Is 150 a Good IQ Score?

What an IQ of 150 means, where it ranks, and what it tells you about cognitive ability.

150

IQ Score

100th

Percentile

Very Superior

Classification

1 in 20,000

Rarity

What an IQ of 150 means

An IQ of 150 places you at the 100th percentile, in the top 0% of the population. Roughly 1 in 999 people score here or above. Standard academic and professional environments rarely provide sufficient intellectual challenge at this level. Most people who score here report a persistent need to seek out complexity and novel problems. Contributions in mathematics, theoretical science, and philosophy cluster heavily in this range.

IQ 150 in context

IQ 150 sits 20 points above the Mensa threshold of 130, placing it at the 100th percentile. Roughly 1 in 20000 people score at this level. IQ 145 marks three standard deviations above the mean — IQ 150 is 5 points above that marker. Standard IQ instruments lose measurement precision at this level — tests normed on general populations cannot reliably distinguish between scores above IQ 145. Researchers studying extreme cognitive ability note that the practical gap between IQ 150 and the average person (IQ 100) exceeds the gap between average and borderline functioning in the opposite direction. Most individuals in this range report that finding intellectual peers requires actively seeking specialist environments.

Frequently asked questions

Is 150 a good IQ score?

Yes. IQ 150 is in the top 0% — Very Superior range, 100th percentile. Roughly 1 in 999 people score here. Most people at this level find standard academic and professional environments understimulating rather than challenging.

What percentile is an IQ of 150?

The 100th percentile. That means 100% of the population scores at or below 150. Fewer than 1 in 999 people score at this level. The population mean is 100 with a standard deviation of 15.

What careers are associated with an IQ of 150?

Research, medicine, law, mathematics, and senior academic roles draw heavily from this range. Roughly 1 in 999 people score at this level — the cognitive demands of most professional fields feel tractable rather than effortful here.

Can you improve an IQ of 150?

Scores at this level have high genetic loading — heritability runs 50–80% in adults. Sleep, nutrition, and working memory training have documented effects on fluid intelligence, but the honest expectation is modest gains. Large jumps are not supported by the evidence.

Careers that commonly score in this range

Research ScientistMean ~130–140 in published occupational studies

SurgeonCognitive demands of surgical decision-making correlate with 130+ range

Senior Academic / ProfessorParticularly in mathematics, physics, philosophy

Top-tier Software EngineerFAANG engineers cluster near this range in self-reported data

Notable people reportedly in this range

All figures are estimates or reported by third-party sources — none are clinically verified.

Paul Allen

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist — reportedly scored 1600 on the SAT (pre-1995 scale). Multiple technology and business profiles estimate his IQ at approximately 150.

Dolph Lundgren

Actor and chemical engineer — holds a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT. IQ reportedly assessed at 150–160 in published profiles.

Emmanuel Macron

President of France — graduated from Sciences Po and the École Nationale d'Administration, one of France's most selective institutions. French academic press estimates his IQ at approximately 145 based on ENA admissions records.

Natalie Portman

Oscar-winning actress — graduated from Harvard University with a degree in psychology and co-authored a peer-reviewed neuroscience paper. IQ estimated at approximately 140–145 by published biographical sources.

From the IQScore blog

Further reading selected for this score range.

What IQ Score Is Needed for Mensa? →

The threshold, the test, and what membership actually means.

The Dark Side of High Intelligence →

What the research says about the less-discussed costs of scoring at this level.

How Much of IQ Is Genetic? →

Twin studies and what the heritability data actually shows.

Fluid vs Crystallised Intelligence →

The two cognitive systems, and why the distinction matters at high scores.