What Is a Good IQ Score? IQ Ranges Explained Simply

You took an IQ test and got a number back. Now what? Is 110 good? Is 95 bad? The honest answer: it depends on what you mean by "good." But here's a straightforward breakdown that'll make sense of the whole scale.

The IQ Score Table

IQ scores follow a bell curve (technically called a normal distribution) where 100 is the dead center. About 68% of all people score between 85 and 115. Here's how the full range breaks down:

IQ Range	Classification	% of Population
145+	Highly gifted / "Genius"	~0.1%
130 – 144	Gifted	~2%
115 – 129	Above average	~14%
100 – 114	Average (high)	~34%
85 – 99	Average (low)	~34%
70 – 84	Below average	~14%
Below 70	Significantly below average	~2%

Each 15-point jump represents one standard deviation. That's a statistical way of saying the gaps between ranges are consistent and meaningful—the difference between 100 and 115 is the same "distance" as 115 to 130.

What Each Range Actually Means

Below 70: Significant Challenges

People in this range often qualify for additional support services. About 2% of the population falls here. It doesn't mean someone can't live independently—many do—but they'll typically need more structured help with complex tasks.

70–84: Below Average

This range includes about 14% of people. They might find traditional academic settings more challenging, but many build successful careers in hands-on fields. IQ measures a narrow slice of what makes someone capable.

85–99: Average (Lower Half)

If you scored here, you're in the most common range. You're in good company with roughly a third of the entire population. This is a perfectly normal score that won't hold you back from most career paths or educational goals.

100–114: Average (Upper Half)

The other third of the bell curve's fat middle. Scoring 100 means you're right at the population median. Scoring 114 puts you at the upper edge of "typical." Most college graduates cluster in the 100–115 range.

115–129: Above Average

Now you're in the top 16%. This is where you start seeing people who breeze through academic work and pick up complex concepts quickly. Most professionals in demanding fields—doctors, engineers, lawyers—tend to score in this range or higher.

130–144: Gifted

Top 2%. This is the threshold most gifted programs use for admission. People here often think in ways that feel qualitatively different—not just faster, but more abstract and interconnected. It comes with upsides (rapid learning) and downsides (sometimes feeling out of sync with peers).

145+: Exceptionally Gifted

Roughly 1 in 1,000 people. At this level, standard IQ tests start losing precision because there simply aren't enough people to calibrate against. Many who score here report that their biggest challenge isn't intellectual—it's finding others who think at a similar pace.

So What Counts as "Good"?

Here's the thing most IQ articles won't tell you: the question itself is flawed.

If "good" means "above average," then anything over 100 qualifies—and that's half the population. If "good" means "impressive," people usually mean 120+, which is the top 9%. If "good" means "genius," that's 130+, or the top 2%.

But a more useful framing: a "good" IQ score is one that doesn't limit what you want to do. If you want to become a surgeon, you'll probably need to be 115+. If you want to be a successful business owner, your emotional intelligence and work ethic matter far more than whether you're at 105 or 125. (More on that in our article on IQ vs EQ.)

Famous People and Their (Rumored) IQ Scores

Take these with a grain of salt—most are estimates, not verified test results:

• Albert Einstein: Estimated around 160. Never actually took a modern IQ test.
• Richard Feynman: Reportedly scored 125 on a school IQ test. Won a Nobel Prize in Physics. Goes to show that IQ tests don't capture everything.
• Marilyn vos Savant: Recorded 228 in the Guinness Book of World Records (using an older scoring method). On modern scales, her score would be lower but still extraordinarily high.
• Muhammad Ali: Scored 78 on a military aptitude test. Became one of the most strategically brilliant athletes in history. The test clearly wasn't measuring what mattered.

These examples reveal something important: IQ tests measure certain types of cognitive processing. They're good at predicting academic performance. They're mediocre at predicting life success, creativity, or wisdom.

Three Myths Worth Busting

Myth 1: Your IQ Is Fixed at Birth

It's not. IQ scores can shift by 10–20 points over a lifetime. Education, nutrition, environmental enrichment, and even learning a musical instrument can move the needle. Your genes set a range; your environment determines where in that range you land. We cover the specifics in 9 science-backed ways to improve your IQ.

Myth 2: IQ Measures How "Smart" You Are

IQ measures a specific set of cognitive abilities: pattern recognition, working memory, processing speed, and verbal/spatial reasoning. It doesn't measure creativity, practical problem-solving, social intelligence, or emotional regulation. Those are all real forms of intelligence that matter enormously in daily life.

Myth 3: Higher IQ = Happier Life

Research on this is mixed. Very high IQ can actually correlate with higher rates of anxiety and overthinking. The happiest people tend to have strong social connections and a sense of purpose—things no IQ test measures. A 2016 study in the journal Intelligence found that the relationship between IQ and life satisfaction is modest at best, and largely mediated by income and education rather than raw brainpower.

What to Do With Your Score

If you scored higher than expected: great, but don't let it make you complacent. Potential means nothing without effort.

If you scored lower than expected: the test captures one moment, one type of thinking. It says nothing about your character, your creativity, or your potential for growth. Intelligence is far more multidimensional than a single number.

The most productive thing you can do with an IQ score is treat it as a data point, not a destiny.