Ruth Bader Ginsburg's IQ: 135–150
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Estimated IQ
135–150
Known For
Supreme Court Justice, women's rights pioneer
About Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's IQ is estimated at 135-150 based on her extraordinary legal career. She graduated first in her class at Columbia Law School, served on the US Court of Appeals, and spent 27 years on the Supreme Court. Her legal reasoning in landmark gender equality cases demonstrated exceptional analytical precision and the ability to construct arguments that changed constitutional interpretation.
What an IQ of 135–150 Means
Graduating first in your class at Columbia Law School — one of the top law schools in the world — places Ginsburg among the most academically gifted legal minds of her generation. Her constitutional arguments required the highest levels of abstract legal reasoning, and her ability to build incremental legal strategies over decades demonstrated extraordinary long-term strategic thinking.
How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Compares
Ruth Bader Ginsburg135
Albert Einstein160
Stephen Hawking160
Elon Musk150
Leonardo da Vinci180
Nikola Tesla160
To understand where this falls on the IQ scale, see our complete IQ score ranges guide, or learn what IQ actually measures.
Famous IQ Comparison
| Person | Estimated IQ | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 135–150 | Supreme Court Justice, women's rights pioneer |
| Albert Einstein | 160 | Theory of Relativity, Nobel Prize in Physics |
| Stephen Hawking | 160 | Black hole radiation, A Brief History of Time |
| Elon Musk | 150–155 | Tesla, SpaceX, CEO and entrepreneur |
| Leonardo da Vinci | 180–200 | Mona Lisa, inventor, polymath |
| Nikola Tesla | 160–200 | AC electricity, Tesla coil, inventor |
| Bill Gates | 150–160 | Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist |
| Marie Curie | 180–200 | Discovery of radium and polonium, two Nobel Prizes |
| Isaac Newton | 190–200 | Laws of motion, calculus, gravity |
| Steve Jobs | 130–145 | Apple co-founder, iPhone, Macintosh |
| Mark Zuckerberg | 140–150 | Facebook/Meta founder, social media pioneer |
| Barack Obama | 130–145 | 44th US President, Harvard Law Review |
| Kim Kardashian | 115–125 | Media mogul, entrepreneur, law student |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 105–115 | Football/soccer legend, 5 Ballon d'Or awards |
| Jeff Bezos | 145–155 | Amazon founder, Blue Origin, richest person |
| Oprah Winfrey | 120–130 | Media mogul, talk show host, philanthropist |
| Richard Feynman | 125 | Nobel Prize physicist, quantum electrodynamics |
| Taylor Swift | 115–125 | Singer-songwriter, music industry mogul |
| Warren Buffett | 130–145 | Investor, Berkshire Hathaway, Oracle of Omaha |
| Kanye West | 115–130 | Rapper, producer, fashion designer, Yeezy |
| Shakira | 130–140 | Singer, songwriter, speaks 7 languages |
| Benjamin Franklin | 160 | Founding Father, inventor, scientist, diplomat |
| Marilyn Monroe | 163 | Actress, cultural icon, Hollywood legend |
| LeBron James | 110–120 | NBA legend, 4x champion, business mogul |
| Donald Trump | 120–135 | 45th & 47th US President, real estate, media |
| Garry Kasparov | 190 | Chess world champion, political activist |
| Beyoncé | 115–125 | Singer, performer, business mogul, cultural icon |
| Snoop Dogg | 130–145 | Rapper, actor, entrepreneur, cultural icon |
| Jodie Foster | 132 | Academy Award actress, director, Yale graduate |
| Dolph Lundgren | 160 | Actor (Rocky IV), chemical engineer, martial artist |
| James Woods | 180 | Academy Award-nominated actor, MIT attendee |
| Natalie Portman | 135–145 | Academy Award actress, Harvard graduate, researcher |
