IQ Score Guide / 120
Is 120 a Good IQ Score?
What an IQ of 120 means, where it ranks, and what it reveals about cognitive ability.
Where IQ 120 sits on the scale
An IQ of 120 is higher than 91% of people
In a room of 100 people, about 9 would score 120 or higher.
What an IQ of 120 means
An IQ of 120 is in about the top 9% of people, or 1 in 11. This is the range where a lot of graduates from strong universities and people in demanding, analytical jobs are found. Difficult material tends to feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
How people who score 120 actually do
We looked at the 140 people who have scored exactly 120 on the IQScore test. On average, their strongest area was spatial reasoning and their weakest was applied reasoning. Here is the typical breakdown by section.
Real data from 140 IQScore test-takers. Section figures are the average percentage answered correctly in each area. Updated July 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is 120 a good IQ score?
Yes. An IQ of 120 is clearly above average. It sits 10 points below the Mensa cut-off of 130, but in much the same territory. Demanding, analytical work tends to come comfortably.
What percentile is an IQ of 120?
An IQ of 120 is at about the 91th percentile. In plain terms, you score higher than around 91 out of every 100 people. The average score is 100.
What jobs suit an IQ of 120?
This range lines up with a lot of graduate-level work: medicine, law, engineering, teaching and management. People here tend to do well in roles that involve analysis or leading others.
Can you improve an IQ of 120?
A little. Scores this high are strongly shaped by genetics, so big jumps are unlikely. Good sleep, regular exercise and a clear head on the day all help, but expect small gains rather than large ones.
Careers that commonly score in this range
Famous people near IQ 120
Reported or estimated figures from third-party sources, none are clinically verified.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Estimated around 119, 1 point below 120
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
Estimated around 119, 1 point below 120
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.
George W. Bush
Estimated around 125, 5 points above 120
43rd US President, Yale and Harvard Business School graduate. Analysis of his 1206 SAT score (1964 scale) using the Frey-Detterman correlation estimates his IQ at approximately 120–125.
From the IQScore blog
Further reading selected for this score range.
What Is a Good IQ Score? →
Where every score lands, and what counts as good, average, or gifted.
IQ Score Ranges Explained →
Every band from below average to genius, and what each one means.
IQ Score by Age →
How scores shift with age, and what stays fixed over a lifetime.
Fluid vs Crystallised Intelligence →
The two cognitive systems behind every IQ score.
Average IQ by Profession →
Where scores in this range cluster across careers.
How Much of IQ Is Genetic? →
What twin studies say about scores in the superior range.
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