Just how smart do you have to be to win an American presidential election? Well, it helps if you have some brains to work with, as all of these 43 presidents have exceptionally high IQs – well over the U.S. average of 98. We know this because professor Dean Simonton, a psychologist from the University of California, Davis, totted up the evidence and used biographical information to make his informed estimates. So, who’s the most intelligent man to have ever stepped into the Oval Office?

Find out the Presidents IQ’s, and for images and extensive details click here…

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1. John Quincy Adams – 175

John Quincy Adams – the eldest son of second president John Adams – won the 1824 election to become the sixth President of the United States. He apparently also had an outrageously high IQ, which probably stood him in good stead when in office. In any case, he was smart enough to be a fluent speaker of Dutch, French and German as well as English. Adams studied at Harvard, too – testament enough to his incredible intellect.

2. James Madison – 160

James Madison won the presidential election of 1808, succeeding Thomas Jefferson in the White House and serving for two terms. Plagued by poor health throughout his life, Madison received much of his education at his family’s estate in Orange County, Virginia. He proved himself, too, by going on to attend the College of New Jersey – the forerunner of Princeton University. Madison is often called the “Father of the Constitution” because of his diligent work in drafting the document.

5. William J. Clinton – 159

By common consensus, Bill Clinton oversaw an extraordinary period of prosperity in the States, with unemployment and inflation both remaining at low levels for much of his two terms in office. Well before winning the 1992 election, Clinton had excelled as a student, too, winning a Rhodes Scholarship to England’s University of Oxford. But for all his smarts, Clinton couldn’t keep his hands to himself, and an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky tarnished his tenure – as well as his legacy.

6. James Carter – 156.8

Before rising to president in 1976, Jimmy Carter had studied at the elite Naval Academy in Annapolis, Georgia, graduating in the top 10 percent of students. Then, after he had served in the U.S. Navy for seven years, he took over his family’s Georgia peanut farm following the death of his father. Still, while Carter may be very smart indeed, it wasn’t enough to take him to a second term. Famously, his presidency was blighted by the Iran hostage crisis, which ended only after Reagan took office.

7. Woodrow Wilson – 155.2

Woodrow Wilson’s two terms as president placed him in power as WWI raged. And Wilson maintained America’s neutrality in the conflict until 1917 when, as he famously put it, the U.S. jumped in to “make the world safe for democracy.” But despite his high IQ, the commander-in-chief was apparently a poor student as a boy. Some suspect that he may have been dyslexic, which could explain a lot.

8. John Adams – 155

John Adams was famously the first vice president to George Washington before earning the top job himself. And in a comment that perhaps reflects Adams’ considerable intelligence, the White House website describes him as “more remarkable as a political philosopher than as a politician.” In any case, he was an excellent student, gaining a scholarship to Harvard and ultimately earning a master’s degree at the prestigious Ivy.

9. Theodore Roosevelt – 153

Vice president when William McKinley was assassinated, Theodore Roosevelt succeeded to the highest office in September 1901 when he was just 42. The youngest-ever president, he had previously graduated magna cum laude from Harvard before studying law at Columbia. And the man who would become universally known as Teddy distinguished himself in combat, too – becoming a well-known figure during the Spanish-American War as the leader of the Rough Riders. Roosevelt went on to nab a second term in the election of 1904.

10. James Garfield – 152.3

After a long political career – including 17 years in the House of Representatives – James Garfield won the 1880 election to become the 20th President of the United States. He had been a talented scholar, too, displaying a particular aptitude for Greek and Latin. And as history buffs will know, Garfield fought on the Unionist side during the Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier general. Sadly, though, Garfield is one of the four American presidents to have been assassinated in office.

