— Occupational IQ research

University Professors — average IQ & cognitive profile

Published occupational IQ research consistently places university professors at an average IQ of around 126 — the 96th percentile of the general adult population. This is one of the higher-IQ professions on record.

Why university professors cluster at this level

Tenure-track academics average around the top 5% of cognitive ability. Discipline matters: STEM faculty average higher than education faculty, with humanities mid-range.

What this number really means

An occupational IQ average is a statistical mean, not a hiring criterion. The within-profession standard deviation is typically 10-15 IQ points, which means:

• There are highly successful university professors scoring well above 141
• And highly successful university professors scoring well below 111
• Conscientiousness, domain knowledge, emotional regulation, and motivation account for far more variance in actual job performance than the difference between, say, IQ 115 and IQ 125 does

How to interpret your own score against this average

If you're considering this profession or already in it, here's how to read a personal IQ result in context:

• If you score 116–136: you're right in the typical range for university professors
• If you score above 141: you have meaningful cognitive headroom; you'll likely find the abstract demands of the role easier than peers
• If you score below 111: the profession is still entirely accessible to you — many university professors succeed at this level — but you may rely more on persistence, structured systems, and specialisation than peers do

Related profession comparisons

• Surgeons — average IQ 127
• Doctors (MD) — average IQ 124
• Philosophers — average IQ 129
• Lawyers — average IQ 122
• Research Scientists — average IQ 130

Related reading

• What does an IQ of 125 mean?
• Full IQ-to-percentile chart
• What is the average IQ?