Is an IQ of 115 Good? What It Means & Where You Stand

What Does an IQ of 115 Mean?

An IQ of 115 is one full standard deviation above the mean, placing you at the 84th percentile. Only about 1 in 6 people score this high. This is the threshold where cognitive ability becomes a genuine and consistent advantage. People at this level tend to excel in academic environments, grasp abstract concepts readily, and demonstrate strong verbal and analytical reasoning. It is the typical score for someone who finds university coursework manageable and often enjoyable.

An IQ of 115 places you at the 84th percentile, which means you scored higher than approximately 84% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. This score falls into the High Average range on the IQ scale. With a rarity of 1 in 6, this score is within the range where most people score.

To understand how IQ scores are calculated and what they measure, see our complete guide on what IQ is and how it works. For a full breakdown of all score ranges and their meanings, visit our IQ score ranges page.

Career Context for an IQ of 115

A score of 115 is common among professionals in fields that require sustained analytical thinking — lawyers, physicians, engineers, senior managers, and university professors frequently score in this range. Graduate school is a natural fit, and many people at this level pursue advanced degrees and specialized certifications.

Cognitive Profile at IQ 115

IQ 115 marks exactly one standard deviation above the population mean — the 84th percentile. At IQ 115, verbal reasoning handles the most complex academic and professional texts with consistent, flexible analytical, synthetic, critical, and evaluative reasoning. Working memory holds 10 items with rehearsal. Processing speed is at the 75th percentile. Fluid intelligence shows genuine and reliable novel problem-solving with strong consistency on the most demanding abstract reasoning problems across all academic and professional domains. Reading at advanced college level enables confident and rapid engagement with primary academic literature across all disciplines. Mathematical competence includes advanced quantitative methods in demanding fields. The learning-rate advantage at IQ 115 is now clearly and consistently visible in all demanding academic and professional training contexts. One standard deviation above the mean is the approximate midpoint of the high-average range and the entry point for populations that typically populate selective professional programs.

What Research Says About IQ 115

IQ 115 has been extensively studied as a meaningful threshold. Gottfredson (1997) identifies IQ 115 as the approximate minimum IQ for reliable success in the most demanding professional programs — law school, medical school, and academic doctoral programs — and as the approximate midpoint of the IQ distribution for practicing lawyers, physicians, and PhD scientists. NLSY79 data show IQ 115 individuals achieving 4-year college enrollment at 83% and bachelor's degree completion at approximately 78%. Schmidt & Hunter (1998) meta-analysis finds that at IQ 115, job performance advantages over average are large, consistent, and reliably detected across all organizational research contexts.

Day-to-Day Life with an IQ of 115

A person at IQ 115 works as a professor of mathematics at a selective liberal arts college — teaching undergraduate courses from calculus to abstract algebra, conducting research in number theory, mentoring undergraduate research projects, publishing in peer-reviewed mathematics journals, and serving on college academic policy committees. They completed a PhD in mathematics at a top-20 program with a well-received dissertation and 6 publications. They own their home, manage complex finances, and are active in their mathematical community. Students consistently rate them as one of the most intellectually stimulating and effective teachers in the department. Colleagues regard their research as creative and technically rigorous.

How Does an IQ of 115 Compare?

Here's how a score of 115 compares to nearby IQ scores:

Famous People with an IQ Around 115

The following well-known figures have estimated IQ scores close to 115:

• Sachin Tendulkar — Greatest cricket batsman ever, 100 international centuries (estimated IQ: 108–118)
• The Weeknd — Grammy-winning artist, Super Bowl performer, Starboy (estimated IQ: 112–125)
• IShowSpeed — Most watched live streamer, 20M+ YouTube subscribers, global phenomenon (estimated IQ: 105–118)
• Kai Cenat — Most subscribed Twitch streamer in history, Streamer of the Year (estimated IQ: 108–120)
• Peso Pluma — Regional Mexican music global star, corridos tumbados pioneer (estimated IQ: 110–122)

Careers That Suit an IQ of 115

People with an IQ around 115 are well-suited for the following career paths:

• Veterinarian — average IQ range: 115–125
• Surgeon — average IQ range: 120–135
• Scientist — average IQ range: 120–135
• Graphic Designer — average IQ range: 100–115
• Chef — average IQ range: 95–110

See the full IQ by career chart for all professions.

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