| Stephen Curry | 105–120 | NBA champion, greatest shooter in basketball history |
| Keanu Reeves | 110–120 | Actor (The Matrix, John Wick), philanthropist |
| Lady Gaga | 120–130 | Singer, songwriter, actress, fashion icon |
| Neil deGrasse Tyson | 125–135 | Astrophysicist, science communicator, author |
| Lionel Messi | 105–115 | Football/soccer GOAT, 8 Ballon d'Or awards |
| Ashton Kutcher | 160 | Actor, tech investor, anti-trafficking activist |
| Quentin Tarantino | 160 | Director, screenwriter, film historian |
| Serena Williams | 105–118 | Tennis GOAT, 23 Grand Slam titles, entrepreneur |
| Rihanna | 115–125 | Singer, Fenty Beauty founder, billionaire entrepreneur |
| Jay-Z | 120–130 | Rapper, billionaire businessman, Roc Nation founder |
| Tom Brady | 110–120 | NFL GOAT, 7 Super Bowl championships |
| Mayim Bialik | 150–163 | Actress (Big Bang Theory), neuroscientist |
| Travis Kelce | 100–112 | NFL tight end, 3x Super Bowl champion, media personality |
| Emma Watson | 125–135 | Actress (Harry Potter), Brown graduate, UN ambassador |
| Michael Jordan | 110–120 | NBA GOAT, 6 championships, billionaire businessman |
| Nikola Jokic | 115–125 | NBA MVP, basketball savant, passing genius |
| Kendrick Lamar | 115–130 | Pulitzer Prize rapper, lyrical genius |
| Michio Kaku | 145–155 | Theoretical physicist, futurist, author |
| Magnus Carlsen | 180–190 | Chess world champion, highest-rated player ever |
| Gordon Ramsay | 110–120 | Celebrity chef, restaurateur, TV personality |
| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | 120–130 | US Congresswoman, political communicator |
| Pablo Picasso | 150–170 | Revolutionary artist, Cubism co-founder |
| Elon Musk's Children | 140–160 | Children of the world's richest person |
| Andrew Tate | 110–120 | Internet personality, former kickboxer, controversial figure |
| Cardi B | 105–115 | Grammy-winning rapper, reality TV, social media personality |
| Joe Rogan | 115–125 | Podcaster (JRE), UFC commentator, comedian |
| MrBeast | 115–125 | World's biggest YouTuber, philanthropist, entrepreneur |
| Greta Thunberg | 120–135 | Climate activist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee |
| Patrick Mahomes | 110–120 | NFL quarterback, 3x Super Bowl MVP |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 150–170 | Classical composer, child prodigy, musical genius |
| Mark Cuban | 125–140 | Billionaire entrepreneur, Shark Tank, Dallas Mavericks owner |
| Eminem | 115–130 | Rapper, lyrical genius, best-selling hip-hop artist |
| Simone Biles | 100–115 | Greatest gymnast of all time, 37 Olympic/World medals |
| Tim Cook | 125–140 | Apple CEO, supply chain genius |
| Terence Tao | 220–230 | Fields Medal mathematician, highest verified IQ |
| Kobe Bryant | 110–120 | NBA legend, 5x champion, Mamba Mentality |
| Sundar Pichai | 135–150 | Google/Alphabet CEO |
| Kylie Jenner | 105–115 | Kylie Cosmetics founder, media personality, billionaire |
| Albert Einstein (Detailed) | 160 | Theory of Relativity, Nobel Prize, cultural icon of genius |
| Billie Eilish | 110–120 | Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, youngest album of year winner |
| Lionel Richie | 115–125 | Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, American Idol judge |
| Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | 105–118 | Actor, wrestler, entrepreneur, highest-paid actor |
| Malala Yousafzai | 120–135 | Nobel Peace Prize laureate, education activist, Oxford graduate |
| Jeff Goldblum | 125–135 | Actor (Jurassic Park), jazz musician, intellectual personality |
| Viswanathan Anand | 175–185 | 5x World Chess Champion, Indian chess legend |
