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 3,338 people who have scored exactly 120 on the IQScore test. On average, their strongest area was spatial reasoning and their weakest was numerical reasoning. Here is the typical breakdown by section.
Real data from 3,338 IQScore test-takers. Section figures are the average percentage answered correctly in each area. Updated October 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
Occupational averages from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. An average, not a requirement.
Famous people near IQ 120
Reported or estimated figures from third-party sources, none are clinically verified.
Miley Cyrus
Estimated around 120
Singer and actress who led Disney's Hannah Montana from the age of 13. Her single Flowers broke the record for the most streams in a single week on Spotify in 2023.
John F. Kennedy
Estimated around 119, 1 point below 120
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.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Estimated around 123, 3 points above 120
36th US President, Southwest Texas State University graduate and skilled legislative strategist. Published historiometric estimates put his IQ at approximately 120–126, placing him solidly in the high-average range.
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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.