Is 91 a Good IQ Score?

What an IQ of 91 means, where it ranks, and what it tells you about cognitive ability.

91

IQ Score

27th

Percentile

Average

Classification

What an IQ of 91 means

An IQ of 91 sits at the 27th percentile, in the lower half of the Average band. 27% of people score at or below 91. The vast majority of everyday professional and social demands are met at this level without difficulty. Research is consistent: effort, character, and opportunity become the dominant factors in outcomes once IQ is in the average range.

IQ 91 in context

IQ 91 sits 9 points below the population mean of 100 and 6 points above the one-standard-deviation-below mark at IQ 85. It places at the 27th percentile — 73% of the population scores above IQ 91. Within the Average band, a score of IQ 91 places the 73% of the population that scores above as the relevant comparison group. Research on outcomes in this range consistently emphasises that non-cognitive factors — work ethic, social skill, and domain knowledge — are stronger predictors of career and life outcomes than the 9-point gap below the mean. Most practical professional demands are met comfortably at IQ 91.

Frequently asked questions

Is 91 a good IQ score?

It is below average — 9 points below the population mean. IQ 91 places you at the 27th percentile. Most everyday professional and practical demands are fully met at this level. Research consistently shows that conscientiousness and accumulated skill outweigh raw IQ for outcomes in this range.

What percentile is an IQ of 91?

The 27th percentile. That means 27% of the population scores at or below 91. 27% of people score at or below 91. The population mean is 100 with a standard deviation of 15.

What careers are associated with an IQ of 91?

Most skilled occupations are accessible at IQ 91. Practical and commercial careers — trades, sales, operations, logistics, and service roles — are fully within reach. Conscientiousness and accumulated expertise are far stronger predictors of career outcomes at this level than raw IQ.

Can you improve an IQ of 91?

Yes. IQ is not fixed, especially before age 25. Scores in this range tend to respond more to environmental improvements than high-range scores do. Sleep quality, nutrition, working memory training, and structured learning all have documented positive effects. Gains of 5–15 points have been recorded with sustained effort.

Careers that commonly score in this range

Sales RepresentativeMost commercial sales roles fall within 90–110

Clerical / AdministrativeOffice support and coordination roles cluster here

Skilled TradespersonElectricians, plumbers, mechanics — practical intelligence emphasis

Retail ManagerStore and department management typical range

Notable people reportedly in this range

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

Sylvester Stallone

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.

Mike Tyson

Undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion — sports psychology assessments cited in biographical literature place his IQ at approximately 89. Tyson struggled with reading until tutored in juvenile detention, and went on to become one of the most tactically sophisticated boxers of his era.

Elvis Presley

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

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.

From the IQScore blog

Further reading selected for this score range.

Can You Improve Your IQ? →

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Nutrition and Brain Performance →

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Working Memory and Intelligence →

The most directly trainable component of measured IQ.