What Percentage Has an IQ of 110? Top X% and What 'Slightly Above Average' Means
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In brief: On a normal distribution with a mean of 100 and an SD of 15, an IQ of 110 is roughly the top 25.2%, about 1 in 4 people, and a deviation score of 56.7. It is slightly above average: not rare, yet clearly above the mean.
An IQ of 110 can feel like an awkward middle ground — above average, but hardly 'genius.' Where does it actually place you?
An IQ of 110 is roughly the top 25%
On a normal distribution with mean 100 and SD 15, an IQ of 110 sits +0.67 standard deviations above the mean — roughly the top 25%, or about 1 in 4 people. Converted to a Japanese-style deviation score, that's about 56.7. See converting between IQ and deviation scores for the mechanics.
'1 in 4' is a bigger gap than it sounds
In a class of 40, that's around 10th place. People at this level tend to pick up abstract material and adapt to new environments a bit faster — though not so much that the difference stands out in everyday conversation or work. IQ gaps typically become noticeable from IQ 120 to IQ 130 and above.
Compare with nearby scores
Lined up against IQ 100 (exactly average, top 50%), IQ 105 (top 37%), and IQ 115 (top 16%), an IQ of 110 is clearly above average without being rare. Details for each score are on the IQ reference pages.
Measure your own position
Many casual online quizzes skew high, so it's best to use a test that discloses its scoring method. BrainRank's free IQ test takes 20 questions in about 10 minutes and returns an IRT-scored estimated IQ and top percentile.
Frequently asked questions
- What percentile is an IQ of 110?
- On a normal distribution with a mean of 100 and an SD of 15, roughly the top 25.2%.
- How rare is an IQ of 110?
- Under the same model, about 1 in 4 people.
- What deviation score is an IQ of 110?
- Converted to a deviation score with a mean of 50 and an SD of 10, about 56.7.
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Editorial note & disclaimer
BrainRank Editorial Team
This article was written and edited by the BrainRank Editorial Team with reference to academic literature on psychometrics, including CHC theory and Item Response Theory (IRT). Statistics and percentages are calculated from a normal distribution model with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.
The tests on this site provide estimates for entertainment and self-understanding purposes only. They are not medical or clinical assessments, nor official psychological (intelligence) tests.