11. Chester A. Arthur – 152.3

The son of an Irish immigrant, Chester A. Arthur came to the presidency in 1881 after James Garfield had been assassinated. He was a graduate of New York State’s Union College and passed the bar in New York City – making him yet another lawyer to earn the most prestigious job in the land. Within a year of succeeding to the presidency, though, Arthur was diagnosed with terminal kidney disease – a condition he kept under wraps. And, ultimately, he failed to win the Republican nomination for the 1884 election.

12. Franklin D. Roosevelt – 150.5

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency began during one of the most difficult periods of U.S. history: the Great Depression. It was lucky, then, that FDR had the brains to help put the country back on track. A high-achieving scholar who had studied at both Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Roosevelt started on the road to the White House in 1910 with his election to the New York Senate. But his presidency wasn’t a smooth run even after the success of the New Deal. FDR would be greatly tested again, you see, by America’s entry into WWII in 1941.

13. Abraham Lincoln – 150

Abraham Lincoln will always be known as the man who signed into law the Emancipation Proclamation – finally bringing an end to slavery in the United States. That was by no means his only achievement, of course, as he was also the president who led the Unionist forces to victory in the Civil War. And, incredibly, Lincoln rose to lead his country despite only 18 months or so of formal education – surely a testimony to his fierce intelligence.

14. Millard Fillmore – 149

Millard Fillmore became the 13th president in 1850 – stepping up from the position of vice president when his predecessor Zachary Taylor died in office. He was a member of the Whig party and the last president to hold office who was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Fillmore also apparently had a rough and ready early education. Though his high IQ was evident when – despite his difficult beginnings – he succeeded in being admitted to the bar in 1823.

15. John Tyler – 148.1

When William Henry Harrison died after just 32 days in office, his vice president John Tyler succeeded him. That made Tyler the first man to earn the top job without an election – leading to his political enemies rather cruelly calling him “His Accidency.” Tyler attended the College of William and Mary, where, almost inevitably, he had studied law.

16. Franklin Pierce – 147.4

Franklin Pierce came to office in 1853 as America’s 14th president. And as was the case with many who have held the same office, he both studied and practiced law before moving into politics. Personal tragedy marked Pierce’s days as president, though, as not long before he was inaugurated, his 11-year-old son died in a railroad crash. The president and his wife were both on the train when it happened.

17. Rutherford B. Hayes – 146.3

Rutherford B. Hayes triumphed in the election of 1876, at a time when the national wounds of the Civil War were still healing. Hayes had previously studied law at Harvard and went on to fight with the Unionists in the Civil War – attaining the rank of brevet major general. But perhaps he stayed sharper than the average bear by avoiding booze. Hayes even went so far as to banish liquors and wines from the White House – an order carried out by his wife.

18. William Henry Harrison – 146.3

Having defeated the incumbent Martin Van Buren in the 1840 election, William Henry Harrison briefly served as America’s ninth president. He had born into what the White House website describes as the “Virginian planter aristocracy” – making him more privileged than most. Despite this, though, Harrison managed to present himself to the public as “a simple frontier Indian fighter, living in a log cabin and drinking cider.” And this was despite the fact that he possessed a history and classics degree from Hampden-Sydney College.

19. Martin Van Buren – 146

Martin Van Buren was elected in 1837 after serving as vice president to Andrew Jackson for two terms. He had a nifty nickname, too, being known as the “Little Magician” because of his relatively diminutive height. And though Van Buren left school at 14, he still proved his intelligence by taking a law apprenticeship and passing his bar exams before entering office.

20. Benjamin Harrison – 145.4

Before winning the 1888 election, Benjamin Harrison was known as an exceptional lawyer. And that wasn’t the extent of his achievements prior to taking the highest office in the land. You see, Harrison also rose to the rank of colonel with the Unionist forces in the Civil War. Despite all this, the 23rd President of the United States was only elected by virtue of his victory in the Electoral College, as he actually lost the popular vote.

