What Does an IQ of 159 Mean?
An IQ of 159 is in the “Very superior” range. It’s higher than about 99.9958% of people, so roughly 1 in 23,863 people score 159 or higher. That’s 3.93 standard deviations above the average of 100.
IQ 159 in numbers
- Classification
- Very superior
- Scores lower than 159
- 99.9958%
- How rare
- 1 in 23,863 people score this high or higher
- Distance from average
- +3.93 standard deviations
- Mensa level (top 2%)
- Yes, above the usual cut-off of about 130
What the “Very superior” range means
Scores of 130 and above are called very superior or gifted. Only about 2% of people score this high. People in this range usually solve abstract problems quickly and spot patterns others miss. Many high-IQ societies, including Mensa, start here.
How does IQ 159 compare?
Frequently asked questions
Is an IQ of 159 good?
Yes. An IQ of 159 is above average: higher than about 99.9958% of people.
What percentile is an IQ of 159?
An IQ of 159 is higher than about 99.9958% of the population, and about 0.0042% of people score higher.
How rare is an IQ of 159?
About 1 in 23,863 people score 159 or higher.