Above Average IQ: What Score Counts as Above Average?
You got a number back that sits north of 100, and now you want to know the honest answer: does that actually count as "above average," or is it just barely ahead of the pack? Here it is up front. On the standard scale used by the major intelligence tests (mean 100, standard deviation 15), anything above 100 is technically above the middle, but the label above average IQ really lands in the band from 110 to 119, which testers call "high average." A score in that range beats roughly 75% to 90% of people. Push past 120 and you leave "above average" behind and enter "superior."
So the short version: 110-119 is above average in the meaningful sense, 120-129 is superior, and 130 and up is where "gifted" begins. The gap between these words matters, because a 112 and a 128 both feel "above average" in casual talk but sit in genuinely different bands with different rarity. Below, I lay out the exact classification table the Wechsler scale uses, the percentile each score maps to, and the one thing most people get wrong: above average is common and useful, but it is not rare, and that distinction is the whole point of the scale.
Where does "above average" start, and what does each band mean?
The line for above average sits at 110. Scores from 100 to 109 are still inside the "average" band that the majority of people occupy, so a 104 is above the midpoint but not meaningfully "above average" in the way people mean the phrase. The Wechsler classification, which is the descriptive system behind the most widely used professional tests as of 2026, only switches the label to "high average" at 110.
Here are the bands from the middle upward, with the percentile each range maps to on a normal distribution (mean 100, SD 15):
| IQ range | Wechsler label | Approx. percentile | Roughly how common |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90-109 | Average | 25th-73rd | About half of all people |
| 110-119 | High average (above average) | 75th-90th | About 1 in 7 |
| 120-129 | Superior | 91st-97th | About 1 in 16 |
| 130-144 | Very superior / gifted | 98th and up | About 1 in 50 |
A few anchor points make the table concrete. An IQ of 110 sits at roughly the 75th percentile, meaning you scored higher than about three-quarters of people. An IQ of 115 is exactly one standard deviation above the mean and lands near the 84th percentile. An IQ of 120 crosses into "superior" at about the 91st percentile, and 130 marks the conventional gifted threshold at about the 98th percentile, where only about 2% of people score at or above.
"Above average" vs "superior" vs "gifted"
These three words are not interchangeable, and the difference is entirely about rarity, not a change in kind.
- Above average (high average, 110-119) means you clearly outperform most people on the tested abilities, but you are in company: roughly one in every seven people scores in this band. It is an unremarkable-to-solid result that opens doors without being exceptional.
- Superior (120-129) is where the numbers thin out. Only about 9% of people reach 120 or higher, so a superior score is genuinely uncommon.
- Gifted (130+) is the two-standard-deviation mark. About 2% of people reach it, which is also the cutoff Mensa uses for membership (the 98th percentile on an accepted, supervised test). Note the scale matters here: the Stanford-Binet 5 uses a standard deviation of 16, so a Stanford-Binet 132 represents the same standing as a Wechsler 130. That is why you will see both numbers quoted for the same "top 2%" line.
Ready to discover your IQ?
Take our scientifically designed test and get your score in just a few minutes.
Ready to discover your IQ?
Take our scientifically designed test and get your score in just a few minutes.
Is an above average IQ rare, and how much does it matter?
No, an above average IQ is not rare, and that is by design. The scale is built so the average is always 100 and the scores spread out in a predictable bell curve. Because the distribution is symmetrical, exactly half of all people score above 100 and half below. Even the "high average" 110-119 band, which sounds distinguished, covers about 15% of the population. If you are above 110, you are ahead of most people, but you share that spot with a very large crowd.
That is worth saying plainly because the score labels can inflate how a number feels. "High average" and "superior" are clinical descriptors, not report-card grades. A 118 does not make someone smarter than a 116 in any way you would notice in real life; the test's margin of error alone is usually a few points in either direction, so scores within a handful of points of each other are effectively the same.
What an above average score does tell you is a genuine, if narrow, thing: on the specific reasoning, verbal, and problem-solving tasks the test measures, you performed better than the typical person. It correlates modestly with things like academic performance and job training speed, but it is not a ceiling on what you can do, and it says nothing about creativity, drive, emotional skill, or the practical judgment that decides most real outcomes. Treat an above average result as one useful data point, not a verdict.
FAQ
Q: What IQ score is considered above average?
A: An IQ of 110 to 119 is the "above average" (high average) band. Anything above 100 is technically above the statistical midpoint, but the meaningful "above average" label starts at 110, which sits around the 75th percentile. Scores of 120 and up move into the "superior" range.
Q: Is an IQ of 115 good?
A: Yes, 115 is a solid above average score. It sits exactly one standard deviation above the mean and lands near the 84th percentile, meaning you scored higher than roughly five out of six people. It falls comfortably within the high average band.
Q: What is the difference between above average and gifted?
A: Above average (110-119) is common; gifted (130+) is rare. About 1 in 7 people score in the high average band, while only about 2% reach the gifted threshold of 130 on the Wechsler scale (the same standing as 132 on the Stanford-Binet). Superior (120-129) sits in between.
Q: Is above average IQ rare?
A: No. About 25% of people score above 110, and roughly half score above 100. The scale is symmetrical by design, so being above the middle is common. Rarity only kicks in past 120 (top ~9%) and especially past 130 (top ~2%).
References
- IQ classification - Wikipedia — Wechsler and Stanford-Binet descriptive categories and their percentile ranges.
- Mensa International: Getting your IQ tested (FAQs) — the 98th-percentile (top 2%) membership threshold.
- Assessing Cognitive Abilities Using the WAIS-IV (PMC) — the WAIS-IV scale structure (mean 100, SD 15).
Last updated: July 13, 2026
✨Related Articles
IQ Score Meaning - What Every IQ Number Actually Means
The average IQ is 100 and each 15 points marks one step from the middle. This IQ scale, classification chart, and percentile guide shows what your score means.
IQ Scale and Chart: Every IQ Range and What It Means
The IQ scale centers on 100 with a spread of 15 points. This chart lists every IQ range, its classification label, the share of people in it, and its percentile.
IQ Percentile Chart: What Percentile Is Your IQ?
An IQ percentile shows what share of people you outscored: IQ 100 is the 50th percentile, IQ 130 the 98th (top 2%). Use the chart below to find yours.