What is reported
The figure attached to her name is an IQ of 158, reported by Infobae. Neither article used here states who administered the test or under what conditions, and it should be read as a reported score rather than an established measurement. Infobae's 2022 headline compared it to figures attributed to Mark Zuckerberg and Albert Einstein, a framing common in Spanish-language coverage and not a claim about any of them that survives scrutiny.
The documented sequence of qualifications is firmer. She learned to speak English at eighteen months and could read and write by four. She completed primary and secondary school, and passed the high school stage through CENEVAL, Mexico's National Centre for Education Assessment, which certifies secondary-level attainment by examination rather than by attendance.
Three degrees at once
By March 2025, at twelve, Infobae reported her enrolled in three programmes simultaneously: medicine at the University of Massachusetts, in her fifth semester; law at the Universidad Metropolitana de Chiapas; and political science at a private institution in Mexico City.
Her stated ambition is to become a cardiologist, and she has said she hopes to find cures for cancer and autism. She has also said she wants to become governor of Chiapas, which together with the law and political science enrolments describes a plan that is not only medical. Her mother, Karina Guillen Cruz, is a surgeon.
The five rejections
The detail that says most about the Mexican school system is not the enrolments but the refusals. Five schools in Tuxtla Gutierrez turned her away, reportedly because teachers could not deal with her intelligence.
That is a striking admission to publish, and it is the reason CENEVAL matters in her story. A certification route that does not require attendance is what allows a child rejected by conventional schools to demonstrate the level she has reached. Without it the rejections would simply have stopped her.
What is documented, and what is not
Firm, on the basis of the two Infobae reports: her home city, Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas; the reported IQ of 158; the CENEVAL high-school pass; the three concurrent degree programmes as of March 2025 and the institutions named; her mother's name and profession; the five school rejections; and her stated ambitions.
Not documented: her exact date of birth, so the birth year here is derived from her reported age; who administered the IQ test; how a twelve-year-old is enrolled at the University of Massachusetts and in what mode; her father; and any independent confirmation of the enrolments from the institutions themselves. Both sources are the same outlet, which is a real limitation on this record. She is a child, and nothing beyond what has been published about her belongs here.
How to read an IQ number
Reported IQ scores for children circulate widely and mean less than they appear to. Childhood scores are unstable, different tests use different scales and standard deviations, and a figure quoted without the test name is not comparable to anything. The comparisons to famous people that accompany such figures are not measurements at all, since the people named were never tested.
The verifiable parts of Michelle Arellano's record are the examinations and the enrolments, which is why they are given prominence here. A CENEVAL certificate at ten is a documented result produced under controlled conditions. It is also, unlike a number, something that can be checked.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Kodzo Motey | Canada | Accepted into Mensa International at six | Age 2 |
| Lawson Lundberg | United States | Joining Mensa at 3 | Age 3 |
| Michelle Arellano | Mexico | Five schools in Chiapas turned her away. By twelve she was on her fifth se | Age 10 |
| Nishi Uggalle | United Kingdom | Winning Channel 4's Child Genius in 2019 | Age 10 |
| David Camacho | Mexico | Selection for a Jr. NASA programme, 2024 | — |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- From Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas; passed the CENEVAL high-school examination at ten
- Reported by Infobae to have an IQ of 158
- Reported in March 2025, at twelve, to be studying medicine, law and political science simultaneously
- Mother Karina Guillen Cruz, a surgeon; five schools in Tuxtla Gutierrez reportedly turned her away
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- Her date of birth is not published; the birth year here is inferred
- Who administered the IQ test, and which test, is not stated
- The enrolments are reported by one outlet and are not independently confirmed by the institutions here
- Her father is not named, and nothing documents her progress after March 2025
Questions people ask about Michelle Arellano
How old is Michelle Arellano?
She was twelve in March 2025. No source used here gives her date of birth, so the birth year on this page is approximate.
What is Michelle Arellano's IQ?
Infobae reports a score of 158. Neither article used here says who administered the test, so it should be treated as a reported figure rather than a verified measurement.
What is she studying?
As of March 2025, medicine at the University of Massachusetts in her fifth semester, law at the Universidad Metropolitana de Chiapas, and political science at a private institution in Mexico City.
What is CENEVAL?
Mexico's National Centre for Education Assessment, which certifies attainment by examination. She passed its high-school examination at ten.
Is it true that schools rejected her?
Infobae reports that five schools in Tuxtla Gutierrez turned her away, reportedly because teachers could not deal with her intelligence.
What does she want to be?
A cardiologist. She has also said she hopes to find cures for cancer and autism, and that she wants to become governor of Chiapas.
Who are her parents?
Her mother is Karina Guillen Cruz, a surgeon. Her father is not named in these sources.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Michelle’s story?
What IQ score does Infobae report for Michelle Arellano?
What examination did she pass at ten?
What does she say she wants to become?
Sources
- Quien es Michelle Arellano, la nina mexicana con coeficiente intelectual similar al de Mark Zuckerberg y Albert Einstein — Infobae, 2022-08-04
- Con 12 anos Michelle es casi medica, la nina prodigio quiere ser cardiologa y estudia tres carreras al mismo tiempo — Infobae, 2025-03-08
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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