IQ classifications: what each label means
An IQ classification is a name for a range of scores, such as average (90 to 109), superior (120 to 129) or gifted (130 to 139). There is no single official list, so the same score can carry a different label on a different test.
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What the labels mean
| Label | IQ | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Profoundly Gifted | 160+ | Used in gifted education for scores beyond what most tests can measure reliably. |
| Genius Level | 140 to 159 | A popular word. No modern test uses it as an official band. |
| Gifted | 130 to 139 | The usual cut-off for gifted programmes, though each school sets its own line. |
| Superior | 120 to 129 | Clearly above average, but common enough that about one person in eleven reaches it. |
| High Average | 110 to 119 | Above the middle, well inside normal variation. |
| Average | 90 to 109 | Where most people score: about half of the population. |
| Low Average | 80 to 89 | Below the middle, still inside normal variation. |
| Borderline | 70 to 79 | A descriptive label between low average and the range where a diagnosis is considered. It is not a diagnosis. |
| Mild Intellectual Disability | 55 to 69 | A diagnosis needs low IQ and difficulty with daily living, judged by a professional. A score alone is not enough. |
For the share of people and percentile in each range, see the IQ chart. Each label above has its own page with the meaning, common traits and limits.
Who uses these labels?
Psychologists use the descriptors that come with the test they gave. A Wechsler report calls 120 to 129 superior and 130 and above very superior, and the label sits next to a confidence interval and an index profile. The label is a shorthand for a position on the curve.
Schools set their own rules for gifted programmes. A cut-off of 130, or the 98th percentile, is common, but districts differ, and many also look at classroom work, teacher input or several tests.
Societies such as Mensa admit people at or above the 98th percentile on an approved test. See the Mensa IQ requirement for the cut-off on each scale.
Everyone else uses looser words. "Genius" and "profoundly gifted" are popular terms without a test definition. Treat them as description, not measurement.
Wechsler and Stanford-Binet labels differ
The numbers match across tests that use a standard deviation of 15. The names do not, and the Wechsler publishers changed theirs between editions. The Wechsler tests, the most widely used clinical IQ tests, use these descriptors:
| IQ | WAIS-IV | WISC-V and WAIS-5 |
|---|---|---|
| 130+ | Very superior | Extremely high |
| 120 to 129 | Superior | Very high |
| 110 to 119 | High average | High average |
| 90 to 109 | Average | Average |
| 80 to 89 | Low average | Low average |
| 70 to 79 | Borderline | Very low |
| 69 or less | Extremely low | Extremely low |
The Stanford-Binet 5 uses another set: gifted or very advanced for 130 to 139, and very gifted or highly advanced from 140. The full label comparison by test puts all four systems in one table. The pages on this site use the common-usage names in the first table, such as gifted and genius, because those are the words people search for.
How to read a label sensibly
A label describes where a score sits compared with a norm group. It does not describe a person. Two people with the same label can differ widely in what they are good at, and one point can move a score across a boundary: 109 is average and 110 is high average.
Every score also carries error of a few points, so the boundary is blurry. The IQ confidence interval calculator shows the range a score probably sits in. Labels such as borderline are descriptive. A diagnosis needs a full professional assessment, not a single number, and an online estimate, ours included, is not that.
IQ tests measure reasoning abilities such as pattern recognition, working memory and processing speed. They do not capture creativity, emotional intelligence or practical judgement.
IQ score tools
- IQ chart: levels and score rangesEvery level from extremely low to very superior, with its score range and the share of people in it.
- IQ bell curve and standard deviationThe shape of the distribution, and how many people fall within each standard deviation.
- IQ percentile calculatorTurns an IQ score into an exact percentile and z-score.
- Percentile to IQ converterWorks backwards: the IQ score that sits at a given percentile, such as the 99th.
- How rare is my IQYour score as 1 in N, and how many people that is in a group of any size.
- Compare two IQ scoresThe gap between two scores in points, standard deviations and percentiles.
- IQ confidence interval calculatorThe range a score's true value probably falls in, given the test's reliability.
What's your IQ?
Answer 25 visual reasoning questions and see which classification your score falls in.
25 questions · about 12 minutes
Sources
- Wikipedia, IQ classification (Wechsler, Stanford-Binet 5 tables)
- Wechsler, D. (2008). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Pearson.
- American Mensa, qualifying test scores.