21. Dwight D. Eisenhower – 145.1

Dwight D. Eisenhower first came to fame as a commander of the Allied forces that helped crushed Hitler’s Nazis in western Europe in 1945. He was perhaps the most accomplished military man of his day, in fact, with an outstanding intellect. And after his landslide 1952 election victory, Eisenhower went on to negotiate a truce in the Korean War that fortunately brought an end to the bloodshed.

22. Andrew Jackson – 145

Andrew Jackson was the seventh U.S. president – serving two terms from 1829 to 1837. Apparently, he received little structured education as a youngster. Though according to the White House website, Jackson still had the gumption and intelligence to “[become] an outstanding young lawyer in Tennessee.” Mind you, Jackson also had a hair-trigger temper. In 1806 he fought a duel with a man who had allegedly defamed his wife – shooting him dead.

23. Grover Cleveland – 144

In 1884 Grover Cleveland became the first Democrat to emerge victorious in a presidential race since the end of the Civil War. This wouldn’t be the only election he would win, either. Famously, Cleveland left the White House at the end of his first term in 1889 – though he became president once again in 1893. And despite financial hardship that meant he had to leave formal education at 16, the future leader stuck at part-time study and succeeded in passing his bar exams.

24. James K. Polk – 143.4

Way before becoming president in 1845, James K. Polk was a diligent honors student at the University of North Carolina. Then, like so many politicians, he went on to work as a lawyer before heading to Washington, D.C. And after military action against Mexico, Polk made one of his smartest moves. He snapped up California and New Mexico for the U.S. for just $15 million. Surely, that’s one of the best bargains in U.S. history.

26. George H. W. Bush – 143

George H. W. Bush was the first member of his family to become president when he won the 1988 election. And he had the smarts to serve him well in the role. The White House website claims that, while studying at Yale, the young Bush “excelled both in sports and in his studies. He was captain of the baseball team and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.” Despite his undoubted talents, though, he ultimately lost out on a second term to Bill Clinton.

28. Barack Obama – 142+ (estimated)

Barack Obama served two terms as the 44th president from 2009. There has been no official assessment of his IQ, though it is estimated to be 142 at a minimum. This figure is derived from the fact that Obama attended Harvard where he studied law. The average IQ of graduates from Ivy League colleges like Harvard is 142. So it’s an entirely plausible assumption that Obama – an outstanding student who was the first African-American to be the Harvard Law Review’s president – has an IQ of at least that level.

29. Ronald Reagan – 141.9

Before his two terms as president, Ronald Reagan famously enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood. But while the Gipper could have easily added to his screen resume for many more decades, he decided instead to run for – and win – the position of Governor of California. And Reagan was 69 when he defeated Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. This made him the oldest man to become his country’s leader at that time. Now, many credit him with ending the Cold War with the Soviet Union – no mean feat.

30. Herbert Hoover – 141.6

By the time that Herbert Hoover gave his inaugural presidential speech in 1929, he was already a millionaire businessman. And since he had achieved all of this despite humble beginnings – his father was a blacksmith – it’s perhaps evidence of his ready intelligence. But Hoover wasn’t mean with his money. He gave the entirety of his presidential salary to charitable organizations, in fact, and possessed an international reputation for philanthropy.

31. Calvin Coolidge – 141.6

Calvin Coolidge was vice president when Warren Harding died in 1923 and so succeeded him in office. And as his IQ testifies, he had a keen intellect. Before his political career, Coolidge used his smarts to train as a lawyer before starting his own law firm in 1898. He also stood for a second term in 1924 – winning that election with a convincing popular vote majority of 2.5 million.

32. Lyndon B. Johnson – 140.6

Lyndon Johnson was another man unexpectedly catapulted into the presidency – in his case, in the aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination. And Johnson inherited the latter’s ambition to fly men to the Moon, which he pursued with enthusiasm. Less welcome was the escalation of the Vietnam War and the civil rights crisis for African Americans. But after his first brief tenure as president, Johnson nevertheless went on to resounding victory in the 1964 election.

