IQ percentile chart
Every IQ score in steps of five, on the standard scale used by most modern tests (average 100, standard deviation 15). Percentile is the share of people who score lower. Rarity is how many people you would need to meet, on average, to find one who scores this high or higher. The last two columns give the same level on older scales.
| IQ (SD 15) | Percentile | Score this high or higher | Rarity | SD 16 | SD 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 2.3 | 97.7% | – | 68 | 52 |
| 75 | 4.8 | 95.2% | – | 73 | 60 |
| 80 | 9.1 | 90.9% | – | 79 | 68 |
| 85 | 15.9 | 84.1% | – | 84 | 76 |
| 90 | 25.2 | 74.8% | – | 89 | 84 |
| 95 | 36.9 | 63.1% | – | 95 | 92 |
| 100 | 50.0 | 50.0% | 1 in 2 | 100 | 100 |
| 105 | 63.1 | 36.9% | 1 in 3 | 105 | 108 |
| 110 | 74.8 | 25.2% | 1 in 4 | 111 | 116 |
| 115 | 84.1 | 15.9% | 1 in 6 | 116 | 124 |
| 120 | 90.9 | 9.1% | 1 in 11 | 121 | 132 |
| 125 | 95.2 | 4.8% | 1 in 21 | 127 | 140 |
| 130 | 97.7 | 2.3% | 1 in 44 | 132 | 148 |
| 135 | 99.0 | 1.0% | 1 in 102 | 137 | 156 |
| 140 | 99.6 | 0.38% | 1 in 261 | 143 | 164 |
| 145 | 99.87 | 0.13% | 1 in 741 | 148 | 172 |
| 150 | 99.96 | 0.04% | 1 in 2,331 | 153 | 180 |
| 155 | 99.99 | 0.012% | 1 in 8,139 | 159 | 188 |
| 160 | 99.997 | 0.003% | 1 in 31,574 | 164 | 196 |
Worked out from the normal distribution. Real tests are less precise than these decimals suggest, especially above about 145. For a fuller breakdown of each band, see Assessivo's IQ scale and score range chart.
How to read your IQ percentile
An IQ score is a position, not a mark out of 100. Test publishers give their test to a large group of people of each age, set the middle result at 100 and measure everyone else in fixed steps called standard deviations. On most modern tests one step is 15 points, so about two in three people land between 85 and 115.
Your percentile turns that position into plain language. A percentile of 91 means you scored higher than 91 out of 100 people your age. Because scores bunch up in the middle of the bell curve, a few points matter far more near the top: moving from 100 to 110 passes about 25 people in every 100, while moving from 140 to 150 passes fewer than 1.
Professional reports also put words to each band. On the WISC-V children's test, for example, 90 to 109 is average, 110 to 119 high average, 120 to 129 very high and 130 and above extremely high. None of these labels says "good" or "bad": they only describe where a score falls. Assessivo's guide to what counts as a good IQ score explains what each level does and doesn't predict.
IQ scales compared: SD 15, 16 and 24
The number on your report depends on the test's scale. The rarity doesn't. A result in the top 2% is 130 on a test with a standard deviation of 15, 132 with 16 and 148 with 24. That is why the same person can see very different numbers on different tests, and why a "148" isn't necessarily higher than a "135".
- SD 15 Wechsler scales (WAIS, WISC) and the Stanford-Binet 5. The standard today.
- SD 16 Older editions of the Stanford-Binet.
- SD 24 The Cattell scale, which produces much larger numbers for the same rarity.
If your report doesn't say which scale it uses, assume 15. Assessivo has a full explainer on IQ standard deviation, including why 15 became the norm.
Mensa and high-IQ society cut-offs
High-IQ societies set their entry level as a percentile, then translate it to each test. These are the levels the meter checks:
| Society | Entry level | On an SD 15 test |
|---|---|---|
| Mensa | Top 2% (98th percentile) | 130 |
| Intertel | Top 1% (99th percentile) | about 135 |
| Triple Nine Society | Top 0.1% (99.9th percentile) | 146 on the WAIS or WISC |
| Prometheus Society | 1 in 30,000 | about 160 |
Every society asks for an approved test taken under supervision, so online results, from any website, can't be used to join. They are still a reasonable first look at where you might land.
Why very high scores are hard to pin down
Two things limit how far you can trust a number at the top of the chart. First, every test has a margin of error: a reported 128 and 131 are effectively the same result. Second, very few people score at the extremes, so tests have little data there, and most can't separate scores reliably much above 160. That is why claims of IQs of 200 and more, for famous people or anyone else, usually come from old childhood formulas or guesses rather than modern tests. Assessivo traces the best-known claims in who really has the highest IQ in the world.
IQ percentile FAQ
What percentile is an IQ of 130?
About the 98th percentile (97.7 to be exact). Roughly 1 in 44 people score 130 or higher on a test with a standard deviation of 15, and it is the usual Mensa cut-off on Wechsler tests and the Stanford-Binet 5.
What percentile is an IQ of 120?
About the 91st percentile. Around 1 in 11 people score 120 or higher. On the WISC-V children's test, 120 is the start of the band labelled very high.
What percentile is an IQ of 115?
About the 84th percentile: one standard deviation above average. Roughly 1 in 6 people score 115 or higher, and it falls in the high average band (110 to 119).
What IQ is in the top 1%?
About 135 on a standard SD 15 test. A score of 135 is higher than about 99% of people, roughly 1 in 102. That is the level Intertel uses for entry.
What IQ is in the top 5%?
About 125. A score of 125 is higher than about 95% of people, roughly 1 in 21.
How rare is an IQ of 140?
About 1 in 261 people score 140 or higher, the 99.6th percentile. In everyday speech, 140 and above is often called genius level, although no professional test uses that word.
How rare is an IQ of 160?
On the standard scale, roughly 1 in 30,000 people. That is close to the ceiling of what most professional tests can measure reliably, so scores this high carry a lot of uncertainty.
What is the average IQ?
100, by design. Tests are scaled so the middle of each age group scores 100, and about 2 in 3 people score between 85 and 115. Assessivo's guide to average IQ explains why the average never moves.
Is an IQ of 110 good?
Yes. 110 is higher than about 75% of people, so roughly 1 in 4 score that high or higher. It is the start of the high average band.
Can your IQ percentile change over time?
Yes, especially in childhood. Scores for young children can move noticeably between tests, and research suggests they settle and stay reasonably stable from around age 14. Any single result also has a margin of error of a few points.