What Is Jordan Peterson's IQ? What We Actually Know

Where the ~150 number actually comes from

In a recorded lecture, Peterson referred to having had his IQ tested and said it came out "in excess of 150," while adding that he could not state a precise figure. That single comment is the origin of nearly every "150" you see attributed to him. Sites then round it, republish it, and cite each other — which is how one offhand remark becomes a fixed "fact."

There is a further wrinkle worth flagging honestly. In the same context, Peterson has referenced very high verbal scores (he has cited a 99th-percentile verbal result on the older GRE) alongside a much more modest quantitative percentile. Because a full-scale IQ combines verbal and non-verbal reasoning, some observers have noted that a "150+" framing may reflect his strongest domain rather than a single composite full-scale score. This is interpretation, not documented fact — but it is a reason to treat any single headline number as approximate at best.

The bottom line: even the source closest to Peterson himself is a spoken estimate, not a released clinical report.

The credentials that are actually verifiable

Here is the part that does not require guessing. Peterson's academic record is documented and public, and it is a far more reliable signal of cognitive ability than any recycled IQ figure.

• PhD in clinical psychology, McGill University. He completed his doctorate and stayed on as a post-doctoral fellow.
• Faculty at Harvard University (1993–1998). He was hired as an assistant professor of psychology and was later an associate professor before returning to Canada.
• Professor of psychology, University of Toronto (from 1998). He is now professor emeritus there.
• Published researcher. His work spans personality psychology, the biology of trait openness, and — relevant here — the prediction of academic and workplace performance from cognitive ability and personality. One co-authored paper, "Prefrontal Cognitive Ability, Intelligence, Big Five Personality, and the Prediction of Advanced Academic and Workplace Performance," sits squarely in the intelligence-research literature.

You do not need a leaked score to conclude that someone who earned a McGill PhD, taught at Harvard and Toronto, and published in peer-reviewed journals operates at a high level. Those are measured, checkable facts. A rounded "150" on a list is not.

What Peterson himself says about IQ

Because Peterson taught intelligence as part of his personality course, his public statements on IQ are unusually substantive — and they cut against treating any single number as a person's worth.

His recurring points, drawn from mainstream psychometrics, include:

• IQ is one of the strongest predictors of performance in complex, cognitively demanding work. He has described it as more powerful than most personality predictors for that kind of success.
• Conscientiousness is the next-best predictor after cognitive ability, particularly for managers and students — a nod to the fact that outcomes are not determined by IQ alone.
• IQ is measurable and meaningful, but bounded. In his lectures he treats it as a real, useful construct while emphasizing that it does not capture creativity, drive, or character.

The irony is instructive: the psychologist most associated with a viral "150" has spent more time than almost any public figure explaining why a single IQ number should not be treated as a verdict on a person.

Why "no released score" is the responsible framing

For any living person, the accurate line is that they have not published a verified score — not an assertion of what that score "is." Peterson mentioning a range in a talk does not convert it into documentation, and estimate sites assigning him a tidy 145 or 147 are producing content, not measurements. As of 2026, the verifiable record is his education and publications; the IQ figure is not part of that record.

If you want a real number for your own reasoning, the only honest way to get one is to take a properly scored test yourself. That is a measurement. A figure repeated across celebrity lists is not.

Related

Famous People's IQ - And the Highest IQ Ever Recorded

Einstein's 160, Newton's 190, the mythical 228 - almost every famous IQ is an estimate, not a measured score. Here is what was really tested and what was guessed.

FAQ

Q: What is Jordan Peterson's IQ?

A: There is no published, verified IQ score for Jordan Peterson. He once said in a talk that his tested IQ was "in excess of 150" without giving an exact figure, and IQ-list sites cite estimates of roughly 145–150. None of these is a documented clinical result.

Q: Did Jordan Peterson ever release an official IQ score?

A: No. He has referenced a high result in passing but has never published a test report or a specific full-scale number. Any exact figure online is a self-report or an estimate, not verified documentation.

Q: Is Jordan Peterson's "150" IQ reliable?

A: Treat it as approximate at best. It traces back to a single spoken comment, and some observers note it may reflect his very strong verbal reasoning rather than a measured full-scale composite. The reliable signals are his PhD, his Harvard and Toronto professorships, and his peer-reviewed research.

Q: What are Jordan Peterson's actual academic credentials?

A: A PhD in clinical psychology from McGill, a Harvard faculty appointment (1993–1998), and a professorship at the University of Toronto (from 1998, now emeritus), plus published research in personality and intelligence. These are documented and checkable — unlike any IQ number attributed to him.

References

• Jordan Peterson — Wikipedia
• Jordan Peterson, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
• Gray, J. R. & Peterson, J. B. et al., "Prefrontal Cognitive Ability, Intelligence, Big Five Personality, and the Prediction of Advanced Academic and Workplace Performance" (APA PsycNet)

Last updated: July 13, 2026