Is an IQ of 118 Good? What It Means & Where You Stand

What Does an IQ of 118 Mean?

An IQ of 118 is near the top of the high average range, just 2 points below the superior classification at 120. At the 88th percentile, only about 12% of people score higher. This is the level where cognitive ability becomes a consistent, noticeable advantage in both academic and professional settings. You likely excel at standardized tests, grasp abstract concepts quickly, and feel comfortable with graduate-level academic work.

An IQ of 118 places you at the 88th percentile, which means you scored higher than approximately 88% 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 8, 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.

How Precise Is a Score of 118?

Less precise than a single number suggests. Professionally administered IQ tests carry a standard error of measurement of roughly 3–5 points, which means a measured score of 118is best read as a range of about 113 to 123 — and scores from short online tests vary even more. Test-retest studies show the same person's score can shift by several points between sessions due to sleep, stress, motivation, practice effects, and simple chance. Different tests (WAIS, Stanford-Binet, Raven's) can also yield somewhat different numbers for the same person. Treat any single figure — including this one — as an estimate with a margin of error, not a fixed property. Our methodology page explains how our own estimate is calculated.

What an IQ of 118 Does Not Establish

An IQ score summarizes performance on abstract reasoning tasks at one point in time. It is not a medical or psychological diagnosis, and a score of 118 on its own does not determine your career ceiling, academic future, creativity, emotional intelligence, judgment, or character. Research links IQ to average outcomes across large groups, but individual outcomes vary enormously at every score level. If you need a clinically valid assessment — for educational placement, a disability evaluation, or gifted-program admission — only a licensed psychologist can provide one. See our disclaimer for the full limitations.

Career Context for an IQ of 118

At 118, you have the cognitive foundation for any career, including demanding fields like medicine, law, and engineering. You are near the sweet spot (115-125) that research associates with effective leadership. Graduate school is a natural fit.

A note on career framing: occupational IQ averages describe broad group tendencies from research samples — they are not entry requirements, and employers do not screen candidates by IQ. Interest, training, persistence, and opportunity shape careers far more than a test score.

Cognitive Profile at IQ 118

At IQ 118, the high-average to bright-normal profile shows consistently strong, flexible, and rapid verbal reasoning across the most demanding academic and research domains, reliable and consistent fluid intelligence on the most challenging abstract problems encountered in academic and professional settings, and academic capacity supporting successful completion of competitive doctoral programs at top research universities. Verbal reasoning handles primary research literature in the most demanding disciplines with consistent, flexible, and sophisticated critical and synthetic reasoning. Working memory holds 10 items with rehearsal. Processing speed is at the 79th–80th percentile. Fluid intelligence shows genuine and reliable novel problem-solving with strong consistency on the most demanding abstract problems. The individual at IQ 118 learns new complex material at a rate substantially and consistently above average, producing clearly observable acceleration in academic and professional development.

What Research Says About IQ 118

NLSY79 data document that IQ 118 individuals achieve 4-year college enrollment at 88% and bachelor's degree completion at approximately 84%. Median earnings are approximately 28–30% above the US median. Research by Deary et al. (2007) found that IQ 118 predicts high-level professional and managerial occupational attainment with very strong consistency in UK longitudinal cohorts. Gottfredson (1997) places IQ 118 in the range that characterizes the 60th to 70th percentile of practicing physicians, 50th to 60th percentile of practicing attorneys, and the median for doctoral researchers in STEM fields. Schmidt & Hunter (1998) estimate that the IQ-job performance correlation is near maximum at this level.

Day-to-Day Life with an IQ of 118

A person at IQ 118 works as a biomedical researcher at the NIH — leading a team studying cancer immunotherapy mechanisms, managing a $2.8M R01 grant portfolio, directing 6 doctoral students and 4 postdoctoral fellows, publishing research in Nature Medicine and Cell, and serving on NIH study sections that evaluate other researchers' grant applications. They completed a PhD at Harvard with 4 first-author publications and a high-profile Science paper. They own their home, manage complex finances, and are active in their scientific community. They are regarded by colleagues and funding agencies as an exceptionally productive, creative scientist whose contributions are advancing the field meaningfully.

How Does an IQ of 118 Compare?

Here's how a score of 118 compares to nearby IQ scores:

Famous People with an IQ Around 118

The following well-known figures have estimated IQ scores close to 118:

• John F. Kennedy — 35th US President, Pulitzer Prize winner, Cold War leader (estimated IQ: 119)
• Kim Jong-un — North Korean Supreme Leader, Switzerland-educated, third-generation ruler (estimated IQ: 120)
• Elvis Presley — King of Rock and Roll, cultural icon, 18 number-one US hits (estimated IQ: 122)
• Justin Bieber — Global pop star from YouTube, one of most streamed artists ever (estimated IQ: 118)
• Kylian Mbappé — Football (soccer) superstar, PSG and Real Madrid striker, World Cup winner (estimated IQ: 118)

Careers That Suit an IQ of 118

People with an IQ around 118 are well-suited for the following career paths:

• Pharmacist (Clinical) — average IQ range: 112–122
• Actuary — average IQ range: 120–135
• Economist — average IQ range: 120–135
• Nurse Practitioner — average IQ range: 112–122
• Speech-Language Pathologist — average IQ range: 108–118

See the full IQ by career chart for all professions.

Explore Other IQ Scores

Take our free IQ test to find out where you stand, or learn more about what IQ really measures.