Average IQ by college major

Mathematics ranks first at about 135, and Hospitality Management last at about 106. All 51 majors below, ranked, with the personality pattern and careers that go with each.

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Mathematics 135

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Every major ranked by estimated IQ

College majors by estimated average IQ
#	Major	Est. IQ	Archetype	Common careers
1	Mathematics	135	The Logician	Cryptography, Academia, Quant Finance
2	Physics	133	The Architect	Research, Data Science, Engineering
3	Actuarial Science	132	The Risk Calculator	Insurance, Finance, Consulting
4	Aerospace Engineering	131	The Skybuilder	Aviation, Space Industry, Defense
5	Neuroscience	131	The Mind Explorer	Research, Pharma, Medicine
6	Chemical Engineering	130	The Process Optimizer	Petrochemical, Pharma, Materials
7	Medicine	130	The Healer	Clinical Practice, Research, Specialization
8	Statistics	130	The Quantifier	Data Science, Research, Finance
9	Biomedical Engineering	129	The Life Engineer	Medical Devices, Pharma, Research
10	Electrical Engineering	129	The Systems Thinker	Electronics, Power Systems, Telecommunications
11	Philosophy	129	The Sage	Law, Writing, Academia
12	Chemistry	128	The Alchemist	Pharma, Research, Materials Science
13	Computer Science	128	The Innovator	Software Dev, AI, Cybersecurity
14	Data Science	128	The Pattern Finder	Tech, Finance, Healthcare
15	Law	127	The Advocate	Legal Practice, Corporate Law, Politics
16	Mechanical Engineering	127	The Engineer	Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace
17	Engineering	126	The Builder	Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
18	Economics	125	The Analyst	Finance, Policy, Data
19	Finance	124	The Strategist	Investment Banking, Asset Management, Corporate Finance
20	Linguistics	124	The Language Decoder	NLP, Translation, Academia
21	Biology	122	The Naturalist	Medicine, Research
22	Civil Engineering	122	The Builder	Construction, Urban Planning, Infrastructure
23	Political Science	121	The Diplomat	Government, Law, Lobbying
24	Architecture	120	The Designer	Design Firms, Urban Planning, Real Estate
25	English Literature	120	The Bard	Editing, Writing, Teaching
26	History	120	The Chronicler	Academia, Writing, Policy
27	Environmental Science	119	The Steward	Conservation, Policy, Consulting
28	International Relations	119	The Diplomat	Foreign Service, NGOs, Consulting
29	Anthropology	118	The Cultural Explorer	Research, UX, Consulting
30	Information Systems	118	The Integrator	IT Management, Consulting, Enterprise Tech
31	Psychology	118	The Healer	Therapy, HR, Social Work
32	Accounting	117	The Auditor	Public Accounting, Corporate Finance, Tax
33	Public Health	117	The Population Healer	Government, NGOs, Healthcare Admin
34	Religious Studies	117	The Seeker	Ministry, Academia, Nonprofits
35	Sociology	116	The Observer	Social Work, HR
36	Supply Chain Management	116	The Optimizer	Operations, Procurement, Consulting
37	Art History	115	The Curator	Museum Work, Auction House
38	Film Studies	115	The Storyteller	Film Production, Criticism, Streaming
39	Journalism	115	The Investigator	Media, Writing, Broadcasting
40	Music	115	The Performer	Performance, Teaching, Production
41	Business Administration	114	The Ruler	Management, Sales, HR
42	Theater	113	The Performer	Acting, Directing, Arts Admin
43	Education	112	The Mentor	Teaching, Admin
44	Graphic Design	112	The Visual Thinker	Advertising, Branding, Digital Media
45	Marketing	112	The Persuader	Advertising, Brand Management, Digital Marketing
46	Communications	111	The Connector	PR, Media, Corporate Communications
47	Nursing	110	The Caregiver	Healthcare
48	Social Work	109	The Advocate	Case Management, Therapy, Community Work
49	Criminal Justice	108	The Enforcer	Law Enforcement, Legal Aid, Corrections
50	Kinesiology	108	The Movement Specialist	Physical Therapy, Sports Science, Coaching
51	Hospitality Management	106	The Host	Hotels, Events, Tourism

Averages are estimates from SAT and GRE research and describe groups. Whatever your major, your own score is what counts: convert an SAT or GRE score to IQ.

Majors with their own guide

PhysicsThe Architect133
BiologyThe Naturalist122
English LiteratureThe Bard120
HistoryThe Chronicler120
AnthropologyThe Cultural Explorer118
AccountingThe Auditor117
SociologyThe Observer116
Business AdministrationThe Ruler114
EducationThe Mentor112
NursingThe Caregiver110
Social WorkThe Advocate109

College major IQ: common questions

Which college major has the highest average IQ?

Mathematics has the highest estimated average IQ on this list, at about 135, followed by Physics (133) and Actuarial Science (132). The figures are estimates based on SAT and GRE research, not measured IQ scores.

Does your major say anything about your IQ?

Only loosely. Averages differ between majors, but the spread inside every major is far larger than the gap between majors. Plenty of people in every field sit well above or below their major's average.

Where do these averages come from?

They are estimates built from published SAT and GRE score comparisons across fields of study, converted to the IQ scale. They describe groups, and no major requires a particular IQ.

Keep exploring

Average IQ by universityEstimates and student profiles
Average IQ by professionPublished figures by job
Score convertersSAT, ACT, GRE and more to IQ
IQ scores explainedPercentile and rarity for every score

What's your IQ?

Whatever you studied, you can check how you reason: 25 visual questions that do not depend on any subject.

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