Where 70 sits on the bell curve
This score is 30 points below the average of 100, or 2.00 standard deviations. The shaded part of the curve, everyone who scores lower, covers about 2.3% of people.
What an IQ of 70 means
70 sits at the start of the Borderline range (70 to 79). It is 2.00 standard deviations below the mean of 100, so about 2 in 100 people score lower.
The Borderline range runs from 70 to 79. Range names come from the Wechsler scales; they are labels for parts of the curve, not hard lines, so 69 and 71 reflect almost the same performance.
Whether 70 counts as a good IQ score depends on the comparison: against everyone, or against the people you study or work with.
How common is an IQ of 70 or lower?
If scores follow the standard bell curve, this is how many people you would expect to score this low or lower:
- In a class of 30: fewer than one
- In an office of 250: about 5.7
- In a town of 10,000: about 228
- In a city of 1 million: about 22,750
70 compared with nearby scores
| IQ | Percentile | Range | How rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 0th | Extremely Low | 1 in 1 |
| 65 | 1st | Extremely Low | 1 in 1 |
| 70 | 2nd | Borderline | 1 in 1 |
| 75 | 5th | Borderline | 1 in 1 |
| 80 | 9th | Low Average | 1 in 1 |
"How rare" counts people at that score or higher.
70 and the usual reference points
- 30 points below 100, the average by definition.
- 45 points below 115, one standard deviation above average (about the 84th percentile).
- 60 points below 130, two standard deviations above average and the usual Mensa line (top 2%).
- 75 points below 145, three standard deviations above average (about 1 in 741).
How much to trust a single score
No test measures IQ exactly. Clinical tests such as the Wechsler scales report a confidence interval of roughly 5 points either side, so a measured 70 is best read as "probably between 65 and 75". Shorter online tests carry wider ranges, which is why our free test shows a 90% range next to every result.
Scores also move between sittings. Tiredness, stress and practice with the puzzle types can each shift a result by a few points, so the range name tells you more than the exact number.
Frequently asked questions
Is 70 a good IQ score?
An IQ of 70 is in the Borderline range (70 to 79) and higher than about 2% of people. About 1 in 44 people score 70 or lower.
What percentile is an IQ of 70?
An IQ of 70 is at about the 2nd percentile. On the standard scale (mean 100, standard deviation 15) it is -2.00 standard deviations from the average.
How common is an IQ of 70?
About 1 in 44 people score 70 or lower.
Does an IQ of 70 mean an intellectual disability?
No single score does. Psychologists consider an intellectual disability only after a full assessment that combines a supervised IQ test with how a person manages everyday tasks. An online result is an estimate with a margin of error of several points; a qualified psychologist can give a proper assessment.
How accurate is an online IQ score of 70?
Treat it as a range, not an exact number. Clinical tests report a confidence interval of roughly 5 points either side, and short online tests have wider ranges, so read any single result as a band rather than an exact point.
Nearby IQ scores
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