IQ Percentile Calculator
Enter your IQ score to calculate which percentile it falls in.
IQ Percentile:
Classification
On this page:
Joe is the creator of Inch Calculator and has over 20 years of experience in engineering and construction. He holds several degrees and certifications.
Pateakia has worked in education for 15 years and has three degrees, including a PhD, Master's degree, and Bachelor's degree. She specializes in mathematics.
How to Calculate Your IQ Percentile
IQ, which is short for intelligence quotient, is a number or score representing a person’s reasoning ability. IQ is measured using a set of standardized tests to measure a person’s ability to solve problems.
A person’s IQ score is a number used to measure human intelligence. While the vast majority of people fall in the range of 60 to 140, 68% of people have an IQ in the range of 85 to 115, as shown in the distribution chart above.
What is the IQ Scale?
There are several IQ scales that classify an IQ score with varying levels of cognitive ability, but the two most widely used today are the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Intelligence Scales.[1]
Some other less commonly used scales are the Woodcock-Johnson, Kaufman, Cognitive Assessment System, Differential Ability Scales, and Reynolds Intellectual Ability Scales.
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
The IQ scale below shows the classification of IQ scores using the Stanford-Binet fifth edition intelligence scale.[2]
| IQ Range | IQ Classification |
|---|---|
| 145–160 | Very gifted or highly advanced |
| 130–144 | Gifted or very advanced |
| 120–129 | Superior |
| 110–119 | High average |
| 90–109 | Average |
| 80-89 | Low average |
| 70-79 | Borderline impaired or delayed |
| 55–69 | Mildly impaired or delayed |
| 40–54 | Moderately impaired or delayed |
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
The IQ scale below shows the classification of IQ scores using the current Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.[3] More value-neutral terminology is also included with the reference.[4]
| IQ Range | IQ Classification | Value-Neutral Term |
|---|---|---|
| 130+ | Very superior | Upper extreme |
| 120-129 | Superior | Well above average |
| 110-119 | High average | High average |
| 90-109 | Average | Average |
| 80-89 | Low average | Low average |
| 70-79 | Borderline | Well below average |
| 69 and below | Extremely low | Lower extreme |
What is a High IQ?
So, what is a high IQ score then? Well, that’s all relative!
The Stanford-Binet and Wechsler intelligence scales indicate that an IQ over 130 is in the upper bound of IQs, which is in the top 2% of scores.
Mensa, the high IQ society, requires an IQ of 130-132 (depending on the test) to be eligible to join.[5]
While there is no theoretical maximum score, an IQ of over 180 is profoundly rare. There are conflicting claims of who has the highest ever recorded IQ score. Ainan Celeste Cawley certainly is at or near the top of that list with an IQ of 268.[6]
What is an Average IQ?
IQ tests are regularly updated to reflect a score of 100 as the average score. As stated above, most people (~68%) have an IQ between 85 and 115.
Take an IQ Test
You’re probably itching to know how to find your IQ score by now. The best way to do that is to take a test.
There are several standardized tests available; the most common are:[7]
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
- Universal Nonverbal Intelligence
- Differential Ability Scales
- Peabody Individual Achievement Test
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
- Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Disabilities
IQ tests measure a person’s logic, spatial awareness, verbal reasoning, and visual abilities. Since intelligence tests do not measure knowledge of subject matter, they are not something you can or should study for.
Find Your IQ Percentile
Once you have found your IQ score, you might want to know how you compare to the rest of the population. To do that, you can determine what percentile your score is in.
The percentile is the percentage of people with an equal or lower score.
IQ scores follow a standard bell curve for a normal distribution. The curve is distributed using standard deviations from the mean.
Standard deviation is a measure of variability in a population. When calculating percentiles for IQ scores, a standard deviation of 15 is used.
You can use the chart below to see which percentile your score is in, and of course, the calculator above will calculate the most precise percentile.
IQ Percentile Chart
The chart below shows the range of IQ scores from 10 to 200 and their percentiles.
| IQ Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0.000000099 |
| 20 | 0.000005 |
| 30 | 0.0002 |
| 40 | 0.003 |
| 50 | 0.04 |
| 60 | 0.4 |
| 70 | 2 |
| 80 | 9 |
| 90 | 25 |
| 100 | 50 |
| 110 | 75 |
| 120 | 91 |
| 130 | 98 |
| 140 | 99.6 |
| 150 | 99.96 |
| 160 | 99.996 |
| 170 | 99.9998 |
| 180 | 99.999995 |
| 190 | 99.9999999 |
| 200 | 99.9999999987 |
References
- Silverman W, Miezejeski C, Ryan R, Zigman W, Krinsky-McHale S, Urv T., Stanford-Binet & WAIS IQ Differences and Their Implications for Adults with Intellectual Disability (aka Mental Retardation), Intelligence, 2010, 38(2), 242-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2009.12.005
- Kaufman, Alan S., IQ Testing 101, New York: Springer Publishing, 2009, 39.
- Wechsler D., Wechsler adult intelligence scale | Fourth Edition, San Antonio, TX: Pearson, 2008, all.
- Groth-Marnat, G., & Wright, A. J., Handbook of psychological assessment (6th ed.), Hoboken: Wiley, 2016, 136.
- Mensa, Qualifying test scores, https://www.us.mensa.org/join/testscores/qualifying-test-scores/
- Ramos, J., Here Is The Highest Possible IQ And The People Who Hold The World Record, Science Trends, 2017, https://sciencetrends.com/highest-possible-iq-people-hold-world-record/
- Cherney, K., IQ Testing, Healthline, 2017, https://www.healthline.com/health/iq-testing