What Does an IQ of 160 Mean?
An IQ of 160 is in the “Very superior” range. It’s higher than about 99.9968% of people, so roughly 1 in 31,560 people score 160 or higher. That’s 4 standard deviations above the average of 100.
What else is worth knowing about an IQ of 160?
160 is four standard deviations above the mean, roughly 1 in 31,500 people. It is at or beyond the ceiling of most modern tests, so IQs of 160 or more that are reported for famous people are usually estimates, not measured results.
IQ 160 in numbers
- Classification
- Very superior
- Scores lower than 160
- 99.9968%
- How rare
- 1 in 31,560 people score this high or higher
- Distance from average
- +4 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 160 compare?
Frequently asked questions
Is an IQ of 160 good?
Yes. An IQ of 160 is above average: higher than about 99.9968% of people.
What percentile is an IQ of 160?
An IQ of 160 is higher than about 99.9968% of the population, and about 0.0032% of people score higher.
How rare is an IQ of 160?
About 1 in 31,560 people score 160 or higher.