Health & Fitness

Here’s an interesting list of the Highest IQs on record of people still alive and an interesting selection of others. The “average” IQ is by definition 100, so if you score below that you are dumber than average, and above it means smarter than average.

The Highest IQs On Record

People Still Alive

From the Past

In 1926, psychologist Dr. Catherine Morris Cox – who had been assisted by Dr. Lewis M. Terman, Dr. Florence L. Goodenaugh, and Dr. Kate Gordon – published a study “of the most eminent men and women” who had lived between 1450 and 1850 to estimate what their IQs might have been. Data from that study as well as other sources around the net were compiled to form the following list.

Also, see Wikipedia’s list of Universal Genius (Polymaths).

 

Commonly acknowledged IQ Score Ranking System:

IQ ScoreTraditional Ranking System
140 + (~.25%) Genius or near genius
130 – 139 Gifted
120 – 129 Very Superior Intelligence
110 – 119 Superior Intelligence
90 – 109 Average/Normal
80 – 89 Dullness
70 – 79 Borderline deficiency
50 – 70 Mild mental retardation
35-50 Moderate mental retardation
20 – 35 Severe mental retardation
< 20 Profound mental retardation (1%)
IQ Bellcurve
The distribution of IQ scores is as follows:

  • 50% of IQ scores fall between 90 and 110
  • 70% of IQ scores fall between 85 and 115
  • 95% of IQ scores fall between 70 and 130
  • 99.5% of IQ scores fall between 60 and 140
  • A score of 132 equals the top 2%
  • A score of 134 equals the top 1%
  • A score of 68 equals the bottom 2%
  • A score of 66 equals the bottom 1%