Top 14 US Presidents With High IQ Scores: An Official Ranking

The general population has an average IQ of 100, but presidents tend to score on the upper part of the scale. According to expert estimates, the average US president’s IQ is 135, a score that belongs in the gifted category.

That being said, a high IQ doesn’t always equal a successful presidency. This article will dive deeper into the lives of some of the smartest presidents in US history, exploring their achievements as well as their failures.

So, let’s jump in.

Top 14 US Presidents With the Highest IQs

The following list will introduce you to the 14 most intelligent US presidents, reveal who has the highest IQ ever among the presidents, and examine the highlights of their political careers.

However, keep in mind that none of the presidents on this list took an actual IQ test—these are all expert estimates based on the US presidents’ lives and accomplishments.

With this in mind, let’s start the countdown to the smartest US president that ever held office.

#14. John Tyler

John Tyler, the US president with an IQ of approximately 136, was the first president to come to the White House due to his predecessor’s death. He served one term—from 1841 to 1845—characterized mainly by his disagreements with his own party, which escalated to an impeachment attempt.

Because of his contentious relationship with both his supporters and opponents, John Tyler couldn’t do as much as he wanted to. He did lay the foundations for the acquisition of Texas, though, which was annexed at the beginning of his successor’s term.

#13. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd US president, was the only president in American history to have served four terms. Thanks to his estimated IQ of 139 and excellent problem-solving skills, he managed to pull the US through one of the most challenging periods since the Civil War.

Before his long presidential tenure, FDR went to Harvard and Columbia Law School, after which he slowly entered politics.

He became president in 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression, which he fought using the New Deal, a program that supported financial reform and economic growth in the US.

As World War II raged across Europe in the second half of his presidency, foreign concerns took precedence over domestic ones. FDR tried to keep the US out of the war for as long as possible but finally joined the Allies when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

#12. Abraham Lincoln

Us presidents IQ list - Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, one of the most well-known US presidents, had an estimated IQ of 140. His intelligence becomes particularly obvious when we consider that he was almost entirely self-taught, having had only about a year of formal schooling.

As the 16th president who served from 1861 to 1865, Lincoln had to contend with escalating tensions between the North and the South, which ultimately led to the Civil War.

Simultaneously, he dealt with war strategy and passed two important laws—the 13th Amendment to outlaw slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Lincoln’s shrewd leadership ended the Civil War, and slavery was abolished. As a result, he was reelected into office, but his assassination in 1865 cut his presidency short.

#11. James Garfield

The 20th president of the United States, James Garfield, reportedly had an IQ of approximately 141. However, he never got to fully show what he was capable of, as his presidency was ended by an assassin 200 days after it began.

Before his unfortunate presidency, James Garfield excelled academically, graduating from Williams College and becoming a classics professor at the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. When he got tired of academia, he joined the Ohio Senate and served there for nine terms.

In 1881, when he was elected to the White House, he pushed forward laws to replace the spoils system, which encouraged nepotism, with the merit system. Aside from that, he had plans to give full citizenship to black people and implement universal education to boost literacy.

However, he was shot before he could accomplish any of that, and a few weeks later, he succumbed to his injuries, dying from an infection and cardiac arrest.

#10. Chester Arthur

Chester Arthur, the 21st US president, was never actually elected. Instead, he succeeded James Garfield after his assassination in 1881.

Like Garfield, Chest Arthur had an IQ of approximately 141 and followed a largely similar path—he went to college, became a teacher, and eventually became a lawyer. His law career took him to New York City, where he was in charge of the Customs House.

Although he seemed to support the spoils system, which he benefited from, he fought for its reform upon assuming the presidency. That alienated some of his supporters but won over his opponents, who were happy to see the Pendleton Civil Service Act finally passed, ensuring civil servants would be picked based on merit.

#9. James Madison

James Madison, who held the office from 1809 to 1817, was yet another US president with an IQ of 141. The 4th US president is also known as the Father of the Constitution since he had the largest impact on its drafting as well as on writing the Bill of Rights.

However, those two achievements happened before his presidency. Once he took the oath, things didn’t go nearly as smoothly. In fact, the US got wrapped up in a war with Britain that resulted in a few severe losses and the British setting the White House on fire.

#8. Theodore Roosevelt

A rock carved in the look of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the US, became president at 42, which made him the youngest person to ever hold the office. Thanks to his IQ of around 141, he was a capable leader who breathed new life into American politics and showed strength and decisiveness in domestic and foreign affairs.

Having had a few brushes with death and losing his mother and first wife at the same time, Roosevelt adopted a very energetic, active outlook on life. He brought that same approach to his presidency, which lasted from 1901 to 1909.

During that time, he took on the construction of the Panama Canal and mediated in the Russo-Japanese War, winning a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He also worked hard to conserve and protect nature and started several projects to improve irrigation.

#7. John Adams

With an IQ of approximately 142, John Adams was a brilliant man whose philosophy was largely responsible for policies that shaped the nation.

Before becoming president, John Adams drafted the Massachusetts Constitution and was part of the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence. For a while, he served as George Washington’s vice president—an office he didn’t particularly enjoy holding.

