Short answer: An IQ of 139 is very superior: higher than about 99.5 percent of people, roughly 1 in 215. It sits 2.6 standard deviations above the mean and clears Mensa's 130 bar by nine points. It falls one point below 140, the cutoff Lewis Terman labeled "near genius or genius" in 1916, a label no modern test manual uses.
Shaded: the share of people who score higher on a mean-100, SD-15 scale.
At a glance
| Percentile | 99.53rd |
|---|---|
| Rarity | About 1 in 215 (0.47 percent score 139 or higher) |
| Wechsler classification | Very Superior (WAIS-IV) / Extremely High (WAIS-5) |
| Stanford-Binet 5 classification | Gifted or very advanced (the same band as 140) |
| On an SD 16 scale | 142 |
| On an SD 24 (Cattell) scale | 162 |
| Mensa eligible? | Yes, on a supervised, approved test (line: 130 on SD 15) |
What an IQ of 139 means
A 139 is 39 points, or 2.6 standard deviations, above the average of 100. Out of 1,000 people, fewer than five would be expected to match or beat it. It belongs to the top half of the top 1 percent.
Both major test families place it near the top of their scales. Wechsler manuals put every score from 130 upward in one band, Very Superior on the WAIS-IV and Extremely High on newer editions. The Stanford-Binet 5 calls 139 "gifted or very advanced," the same label it gives 140. Our IQ classification guide shows the full ladder.
Where the 140 'genius' line came from
The 140 mark traces to one table. In 1916 Lewis Terman published the Stanford revision of the Binet scale and classified ratio IQs above 140 as "near genius or genius." The band just below, 120 to 140, he called "very superior intelligence."
Three things have changed since. First, Terman's scores were ratios of mental age to real age, not ranks on today's bell curve. Second, modern manuals dropped the word genius entirely. Third, the modern lines fall elsewhere: Wechsler's top band starts at 130, and the Stanford-Binet 5 places both 139 and 140 in a band that runs from 130 to 144.
The number survived in popular culture anyway. For the longer argument over what genius means, read what IQ counts as genius and our comparison of IQ 120 versus 140.
How rare is 139?
| IQ | Percentile | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| 135 | 99.02 | 1 in 102 |
| 138 | 99.44 | 1 in 177 |
| 139 | 99.53 | 1 in 215 |
| 140 | 99.62 | 1 in 261 |
| 145 | 99.87 | 1 in 741 |
The one-point step from 139 to 140 moves rarity from about 1 in 215 to about 1 in 261. On paper that looks decisive. In measurement terms it is not, as the next section shows. The whole distribution is on our IQ rarity chart.
Does one point below 140 matter?
No. Modern full-scale scores carry a standard error of about three points, and a 95 percent confidence interval spans about ten. A reported 139 means a true score most likely between about 134 and 144. That interval contains 140 comfortably.
Put two people who score 139 and 141 through the same test next month and their order could reverse. Practice alone lifts a second attempt by about a third of a standard deviation, roughly five points, according to a 2018 meta-analysis of more than 150,000 test takers.
Scale choice matters more than the single point. The same 139 performance reads 142 on an SD 16 test and 162 on the Cattell scale, where Mensa's own cutoff is 148. A reported "140" means little until you know which test produced it.
Is 139 a good IQ? What the research says
It is an exceptional score, and ability differences keep mattering at this height. David Lubinski and Camilla Benbow, reviewing decades of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth in 2020, reported no threshold effect: among people already in the top 1 percent at age 13, those in the top quarter earned more doctorates, publications and patents than those in the bottom quarter.
Scores are still probabilities, not verdicts. The American Psychological Association's 1995 task force found that IQ correlates about .5 with school grades, which leaves three-quarters of the variation to other causes. The label genius, in its historic sense, is earned by work, not conferred by a number.
How to confirm a 139
Only a supervised, normed test settles a score this high: the WAIS-IV or WAIS-5, the Stanford-Binet 5, or another instrument on Mensa's accepted list, given by a qualified examiner. Ask for the confidence interval, not just the point score. Online quizzes routinely inflate results in this range. Our free IQ test is a practice screener; our review of online IQ test accuracy explains the limits. If you plan to apply, start with our guide to joining Mensa.
Scores around 139
- IQ 137: about 1 in 147.
- IQ 138: what Terman's gifted-children study reveals about this range.
- IQ 141: just past 140, and the ladder of high-IQ societies.
- IQ 146: the Triple Nine Society's entry point on SD 15 tests.
For a wider view, see the top 1 percent of IQ scores.
Frequently asked questions
Is 139 a genius IQ?
Not by any modern test manual, which no longer use the word. The idea comes from Lewis Terman's 1916 table, which labeled ratio IQs above 140 "near genius or genius." A 139 is very superior and rarer than 1 in 200, but genius is a judgment about achievement.
What percentile is an IQ of 139?
An IQ of 139 is at about the 99.53rd percentile on a scale with mean 100 and SD 15. About 0.47 percent of people score at or above it, roughly 1 person in 215.
Is there a real difference between 139 and 140?
Not a meaningful one. With a standard error near three points, a 139 and a 140 describe overlapping ranges of likely true ability. The Stanford-Binet 5 even places both in the same band, gifted or very advanced, which runs from 130 to 144.
Does an IQ of 139 qualify for Mensa?
Yes, if it comes from an approved test given under supervision. Mensa admits the top 2 percent, which is 130 on Wechsler-type scales, 132 on the Stanford-Binet and 148 on the Cattell. Unsupervised online results are not accepted.
How many people have an IQ of 139 or higher?
On an ideal bell curve, about 4.7 people per 1,000. National norms differ, and the curve is less certain at the extremes, so treat that figure as an estimate, not a head count.
Sources
- IQ classification — Terman's 1916 bands and modern Wechsler labels
- Stanford-Binet 5 classification ranges — SB5 band 130-144, gifted or very advanced
- Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2020). Intellectual precocity: What have we learned since Terman? Gifted Child Quarterly — No threshold effect within the top 1 percent
- Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns (APA task force, Neisser et al.) — Correlation of about .5 between IQ and grades
- Scharfen, J., Peters, J. M., & Holling, H. (2018). Retest effects in cognitive ability tests: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 67 — Practice gains of about 0.33 SD
- Mensa International — Minimum scores: 130 Wechsler, 132 Stanford-Binet, 148 Cattell
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.
