Someone with an IQ score of 130 or higher would be considered gifted or very advanced. IQ scores of 130 are often used as a threshold for identifying individuals who are intellectually gifted and may qualify for Mensa membership.
IQ 130 Percentile
IQ tests are designed so that 100 is the normed average score, and scores fall across a normal bell curve distribution with a standard deviation of 15. So an IQ score of 130 is well above an average and is considered an excellent result.
By design, about 96% of all IQ scores fall between 70 and 130 (using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale), so individuals who score 130 or higher on an IQ test are more than two standard deviations better than the average IQ score. To be more specific, a person with an IQ of 130 would fall in the 98th percentile and would have a score higher than 97.725% of all other individuals who take the test.
IQ Percentiles and Standard Deviations
Mensa IQ Level
As an organization, Mensa accepts members who score higher than 98% of other individuals on a Mensa approved IQ test. Because an IQ score of 130 falls within the 98th percentile, it is generally considered the minimum score necessary to be accepted into Mensa. As there are many different IQ tests available, it is best to check with your local Mensa organization to find out their requirements and test result minimums.
IQ 130 Jobs
While many employers do not use IQ scores to evaluate employees, many use other types of cognitive tests to not only screen employees but to know if their intelligence level is a good fit for the job that they will be filling. While it makes sense to hire individuals for a role who intellectually meet a certain minimum, it is also important to understand that a job may not be a good fit for someone who is overly qualified for the role.
One of the most commonly used cognitive abilities tests used during the job application process is the Wonderlic test, which is similar in structure to an IQ test but is far shorter at 50 questions with a time limit of 12 minutes.
Refer to this Wonderlic test scoring article to see what types of jobs are practical for an IQ score of 130, which is equivalent to about a score of 36 on the Wonderlic.
Famous People With IQ of 130
The following people are believed to have an IQ score of 130.
| Name | IQ Score |
|---|---|
| George H.W. Bush | 130 |
| James Franco | 130 |
| Goldie Hawn | 130 |
| Angela Bassett | 130 |
| Jordana Brewster | 130 |
| Ken Jeong | 130 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 130 |