IQ Score Guide / 90
Is 90 a Good IQ Score?
What an IQ of 90 means, where it ranks, and what it reveals about cognitive ability.
Where IQ 90 sits on the scale
An IQ of 90 is higher than 25% of people
In a room of 100 people, about 75 would score 90 or higher.
What an IQ of 90 means
An IQ of 90 is a little below average, higher than about 25% of people. Everyday work and life sit comfortably in this range. Reliability, effort and experience shape outcomes much more than the score does.
IQ 90 in context
IQ 90 sits 10 points below the average of 100. Around 75 out of every 100 people score higher than this.
Frequently asked questions
Is 90 a good IQ score?
It is around average. An IQ of 90 is close to the middle of the range, and the small gap from 100 makes very little difference in everyday life. Most skilled jobs are well within reach.
What percentile is an IQ of 90?
An IQ of 90 is at about the 25th percentile. In plain terms, you score higher than around 25 out of every 100 people. The average score is 100.
What jobs suit an IQ of 90?
Plenty of skilled, practical careers fit this range well, from trades and services to operations and supervisory roles. Reliability and experience count for a great deal here.
Can you improve an IQ of 90?
Often, yes, especially at a young age. Scores in this range tend to respond more to better sleep, nutrition, learning and support than higher scores do. Steady effort has been shown to move scores by several points.
Careers that commonly score in this range
Famous people near IQ 90
Reported or estimated figures from third-party sources, none are clinically verified.
Elvis Presley
Estimated around 93, 3 points above 90
The King of Rock and Roll, reportedly scored 93 on an IQ test at Humes High School in Memphis, a figure cited in Peter Guralnick's authorised biography and corroborated by other published biographical accounts.
Mick Jagger
Estimated around 93, 3 points above 90
Rolling Stones frontman, attended the London School of Economics on a full grant before leaving to pursue music. Biographers estimate his IQ at approximately 90–96 based on academic performance records and early standardised testing.
Sylvester Stallone
Estimated around 86, 4 points below 90
Writer, director, and actor behind the Rocky and Rambo franchises, reportedly scored in the mid-80s during schooling and attended special education classes as a child. Teachers told him he had limited academic potential. He wrote the Rocky screenplay in three days.
From the IQScore blog
Further reading selected for this score range.
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IQ Score Ranges Explained →
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Can You Improve Your IQ? →
Honest breakdown of what actually moves the needle.
What Sleep Deprivation Does to Your IQ →
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Nutrition and Brain Performance →
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