IQ score ranges are the bands that group results on an IQ test, which is built so the average is 100 and most people score between 85 and 115. Common labels run from "below 70" up through "average" (90–109) to "very high" (130 and above), with each band covering a known slice of the population.
What are the IQ score ranges?
Modern IQ tests are standardised: the raw number of questions you answer is converted onto a scale where the average score is set to 100 and the standard deviation is 15. That conversion is what makes a "120" on one test mean roughly the same thing as a "120" on another. Because results follow a normal distribution (the familiar bell curve), the scores naturally clump into bands, and each band corresponds to a predictable share of the population.
The table below shows the standard ranges and the approximate percentage of people who fall in each one. Treat the percentages as rounded — they follow directly from the bell curve and add up to about 100%.
| IQ range | Classification | Approx. % of people |
|---|---|---|
| 130 and above | Very high / gifted | ~2% |
| 120–129 | Superior | ~7% |
| 110–119 | High average | ~16% |
| 90–109 | Average | ~50% |
| 80–89 | Low average | ~16% |
| 70–79 | Borderline | ~7% |
| Below 70 | Extremely low | ~2% |
Notice the symmetry. The same percentage of people sit two standard deviations above the mean (130+) as sit two below it (under 70). That mirror image is a built-in feature of the bell curve, not a coincidence — it is exactly why these ranges are so consistent across well-made tests. You can get your estimated range on our free IQ test to see roughly where you'd fall on this scale.
One standard deviation equals 15 points. So 85 and 115 are each exactly one step from the average, and 70 and 130 are two steps away. Knowing the step size lets you read any score: a 122 is a bit over one and a half steps above the mean, putting it solidly in the superior band.
What does each classification mean?
Classification labels are plain-language descriptions of where a score sits, nothing more. Here is how the common bands are generally understood:
- Average (90–109) — the broad middle. Half of all people score here. An "average" result is genuinely typical, not a shortfall.
- High average (110–119) — above the midpoint but very common; roughly one in six people land here.
- Superior (120–129) — clearly above the norm. Often the threshold informal discussions call "high IQ".
- Very high / gifted (130+) — the top ~2%. This is the region used for many gifted-program and high-IQ-society cut-offs.
- Low average (80–89) — below the midpoint but still within the normal spread; as common as the high-average band.
- Borderline (70–79) — well below average, used descriptively rather than as a diagnosis.
- Extremely low (below 70) — the bottom ~2%, the mirror of the gifted band.
The most important honesty point: these labels differ between test publishers. One test may call 120–129 "superior" while another calls a similar range "high"; some split the top band into "gifted" and "highly gifted". The numbers behind them are stable, but the words on top are conventions. Don't read deep meaning into the exact label — read the range and the percentile it implies. For a fuller take on which scores are worth celebrating, see what counts as a good IQ score.
What percentage of people fall in each band?
Because the distribution is fixed, the population shares are predictable. Working out from the centre:
- About 50% of people score in the average band (90–109).
- Add the two neighbouring bands (80–89 and 110–119) and you cover roughly 68% — about two-thirds of everyone — between 85 and 115.
- Stretch out one more band on each side (70–79 and 120–129) and you've captured close to 95% of people, between about 70 and 130.
- That leaves roughly 2% at each extreme: above 130 and below 70.
Imagine 100 randomly chosen people. About 50 would score in the average band, around 16 in low average and 16 in high average, roughly 7 each in the borderline and superior bands, and just 2 each in the very-high and extremely-low groups. That single image captures the whole shape of IQ ranges.
This is also why a small score difference often matters less than people assume. Moving from 100 to 105 looks like progress, but both sit comfortably inside the same crowded average band. The bands are wide on purpose, because no test measures with pinpoint precision. You can read more about why 100 is the average and what that midpoint really represents.
What is a gifted or borderline IQ?
"Gifted" and "borderline" sit at opposite ends of the curve, and both are worth understanding precisely because they're often misused.
A gifted IQ usually refers to a score of 130 or above — two standard deviations over the mean, the top ~2% of the distribution. This is the level many gifted-education programmes and high-IQ societies use as an entry threshold, though the exact cut-off varies by organisation. Some publishers further split this region into "moderately", "highly", and "exceptionally" gifted as scores climb past 145 and 160. A genuinely gifted result on a properly administered test indicates strong reasoning ability — but it is one trait, not a measure of a person's worth, creativity, or success.
A borderline IQ typically describes the 70–79 range, sitting just above the "extremely low" threshold. The word is descriptive, marking the boundary between low-average and extremely-low scoring. It is not, on its own, a clinical diagnosis. Real assessment of cognitive or learning difficulties is done by qualified professionals using full test batteries, interviews, and context — never a single online number.
An online IQ test gives an estimate of your reasoning ability on that day, under those conditions. It is not a clinical evaluation and carries no diagnostic weight. Whether a score lands in the gifted or borderline range, treat it as a rough indicator and a bit of fun — not a verdict, and not professional or medical advice.
How do ranges map to percentiles?
A percentile tells you the percentage of people you scored higher than, and it's often a clearer way to understand a result than the raw band. Each IQ range corresponds to a percentile range on the same bell curve:
- 100 sits at the 50th percentile — exactly the middle. Half score higher, half lower.
- 115 (one standard deviation up) is around the 84th percentile — higher than roughly five out of six people.
- 130 (two up) reaches about the 98th percentile — the top 2%.
- 85 (one down) is near the 16th percentile; 70 (two down) is around the 2nd percentile.
The pattern is the mirror you'd expect from a symmetric curve: scores the same distance from 100 sit the same distance from the 50th percentile, just on opposite sides. Percentiles also explain why the gaps between top scores feel so large. Going from the 84th to the 98th percentile (115 to 130) is only 15 points, but it represents leaving most of the remaining population behind — the curve is steep near its centre and flat at the edges, so equal point-gains cover very different shares of people as you move outward.
This is why a single number can be misleading and a percentile is often more honest. If you want the full picture of how the two relate, our explainer on IQ percentiles walks through reading your result as a "top X%".
What IQ is gifted?
A score of 130 or above is the most common threshold for "gifted", representing the top roughly 2% of people — two standard deviations above the average of 100. The exact cut-off varies between gifted programmes and high-IQ societies, and some use 125 or set their own boundaries. It signals strong reasoning ability, but it is one trait among many.
What is considered a low IQ?
Scores below about 70 are generally classed as "extremely low", and the 70–79 band is often called "borderline". These are descriptive ranges, not clinical diagnoses. Identifying a genuine cognitive or learning difficulty requires a full professional assessment, not a single online or self-administered test result.
What is the rarest IQ range?
The extremes are rarest because the bell curve thins out at both ends. Scores above 130 and below 70 each cover only about 2% of people, and the further out you go — past 145 or below 55 — the rarer results become. A score of 160-plus, for example, is exceptionally uncommon, occurring in well under one in a thousand people.