33. Gerald Ford – 140.4

After the Watergate scandal forced Richard Nixon to resign, Gerald Ford became his successor in August 1974. And as Ford was inaugurated, he reflected on the tumultuous times by saying, “I assume the presidency under extraordinary circumstances. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.” The 38th President of the United States needed all the resources that his considerable intelligence gave him to steer America right again.

34. George Washington – 140

It was in 1789 that George Washington became the very first President of the United States. And his estimated IQ score of 140 means that he can be classed as exceptionally clever – almost at genius level, in fact. This makes sense, as Washington famously commanded the armies that eventually saw off the British in the Revolutionary War. That’s hardly the achievement of a mediocre military man.

35. Warren G. Harding – 139.9

Warren G. Harding won his bid to become president in 1921 – and on his 56th birthday, too. This triumph came after a successful spell as a newspaper publisher and time as a senator representing Ohio. Harding was also said to have been a strong supporter of votes for women. All this suggests some savvy, and yet Harding is actually remembered as one of the worst U.S. presidents, as he didn’t appear to know which direction to take the country.

36. Harry S. Truman – 139.8

A matter of weeks after being elected vice president, Harry S. Truman found himself thrust into the top job when the incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945. But Truman made his own mark soon after – helping end WWII when he ordered atomic bombs to be dropped on Japan. The White House website quotes Truman’s recollections of becoming president, with the leader having said, “I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on me.”

38. Andrew Johnson – 139.8

Andrew Johnson had the unenviable job of becoming president after his predecessor Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated in 1865. That meant he took office during the period of reconstruction after the horrors of the Civil War – a task that practically demanded smarts. But as you may remember from history classes in high school, Johnson doesn’t exactly have a shining legacy. He was the first American leader to face impeachment and was acquitted by the Senate by just one vote. Johnson later continued in politics as a Tennessee senator.

39. James Buchanan – 139.6

James Buchanan was the 15th president – serving a single term from 1857 during the years leading up to the Civil War. As you’d expect, his presidency was marked by rising tensions as the conflict loomed. According to the White House website, Buchanan was “gifted as a debater and learned in the law.” Those qualities are also reflected in his IQ, which is well above the average and within the top two percent of scores.

40. William Howard Taft – 139.5

William Howard Taft came to the presidency in 1909 – making him the 27th man to ever do so. Though he did little to distinguish himself during his single term in office. In fact, you could say that Taft only came into his own following his departure from the White House. Eventually, you see, he became a professor of law at Yale. And in 1921 he even took the position of United States Chief Justice – a demanding role that naturally requires a keen intellect.

41. James Monroe – 138.6

The fifth president, James Monroe served from 1817 to 1825. Interestingly, he was also the last man to hold office who could lay claim to being one of the Founding Fathers. But he apparently wasn’t particularly flashy or boastful about his considerable achievements. According to the White House website, one woman from Virginia who met Monroe described him as “tall and well-formed, his dress plain and in the old style. His manner was quiet and dignified.” He was also bright enough to learn law under Thomas Jefferson.

42. George W. Bush – 138.5

As you may well remember, George W. Bush served two terms as president until he was succeeded by Barack Obama. However, his tenure – which spanned from 2001 to 2009 – was far from an easy ride. Famously, 9/11 happened on his watch. That tragedy was then followed by the American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq – events that would have tested any leader to the limit. But despite his verbal gaffes, the 43rd President of the United States is no intellectual slouch. In his study, professor Simonton wrote that Bush Jr. is “in the upper range of college graduates in raw intellect.”

43. Ulysses S. Grant – 130

Ulysses S. Grant may be low on this list, but that doesn’t mean he was dumb by any stretch. Nowadays, in fact, his estimated IQ of 130 is a whole 32 points above the average American’s. Grant was the 18th president, serving two terms from 1869, although he’s arguably just as well-remembered as a Unionist Civil War general. And since he was on the winning side of the conflict, that suggests he was indeed pretty smart after all.

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