Neither Donald Trump nor George Bush are on the list: these are the 10 U.S. presidents with the highest IQ scores

I used to think being president meant you were probably one of the smartest people in the country. Turns out, not so much.

A UC Davis psychologist named Dean Simonton decided to actually estimate the IQs of U.S. presidents – applying statistical models to their biographies, writings, and achievements. No actual IQ tests here, since most of them were long gone before anyone was handing out Scantrons. But the approach, published in Political Psychology and cited in Reader’s Digest, holds up surprisingly well.

And no, before you ask, Donald Trump didn’t make the top 10. George Bush and Ronald Reagan also missed out.

Who is the U.S. president with the highest IQ?

10. James Garfield – IQ: 152.3

Garfield only made it 200 days into his presidency before being assassinated, but he left a strong impression. A Civil War general and college president, Garfield was famously ambidextrous – he could write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other, at the same time. His academic record backs up the high estimate.

9. Theodore Roosevelt – IQ: 153

Teddy Roosevelt was part action hero, part intellectual. A Harvard grad who wrote dozens of books, he reformed the civil service, won a Nobel Peace Prize, and basically built the modern Navy. Also, he once gave a speech after being shot. IQ: earned.

8. John Adams – IQ: 155

Not to be confused with his even brainier son, Adams was the second president and one of the most intense thinkers in early American politics. He helped write the Massachusetts Constitution – which is still in effect – and his letters with wife Abigail remain some of the best insight into revolutionary thinking.

7. Woodrow Wilson – IQ: 155.2

Before the White House, Wilson was president of Princeton. During it, he led the U.S. through World War I and proposed the League of Nations. He also managed to write academic treatises and be president, which is more than most of us do on a deadline.

6. Jimmy Carter – IQ: 156.8

Often overlooked, Carter was a nuclear engineer and a serious thinker. His post-presidency earned him a Nobel, but even in office, he brokered major peace deals and restructured U.S. energy policy. Quiet doesn’t mean dull.

5. Bill Clinton – IQ: 159

A Rhodes Scholar, law professor, and famously quick on his feet, Clinton made his mark on trade policy, social reform, and international diplomacy. Also, few politicians could parse questions – or dodge them – quite like he could.

4. John F. Kennedy – IQ: 159.8

Harvard grad, World War II hero, Pulitzer Prize winner. Kennedy had serious intellectual range, even if his early report cards didn’t show it. He guided the U.S. through the Cuban Missile Crisis and jumpstarted civil rights legislation - all while hiding severe health problems.

3. James Madison – IQ: 160

The “Father of the Constitution,” Madison’s writings laid the foundation for the Bill of Rights. He wasn’t flashy, but his brainpower shaped American democracy in lasting ways. He also stood just 5′4″, proving height has nothing to do with stature.

2. Thomas Jefferson – IQ: 160

Jefferson could read in seven languages, wrote the Declaration of Independence, and built Monticello with designs of his own making. His personal library became the core of the Library of Congress. Politics, paleontology, architecture—he made time for all of it.

1. John Quincy Adams – IQ: 175

Adams didn’t just win the genetic lottery, he ran with it. Fluent in seven languages, he worked as a diplomat before turning 30 and was one of the architects of the Monroe Doctrine. He skipped finishing law school but still became a respected attorney. No U.S. president – before or since – has been estimated to have a higher IQ.

Other presidents of note

Abraham Lincoln, often praised for his wisdom and leadership, scored a solid 150, just outside the top tier and pretty impressive for someone who was largely self-taught. Franklin D. Roosevelt landed slightly higher at 150.5. Both George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan sat in the low 140s. Meanwhile, George W. Bush had an estimated IQ of 138.5 – well above average, but lower than most presidents of the 20th century.

And Donald Trump? Well, he wasn’t included in the analysis at all and, like his tax returns, no credible IQ has ever been published. Any claims floating around online – high or low – aren’t backed by any real data.

Barack Obama, though highly regarded by historians, hasn’t been formally assessed using Simonton’s method either.

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