IQ Score Guide / 116
Is 116 a Good IQ Score?
What an IQ of 116 means, where it ranks, and what it tells you about cognitive ability.
What an IQ of 116 means
You are in the 75th–90th percentile — noticeably above the median. Research consistently shows this range achieves strong career and academic outcomes, particularly when paired with high conscientiousness and deliberate practice.
Careers that commonly score in this range
Notable people reportedly in this range
All figures are estimates or reported by third-party sources — none are clinically verified.
John F. Kennedy
35th US President — reportedly scored approximately 119 on Navy Officer Candidate School aptitude tests during WWII, a figure independently cited in multiple presidential biographies as the closest approximation to his IQ.
Richard Nixon
37th US President — IQ estimates vary widely in published sources (107 to 143). The most widely cited mid-range estimate from Simonton's historiometric analysis places him at approximately 110–115.
Lyndon B. Johnson
36th US President — Southwest Texas State University graduate and skilled legislative strategist. Simonton's historiometric analysis estimates his IQ at approximately 120–126, placing him solidly in the high-average range.
Bill Clinton
42nd US President, Oxford Rhodes Scholar, and Yale Law School graduate — IQ estimates range from 120 to 137 across published sources. Independent analyses using his SAT score place him at approximately 120–130.
Recommended reading for this score range
Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
Anders Ericsson
Deliberate practice explained — the scientific framework behind world-class cognitive performance.
View on Amazon →
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
Nobel laureate Kahneman explains the two systems driving thought — and how to use both better.
View on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Find out your actual IQ score
Free · 36 questions · Instant results · No sign-up
Take the Free IQ Test →