| Nicki Minaj | 110–120 | Rapper, singer, businesswoman, cultural icon |
| Ariana Grande | 108–118 | Grammy-winning singer, actress, vocal powerhouse |
| Satya Nadella | 135–150 | Microsoft CEO, transformed Microsoft's culture and market cap |
| Post Malone | 110–120 | Multi-genre musician, songwriter, record-breaker |
| Michelle Obama | 125–135 | Former First Lady, Princeton/Harvard grad, bestselling author |
| Novak Djokovic | 105–118 | Tennis GOAT by many measures, 24 Grand Slam titles |
| Travis Scott | 108–118 | Rapper, producer, Astroworld creator, brand architect |
| Zendaya | 112–122 | Emmy-winning actress, fashion icon, producer |
| Roger Federer | 108–118 | Tennis legend, 20 Grand Slam titles, sportsman icon |
| Ronda Rousey | 108–118 | UFC champion, Olympic medalist, actress, pioneer |
| Neil Armstrong | 135–145 | First person to walk on the Moon, NASA astronaut |
| Adele | 108–118 | Grammy-winning singer, vocal powerhouse, record-breaking albums |
| Usain Bolt | 100–112 | Fastest human ever, 8 Olympic gold medals |
| Sam Altman | 140–155 | OpenAI CEO, Y Combinator president, AI pioneer |
| Dolly Parton | 115–125 | Singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist |
| Lewis Hamilton | 110–120 | 7x F1 World Champion, most race wins in history |
| Drake | 112–122 | Most streamed artist ever, rapper, actor, OVO founder |
| Serena van der Woodsen | 145–160 | NVIDIA CEO, AI chip pioneer, world's most valuable company architect |
| Rihanna | 115–125 | Fenty Beauty billionaire, Savage X Fenty, music icon |
| Will Smith | 115–125 | Academy Award actor, rapper, author, entrepreneur |
| Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | 120–130 | US Congresswoman, political communicator, BU economics graduate |
| Selena Gomez | 108–118 | Singer, actress, Rare Beauty founder, mental health advocate |
| Charles Darwin | 150–165 | Theory of evolution, On the Origin of Species |
| Steph Curry | 105–120 | NBA champion, greatest shooter ever, Under Armour partner |
| Ada Lovelace | 155–170 | World's first computer programmer, mathematician |
| Tyler Perry | 115–128 | Filmmaker, media mogul, billionaire, Tyler Perry Studios |
| Bad Bunny | 108–118 | Most streamed artist globally, reggaeton pioneer, cultural icon |
| Yo-Yo Ma | 135–150 | World's greatest cellist, 19 Grammys, cultural ambassador |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 105–115 | NBA MVP, champion, from street vendor to basketball legend |
| J.K. Rowling | 125–140 | Harry Potter author, billionaire writer |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 108–118 | Greatest cricket batsman ever, 100 international centuries |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was RBG's IQ?
Ginsburg's IQ is estimated at 135-150. Graduating first at Columbia Law and serving 27 years on the Supreme Court reflect exceptional legal and analytical intelligence.
Was RBG one of the smartest justices?
Her academic record (first in class at Columbia Law) and legal reasoning place her among the most intellectually gifted Supreme Court justices. Her strategic approach to building gender equality precedent was particularly brilliant.
How did RBG succeed despite discrimination?
Despite facing severe gender discrimination in law (she was rejected from law firms despite graduating first at Columbia), her extraordinary intellectual ability eventually overcame barriers. Her story demonstrates that exceptional intelligence can partially — though not easily — overcome systemic discrimination.
Explore More Famous IQs
Albert Einstein (160)Stephen Hawking (160)Elon Musk (150–155)Leonardo da Vinci (180–200)Nikola Tesla (160–200)
Take our free IQ test to discover your own score, or explore what a gifted IQ means.