Highest IQ American Geniuses — Records

From William James Sidis to Terence Tao — the highest-IQ individuals associated with the United States.

1. Marnen Laibow-Koser

   1970–present · United States
   268
2. William James Sidis

   1898–1944 · United States
   250
3. Chris Hirata

   1982–present · United States
   225
4. Edith Stern

   1952–present · United States
   200
5. Michael Grost

   1954–present · United States
   200
6. Michael Kearney

   1984–present · United States
   200
7. Leopold and Loeb

   1905–1971 · United States
   200
8. Sho Yano

   1990–present · United States
   200
9. Gilbert N. Lewis

   1875–1946 · United States
   195
10. Henry Adams

    1838–1918 · United States
    195
11. Richard G. Rosner

    1960–present · United States
    192
12. Linus Pauling

    1901–1994 · United States
    190
13. Marilyn vos Savant

    1946–present · United States
    186
14. Adragon Eastwood De Mello

    1976–present · United States
    185
15. Alfred J. Lotka

    1880–1949 · United States
    185
16. Percy Williams Bridgman

    1882–1961 · United States
    185
17. Thomas Edison

    1847–1931 · United States
    185
18. Benjamin Franklin

    1706–1790 · United States
    180
19. Claude Shannon

    1916–2001 · United States
    180
20. Frederick Rossini

    1899–1990 · United States
    180
21. James Madison

    1751–1836 · United States
    180
22. John H. Sununu

    1939–present · United States
    180
23. John Tukey

    1915–2000 · United States
    180
24. John Bardeen

    1908–1991 · United States
    180
25. John Forbes Nash Jr.

    1928–2015 · United States
    180
26. Lawrence Joseph Henderson

    1878–1942 · United States
    180
27. Abraham Lincoln

    1809–1865 · United States
    175
28. Andrew Carnegie

    1835–1919 · United States
    175
29. John Witherspoon

    1723–1794 · United States
    175
30. John Adams

    1735–1826 · United States
    175
31. Robert Andrews Millikan

    1868–1953 · United States
    175
32. Margaret Fuller

    1810–1850 · United States
    175
33. William Shockley

    1910–1989 · United States
    175
34. Christopher Langan

    1952–present · United States
    174
35. Edwin Hubble

    1889–1953 · United States
    170
36. Ernest Hemingway

    1899–1961 · United States
    170
37. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    1807–1882 · United States
    170
38. Herman Hollerith

    1860–1929 · United States
    170
39. Howard Robard Hughes

    1905–1976 · United States
    170
40. Isaac Asimov

    1920–1992 · United States
    170
41. Jacob Barnett

    1998–present · United States
    170
42. John Dewey

    1859–1952 · United States
    170
43. John Quincy Adams

    1767–1848 · United States
    170
44. John Burroughs

    1837–1921 · United States
    170
45. Marion Tinsley

    1927–1995 · United States
    170
46. Norbert Wiener

    1894–1964 · United States
    170
47. Robert M. Pirsig

    1928–2017 · United States
    170
48. Mark Twain

    1835–1910 · United States
    170
49. Washington Irving

    1783–1859 · United States
    170
50. Wilder Penfield

    1891–1976 · United States
    170

How we ranked this list

Filtered to individuals with country = United States in the biographical dataset.