As the second president of the US, John Adams served only one term (1797–1801). During that time, he prevented a war with France, a move that might be considered a success but which largely alienated his supporters. As a result, he had to cede the White House seat to Jefferson in the following election.

#6. Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter’s IQ is estimated to be around 145, placing him near the top of the list of US presidents with the highest IQs. Unfortunately, the 39th president held office in the midst of the Cold War, at the height of inflation and international tensions.

Despite that, Carter proved quite competent, increasing employment opportunities and reducing the budget deficit. In addition, he fought for environmental protection and civil rights, giving a record number of jobs to minorities at the time.

In foreign affairs, he tried to lead peaceful and diplomatic politics, building connections with China and working on a nuclear limitation treaty with the USSR. However, his attempts to relieve tensions with Soviet Russia proved mostly fruitless when the USSR invaded Afghanistan, increasing hostility.

#5. Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US president with an IQ score of between 145 and 155, is one of the four US presidents who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Ironically, that happened only two years after he declared war on Germany and sent American forces to participate in World War I.

Still, his efforts to keep the US out of the war were successful for a long time—he was against war on principle, but the circumstances didn’t leave him much of a choice. After the war ended, he advocated for establishing the League of Nations, which would keep world peace.

His other achievements during his eight-year tenure (1913–1921) included introducing legislation that prohibited unfair business practices and child labor and reducing the number of work hours for railroad workers.

#4. Bill Clinton

Like other US presidents on this list, Bill Clinton never took an IQ test. Still, experts have measured his intelligence based on his achievements and academic success and determined that his IQ is approximately 149.

Bill Clinton’s high intelligence was reflected in his academic success and a particular interest in music. Although he considered becoming a professional musician, eventually, he attended college instead—first Georgetown University, then Oxford, and finally Yale.

Having spent several years in politics, Bill Clinton was elected as the 42nd president of the US in 1993. He was reelected for another term—a feat no president had achieved since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s time.

Bill Clinton’s presidency was a time of growth and peace in the US. Unemployment rates were falling, inflation was at its lowest, crime rates were dropping, and several laws were passed to upgrade education and restrict gun sales. For all these reasons, his popularity remained constant throughout his tenure.

#3. John F. Kennedy

John F Kennedy giving a speech having one of the highest us presidents IQ

John F. Kennedy, with an estimated IQ score between 151 and 159, was the 35th president of the US and served from 1961 to 1963, when he was assassinated.

Although allegedly not a great student as a child, Kennedy eventually graduated from Harvard, proving his capacity for academic success. Soon after, he showed bravery in World War II when his boat was attacked, and he led survivors to safety.

Despite his extremely short tenure, Kennedy is fondly remembered thanks to the economic programs he introduced to reduce poverty and his dedication to the civil rights movements. He proposed the Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination in public places and outlawed segregation in schools and other facilities.

#2. Thomas Jefferson

With an IQ of approximately 160, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US and American Founding Father, was a genuine Renaissance man.

He spoke four languages and studied law, history, botany, architecture, literature, religion, and much more. In fact, he owned so many books that he could fill an entire library.

Before becoming president, Thomas Jefferson drafted one of the most important documents in American history: the Declaration of Independence. Then, he served as George Washington’s Secretary of State until their fallout in 1793, when he left the cabinet.

Finally, Jefferson was inaugurated in 1801 and served two terms until 1809. During his presidency, he doubled the size of the US through the so-called Louisiana Purchase, when he bought a vast and largely unexplored territory from Napoleon’s France in 1803.

#1. John Quincy Adams

The sixth president of the US, John Quincy Adams, had an estimated IQ between 169 and 175. As a Harvard graduate who fluently spoke multiple languages, including Latin and Greek, he was undoubtedly the most intelligent person to have ever sat in the White House.

Before he did, though, he spent a few years abroad as the US ambassador and then became the Secretary of State during Monroe’s presidency. In that position, he wrote the Monroe Doctrine, which demanded that European powers stay out of the United States’ affairs.

Adams was officially inaugurated in 1825 and served as president for only one term. During this time, he significantly lowered the national debt and vocally opposed slavery, becoming the first president to do so.

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US Presidents: Honorable Mentions

As you can see, neither President Trump nor President Obama made it to our list of US presidents with the highest IQ. Yet it’s precisely their intelligence that causes the most debate, with misinformation spreading on both sides of the political spectrum.

For example, Obama’s detractors claim his IQ is the lowest among all US presidents while repeating Trump’s assertion that he has a genius-level IQ.

On the other hand, Trump’s critics often call him one of the dumbest presidents to have ever sat in the White House.

Because of all these claims, it’s impossible to tell what the truth is. As far as we know, neither of the presidents has publicly spoken about their IQ test results, nor are there any particularly accurate estimates.

However, if you're curious to learn more, you can check out our detailed article on Trump's IQ and the debates surrounding it.

Key Takeaways

It takes a special kind of intelligence to lead a nation—especially a force as powerful as the US. After all, one wrong decision can lead to economic depression, unrest, tensions in foreign affairs, and even war.

Fortunately, most US presidents with high IQs were up to the task, exhibiting excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to foresee the consequences of their actions.

And some, such as Lincoln and JFK, went a step further and left a long-lasting legacy that’s still fresh in the minds of Americans.