— Education & cognition
Bachelor's degree holders — average IQ
Published data on cognitive ability by educational attainment consistently places bachelor's degree holders at an average IQ around 113 — the 81th percentile of the general adult population.
Bachelor's degree holders average around the 80th percentile. Field of study matters — engineering and physical science majors average higher than humanities and education majors.
What this average really tells you
→Pause. Find out YOUR IQ before you keep reading.Education-by-IQ averages reflect selection effects, not causation. Higher-IQ people are more likely to be admitted to and complete higher levels of education, so the averages compound through filtering at each stage:
- Completing high school
- Being admitted to college
- Completing a bachelor's degree
- Being admitted to graduate school
- Completing a graduate degree
Each stage filters more strongly on cognitive ability, which is why average IQ rises monotonically with educational attainment.
What it does NOT tell you
→Curious how YOU score? 20-min calibrated test.An education-level average is not a cap or a requirement:
- There are many bachelor's degree holders scoring well above 128
- And many bachelor's degree holders scoring well below 98
- Lifetime achievement correlates with conscientiousness, motivation, opportunity, and circumstance — not just IQ
Compare with other education levels
→The numbers above? Find out where YOU land.- High school dropouts — average IQ 87
- High school graduates (no college) — average IQ 97
- Some college (no degree) — average IQ 104
- Master's degree holders — average IQ 117
- PhD holders — average IQ 125