What Is a Good IQ Score? The Complete IQ Range Breakdown

After receiving an IQ score, the first question almost everyone asks is: "Is that good?" The short answer is that most scores are good — because the scale is specifically designed so that "average" sits at 100. But that doesn't mean all scores are equal. This guide walks through every IQ range and explains what the numbers actually mean.

The IQ Scale at a Glance

Modern IQ tests use a standardised scale with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. This means:

• IQ 100 = exactly average for your age group
• IQ 115 = one standard deviation above average (~84th percentile)
• IQ 130 = two standard deviations above average (~98th percentile)
• IQ 85 = one standard deviation below average (~16th percentile)

IQ Score Ranges Explained

Below 70 — Intellectual Disability

Scores below 70 (more than two standard deviations below the mean) may indicate an intellectual disability, though clinical diagnosis also requires assessment of adaptive functioning. This affects roughly 2.3% of the population.

70–84 — Borderline / Low Average

This range is sometimes called "borderline intellectual functioning." Individuals in this range typically handle most everyday tasks independently but may struggle with complex academic or professional demands. About 14% of people score in this band.

85–99 — Low to Average

This is squarely normal. Scores between 85 and 115 capture roughly 68% of all people. A score of 90 is entirely unremarkable — you are well within the mainstream of cognitive functioning.

100–114 — Average to High Average

A score here puts you at or above the midpoint. IQ 110 corresponds to approximately the 75th percentile — you outperform three quarters of the population on standardised cognitive tasks.

115–129 — High Average / Bright

Scores in this range reflect notably strong cognitive ability. IQ 120 (90th percentile) is the level where most university graduates cluster. Professional and managerial occupations draw heavily from this group.

130–144 — Superior / Gifted

IQ 130 is the conventional threshold for "giftedness" used by many educational programmes. At the 98th percentile, roughly 1 in 50 people score here. Many doctors, lawyers, and engineers score in this range.

145–159 — Highly Gifted

Above 145 (~99.9th percentile), you're in genuinely rarefied territory. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 people reach this level on a standardised test.

160+ — Profoundly Gifted

Scores above 160 are statistically rare to the point where standard tests struggle to measure them reliably. Many tests have ceiling effects — they can't distinguish between IQ 145 and IQ 160 because there aren't enough hard questions.

What Makes a Score "Good"?

Context matters enormously. A score of 115 is excellent for everyday purposes — comfortable for virtually any career, more than adequate for any university degree, and associated with strong life outcomes. A score of 130 is exceptional by any measure.

The research consistently shows that IQ scores above roughly 120 have diminishing returns for most life outcomes. Beyond that threshold, personality traits like conscientiousness, emotional regulation, and motivation become more predictive of success than raw IQ points.

IQ and Real-World Outcomes

Research from the General Social Survey and decades of longitudinal studies suggests approximate IQ ranges for different educational and occupational groups:

• High school graduates: typically 85–105
• Bachelor's degree holders: typically 105–120
• Graduate/professional degrees: typically 115–130
• Elite research scientists, surgeons: often 125+

These are population medians, not requirements. Variation within any group is enormous.

The Percentile vs. Score Confusion

Many people fixate on the raw number but miss the percentile — which is actually the more meaningful figure. An IQ of 120 sounds impressive, but "90th percentile" tells you something concrete: you performed better than 9 in 10 people your age. That's the number worth remembering.

How to Measure Your IQ

A clinical assessment by a licensed psychologist is the gold standard, but a well-designed online test can give you a solid estimate for personal insight. IQ Test Center's free 30-question assessment covers five cognitive domains with age-calibrated norms, giving you both a composite estimate and a percentile rank. See how the scoring works →