Short answer: An IQ of 141 is very superior: higher than about 99.7 percent of people, roughly 1 in 319. It sits 2.73 standard deviations above the mean of 100. On an approved, supervised test it qualifies for Mensa (top 2 percent) and Intertel (top 1 percent), but falls five points short of the Triple Nine Society's 146.
Shaded: the share of people who score higher on a mean-100, SD-15 scale.
At a glance
| Percentile | 99.69th |
|---|---|
| Rarity | About 1 in 319 (0.31 percent score 141 or higher) |
| Wechsler classification | Very Superior (WAIS-IV) / Extremely High (WAIS-5) |
| Stanford-Binet 5 classification | Gifted or very advanced |
| On an SD 16 scale | 144 |
| On an SD 24 (Cattell) scale | 166 |
| Mensa eligible? | Yes (line: 130 on SD 15). Also meets Intertel's 99th percentile |
What an IQ of 141 means
A 141 is 41 points above the population average, 2.73 standard deviations. About three people in every thousand score this high or higher. It sits one point past 140, the number Lewis Terman's 1916 scale tied to "near genius or genius," a phrase modern manuals abandoned.
Current labels are plainer. Wechsler tests call 141 Very Superior or Extremely High. The Stanford-Binet 5 calls it gifted or very advanced, a band running from 130 to 144. See the full ladder in our IQ classification guide.
How rare is 141?
| IQ | Percentile | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| 135 | 99.02 | 1 in 102 |
| 140 | 99.62 | 1 in 261 |
| 141 | 99.69 | 1 in 319 |
| 145 | 99.87 | 1 in 741 |
| 146 | 99.89 | 1 in 924 |
From 141 to 146 the pool shrinks by about two-thirds, which is why the jump from Intertel to the Triple Nine Society is steeper than it looks. The whole curve is on our IQ rarity chart.
The high-IQ society ladder at 141
High-IQ societies admit by percentile, not by raw number. A 141 on an SD 15 test sits at the 99.69th percentile. Here is where that lands.
| Society | Founded | Admission line | SD 15 equivalent | Does 141 qualify? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mensa | 1946, Oxford | 98th percentile | 130 | Yes |
| Intertel | 1966 | 99th percentile | about 135 | Yes |
| Triple Nine Society | 1978 | 99.9th percentile | 146 | No |
Mensa, founded by barristers Roland Berrill and Lancelot Ware, counts about 150,000 members in more than 90 countries. Intertel, founded by Ralph Haines, reports more than 1,700. The Triple Nine Society lists over 2,000 members in 39 countries and accepts 146 on SD 15 tests, 149 on SD 16 tests and 173 on the Cattell III-B. Our Mensa admission guide covers the paperwork.
141 across scoring scales
A 141 on a Wechsler test equals about 144 on an SD 16 scale and 166 on the Cattell scale. Societies publish separate cutoffs for each for that reason. A person with a Cattell 166 has the same rank as a Wechsler 141, and the same eligibility.
The error band matters as well. A reported 141 most likely reflects a true score between about 136 and 146, so the Triple Nine line sits at the top edge of the interval rather than out of reach.
Is 141 a good IQ? What it predicts
It is an outstanding score, and the research on this range is unusually rich. Gregory Park, David Lubinski and Camilla Benbow tracked 1,586 adolescents who scored in the top 1 percent on the SAT math section by age 13, for more than 25 years. Within groups holding the same degree, those with higher early scores were more likely to earn patents and publish scientific work.
Those are differences in likelihood across a large group. Many high scorers pursue no research career at all, by choice. A 141 is a capacity, and what it produces depends on the use made of it. For context on the elite tail, see what the top 1 percent of IQ looks like.
Confirming a 141
Societies accept only supervised results from approved instruments, such as the WAIS-IV, WAIS-5 or Stanford-Binet 5, or accepted standardized exams. Online scores do not count. Our free IQ test is a practice screener; see how accurate online IQ tests are before relying on any web result.
Scores around 141
- IQ 139: one point under the old 140 line.
- IQ 140: Terman's historic cutoff.
- IQ 147: over the Triple Nine line.
Frequently asked questions
Is 141 a genius IQ?
Not in modern terms. Terman's 1916 table labeled ratio IQs above 140 "near genius or genius," but today's manuals use no such label. A 141 is very superior, rarer than 1 in 300, and genius is judged by achievement.
What percentile is an IQ of 141?
About the 99.69th percentile on a scale with mean 100 and SD 15. Roughly 0.31 percent of people score at or above 141, about 1 in 319.
Which high-IQ societies accept a 141?
Mensa, which admits the top 2 percent, and Intertel, which admits the top 1 percent, both accept a 141 from an approved, supervised test. The Triple Nine Society requires the 99.9th percentile, or 146 on SD 15 tests, so a 141 does not qualify.
How many people have an IQ of 141 or higher?
On an ideal bell curve, about 3 people per 1,000. National norms and sampling at the extremes make that an estimate. In a city of one million, roughly 3,100 residents would be expected at this level.
Is 141 much higher than 140?
No. The one-point gap is far smaller than the roughly five-point error band around each score. In rank terms, 140 is about 1 in 261 and 141 about 1 in 319.
Sources
- Mensa International — 98th percentile; founders; about 150,000 members
- Intertel — 99th percentile; founded 1966 by Ralph Haines
- Triple Nine Society — 99.9th percentile; 146/149/173 cutoffs; founded 1978
- Park, G., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2008). Ability differences among people who have commensurate degrees matter for scientific creativity. Psychological Science — 1,586 top-1 percent adolescents tracked 25+ years
- IQ classification — Terman 1916 and Wechsler bands
- Stanford-Binet 5 classification ranges — Gifted or very advanced, 130-144
Editorial standard: IQ figures for historical figures are retrospective estimates and are labeled as such; scores for living people appear only when the person disclosed them or a reputable outlet reported them. Corrections: contact the editors.