acclaimed websites, she is said to have an IQ of 160. As a matter of fact, she is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest singer ever to sign at age 11.

What is Kanye's IQ? ›

Kanye says he scored a 133 on Mensa IQ test, compares his brain to women's bodies.

At what age is your brain the sharpest? ›

They conclude that humans reach their cognitive peak around the age of 35 and begin to decline after the age of 45. And our cognitive abilities today exceed those of our ancestors.

At what age does memory peak? ›

Our ability to remember new information peaks in our 20s, and then starts to decline noticeably from our 50s or 60s. Because the hippocampus is one brain region that continues producing new neurons into adulthood, it plays an important role in memory and learning.

Is IQ a genetic trait? ›

Like most aspects of human behavior and cognition, intelligence is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

What woman has the highest IQ in the United States? ›

Marilyn vos Savant

Who has the highest IQ ever recorded female? ›

The person with the highest recorded IQ of all time is a woman named Marilyn vos Savant and, according to Guinness World Records, she holds the record with an astonishing score of 228. vos Savant was born in St.

What is the average IQ of a PhD student? ›

One famous study found that PhD's typically had IQ's 1 or 2 standard deviations above the mean (115 and 130 respectively, in 15 SD scoring), while PhD's who made major contributions had IQs 3 to 4 standard deviations above (145 and 160).

What is the smartest state in America? ›

Massachusetts

Which US state has the highest IQ? ›

Massachusetts, with an average IQ of 104.3, is the state with the highest IQ in the United States, but only by 0.1, as New Hampshire is the second state with the highest IQ, with an IQ score of 104.2.

What is the lowest IQ ever recorded in the US? ›

What Is the Lowest IQ Ever? There's no record of the lowest IQ ever. However, the lowest IQ score possible is zero.

How do you determine your IQ age? ›

IQ was originally computed by taking the ratio of mental age to chronological (physical) age and multiplying by 100. Thus, if a 10-year-old child had a mental age of 12 (that is, performed on the test at the level of an average 12-year-old), the child was assigned an IQ of 12/10 × 100, or 120.

What do they ask on an IQ test? ›

In a classic IQ test you will generally find questions related to numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, verbal intelligence and spatial intelligence. An IQ test that primarily measures abstract reasoning, either inductive or deductive, will often be a non-verbal IQ test.

Is there a free IQ test with free results? ›

FreeIQTest.info has a free IQ test with 20 questions. Your results are based on the answers as well as how quickly you complete the whole thing. Once the test has been completed, you'll be told your IQ score, the time it took to finish it, and your "status," such as Gifted or Severely Challenged.

Do intelligent people know they are intelligent? ›

Intelligence reveals itself in many ways--be smart enough to recognize the variations. You can throw a stone in any direction and hit someone who is over-confident and thinks they're smarter than they really are. But even more common are people who don't realize they're actually smarter than they think.

How can you tell if someone has a low IQ? ›

Difficulties talking or talking late. Having problems remembering things. Inability to connect actions with consequences. Difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking.

How do geniuses behave? ›

People who have genius traits tend to think about problems and concepts in a much more dynamic way. As a result, they are unlikely to accept information and facts on face value. Instead, they will want to defy and test conventional thinking.

What geniuses have in common? ›

The 24 Characteristics All Geniuses Have in Common
  • DRIVE. Geniuses have a strong desire to work hard and long. ...
  • COURAGE. It takes courage to do things others consider impossible. ...
  • DEVOTION TO GOALS. Geniuses know what they want and go after it. ...
  • KNOWLEDGE. ...
  • HONESTY. ...
  • OPTIMISM. ...
  • ABILITY TO JUDGE. ...
  • ENTHUSIASM.
May 6, 2021

How do you know if a woman is intelligent? ›

12 Characteristics of Intelligent Women
  • Intelligent women are dedicated to solving problems. ...
  • They have a thirst for knowledge. ...
  • They're passionate about making a difference. ...
  • They're fearless leaders. ...
  • They don't let anyone stand in their way. ...
  • Intelligent women are passionate about what they do.
May 10, 2022

What was Einstein's IQ level? ›

His performance beats those of physicists Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, who were both estimated to have IQs around 160.

How rare is an IQ of 130? ›

Like other variable human traits (height, for example), the range of IQ is on a standard curve bell curve. Most people you meet are probably average, and a few are extraordinarily smart. Just 2.2 percent have an IQ of 130 or greater.

How rare is an IQ of 140? ›

The first genius IQ score was around 140. That's about one in every 250 people.

How much IQ does Elon Musk have? ›

Like, is Elon Musk a genius? It answered, Elon Musk's IQ is reported to be 155, which is very high compared to the average of 100.

What US president had the highest IQ? ›

At a score of 175, Harvard grad John Quincy Adams has the highest estimated IQ of all U.S. presidents. He studied all around the world, becoming fluent in seven languages throughout his life.

Is Snoop Dogg's IQ really 147? ›

Conversation. : FACTS: According to IMDB, Snoop Dogg's IQ score is 147, which is considered to be extremely high and that of a gifted genius.

What is Steve Jobs IQ? ›

"Steve Jobs likely had an IQ roughly 160 or above. In Walter Isaacson's biography, near the end of 4th grade, Jobs was tested. Jobs said: 'I scored at the high school sophom*ore level. ' This means he was a 4th grader performing at the 10th grade level.

What's Justin Bieber's IQ? ›

probably between 125 and 140 … and most Ph. D physicists are at 135.

How do I know my IQ? ›

One of the most well-known online exams available to you is Free-IQTest.net. It has 20 questions that will measure your IQ score accurately. After this test, you have to give your birth date since the test calculates your IQ score based on your age. This way, you may compare yourself to your peers.

What is Martin Luther King IQ? ›

It's clear to me that MLK's command and understanding of philosophy and theology was considerable and could have made a career at it if he so desired, and considering how high philosophy graduates on average rank, I would wager King was above the 130 IQ range.

How can you tell someone is smart? ›

Here are 18 of the best answers.
  1. They draw wisdom from multiple sources. "They draw wisdom from multiple sources. ...
  2. They know their audience. ...
  3. They develop a keen sense for their job. ...
  4. Curiosity. ...
  5. They're great at conveying ideas. ...
  6. Considerate questions. ...
  7. They make hard ideas simple. ...
  8. They know what they don't know.

Does IQ affect happiness? ›

Happiness is significantly associated with a higher IQ. Those in the lowest IQ range [70–99] reported the lowest levels of happiness compared with the highest IQ group. The study of 6,870 people showed low intelligence was often linked with lower income and poor mental health, which contributed to unhappiness.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Golda Nolan II

Last Updated:

Views: 6387

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Golda Nolan II

Birthday: 1998-05-14

Address: Suite 369 9754 Roberts Pines, West Benitaburgh, NM 69180-7958

Phone: +522993866487

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Shopping, Quilting, Cooking, Homebrewing, Leather crafting, Pet

Introduction: My name is Golda Nolan II, I am a thoughtful, clever, cute, jolly, brave, powerful, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.