Average IQ by Education Level
Shown as IQ estimates derived from age-normalized percentiles on a standard IQ scale. Raw answer counts are not shown on this page.
These numbers summarize test performance in our dataset so you can compare education levels at a glance.
Validated results pass our internal quality checks; all results include unvalidated tests. Seed data is excluded.
IQ estimates are computed from age-normalized percentiles using a standard IQ scale (mean 100, SD 15).
IQ dispersion (std dev) is approximated from the interquartile range (p25-p75).
Last updated: 2026-01-17. Methodology & limits.
How to read the charts
IQ is derived from age-normalized percentiles and mapped to a standard IQ scale (mean 100, SD 15).
The mean shows the typical score for each education level; the distribution chart shows the spread and overlap between groups.
Differences are often small because groups overlap heavily in real-world data.
Validated results pass our quality checks; "all results" includes unvalidated submissions.
Age-adjusted comparisons re-weight groups to the same age mix.
For methods and caveats, see Methodology & limits.
- Highest average: Doctorate (104.4 IQ, N=1,102)
- Lowest average: Primary or Secondary (98.4 IQ, N=23,678)
- Largest sample: Primary or Secondary (N=23,678)
- Gap between highest and lowest: 6 IQ points
How to interpret education differences
The IQ scale here has a standard deviation of 15 points, so you can convert a point gap into an effect size by dividing by 15.
- A 3-4 point difference is ~0.2-0.3 SD (small).
Mean IQ by education level
IQ distribution by education level (p10-p90)
"p" means percentile. The box spans the middle half of scores (25th to 75th). The whiskers show most scores (10th to 90th). The line in the box is the median (50th).
Groups overlap a lot - this chart shows the spread, not just the mean.
Raw vs age-adjusted IQ
Age-adjusted means re-weight each education level's IQ using the validated dataset's overall age distribution to reduce age mix effects.
Validation rate by education level
Shows validated vs all results, plus validation rate.
Data table & download
Universaliqtest. Average IQ by Education Level (accessed 2026-01-17). https://www.universaliqtest.com/en/statistics/average-iq-by-education-level
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| Education level | N | Average IQ score | Std dev (IQ) | Avg time | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary or Secondary | 23,678 | 98.4 | 15 | 34:17 | 2026-01-17 |
| Post Secondary | 12,058 | 98.6 | 15.2 | 35:46 | 2026-01-17 |
| Short-cycle tertiary | 8,433 | 100.5 | 15 | 39:28 | 2026-01-17 |
| Bachelor | 21,918 | 101.2 | 14.6 | 43:09 | 2026-01-17 |
| Master degree | 11,058 | 101.6 | 14.2 | 46:44 | 2026-01-17 |
| Doctorate | 1,102 | 104.4 | 16.2 | 52:26 | 2026-01-16 |
Education level within age group
Education levels explained
We map self-reported education to six survey categories aligned with a standard education classification. Short definitions below help match common search terms.
Programmes typically provide fundamental skills in reading, writing and mathematics, then build on secondary education with a more subject-oriented curriculum. The final stage prepares for tertiary education and/or provides skills relevant to employment.
Programmes build on secondary education and prepare for labour market entry and/or tertiary education. Content is broader than secondary but not as complex as tertiary.
Short first tertiary programmes that are typically practically based, occupationally specific, and prepare for labour market entry. These may also provide a pathway to other tertiary programmes.
Programmes designed to provide intermediate academic and/or professional knowledge, skills and competencies leading to a first tertiary degree or equivalent qualification.
Programmes designed to provide advanced academic and/or professional knowledge, skills and competencies leading to a second tertiary degree or equivalent qualification.
Programmes designed primarily to lead to an advanced research qualification, usually concluding with the submission and defence of a substantive dissertation of publishable quality based on original research.
FAQ
This page shows associations in our dataset, not causation. Many factors influence both education and test performance.
Education groups overlap heavily, so average differences tend to be modest even when sample sizes are large.
Age affects performance, so we normalize within age groups before comparing education levels.
It re-weights each education group to the same age mix, reducing distortion from different age distributions.
Percentiles reflect rank within age groups; we map them to a standard IQ scale for readability.
Validated results pass quality checks; all results include unvalidated submissions that may be noisier.
This page focuses on education. See the global statistics dashboard for country-level breakdowns.
No. These are online test results and should be interpreted as dataset statistics, not clinical assessments.