What is Keir Starmer’s IQ?
A first-class Leeds law degree, Oxford’s BCL, and still no IQ score on file.
No IQ test result has been published for Keir Starmer, so a Keir Starmer IQ score is not on record. What is documented is a first-class law degree from Leeds (1985), the Oxford BCL, Queen’s Counsel at 39 and five years as Director of Public Prosecutions. That record supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145.
Keir Starmer’s estimated IQ
- A first-class Bachelor of Laws from the University of Leeds in 1985, with a share of the Hughes Prize for the best final-year dissertation in law (University of Leeds).
- A Bachelor of Civil Law at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, begun in 1985; the Hall quotes him calling it “an intense year studying for the BCL”.
- Called to the Bar in 1987 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2002, at 39; named Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2001 and QC of the Year in Human Rights and Public Law in 2007 (Oxford’s Faculty of Law).
- Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013, then a knighthood (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to law and criminal justice.
- MP for Holborn and St Pancras from May 2015, Labour leader from April 4, 2020 and Prime Minister from July 5, 2024 to July 20, 2026 (GOV.UK): evidence of a long public career, not of a test score.
No IQ score, aptitude-test result or class rank is published, and the class of his Oxford BCL is not documented, so this range is inferred, not measured. A first-class degree and a Queen’s Counsel title show sustained performance in a demanding field, but they also reflect training, effort and selection by others, and winning political office reflects party support and timing as well as ability.
- Born
- September 2, 1962, Southwark, London, England
- Education
- Reigate Grammar School; University of Leeds, first-class Bachelor of Laws (LLB), 1985; St Edmund Hall, Oxford, Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL), begun 1985
- Legal career
- Called to the Bar in 1987; Doughty Street Chambers from 1990; Queen’s Counsel in 2002; Director of Public Prosecutions, 2008–2013
- Honors
- Human Rights Lawyer of the Year (2001); QC of the Year in Human Rights and Public Law (2007); Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB), 2014 New Year Honours
- Public office
- MP for Holborn and St Pancras, May 2015 to September 1, 2026; Labour leader from April 4, 2020; Prime Minister, July 5, 2024 to July 20, 2026
- Status as of October 2026
- Former Prime Minister; Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on July 20, 2026; Starmer left the House of Commons on September 1, 2026
- Circulating IQ figure
- None sourced; no IQ test result has been published
- Estimated range here
- 130–145 (achievement and academic record)
What an IQ of 130–145 actually means
Set the claim aside for a moment. If someone genuinely scored in this range, here is what that would represent.
| Score range | Classification | Share of people | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 – 114 | Average | ~68% | The range most people fall into. |
| 115 – 129 | Above average | ~13.6% | Roughly one person in seven. |
| 130 – 144 | Gifted | ~2% | The threshold most high-IQ societies use. |
| Above 144 | Highly gifted | ~0.1% | Figures above this range are extrapolated from the curve rather than measured. |
Percentages are approximate and describe a normal distribution. The same number means different things on tests with different standard deviations.
Thirty questions gives you a measured position on this exact scale — your score, your percentile and the ability breakdown behind it.
Find out in 30 minutes →Who Keir Starmer is
Keir Starmer was born on September 2, 1962 in Southwark, London. He attended Reigate Grammar School, then read law at the University of Leeds, where he graduated in 1985 with a first-class Bachelor of Laws. In his final year he was a co-recipient of the Hughes Prize, given to the law student with the best final-year dissertation. He went on to St Edmund Hall, Oxford, which records that he matriculated in 1985 to read for the Bachelor of Civil Law; in the Hall’s account he describes “an intense year studying for the BCL” that confirmed his choice of a career as a human rights advocate. Leeds awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2012 and notes that it could for the first time count a Prime Minister among its graduates. St Edmund Hall says he is the first Aularian to hold the office, and lists him as an honorary fellow.
Starmer was called to the Bar in 1987. He joined Doughty Street Chambers in 1990 and became its Head of Chambers in 2007. From 2003 to 2008 he was human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel on April 9, 2002, aged 39. Oxford’s Faculty of Law records that he was named Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2001 and QC of the Year in Human Rights and Public Law in 2007.
In 2008 Starmer became Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service, a post he held until 2013. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours, for services to law and criminal justice. He was elected MP for Holborn and St Pancras at the 2015 general election, was declared leader of the Labour Party on April 4, 2020, and served as Leader of the Opposition until 2024. He became Prime Minister on July 5, 2024.
As of October 2026, Keir Starmer is a former Prime Minister. He announced on June 22, 2026 that he would resign, and GOV.UK records that Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on July 20, 2026. Starmer left the House of Commons on September 1, 2026, and a by-election for Holborn and St Pancras was held on October 8, 2026. His term as Prime Minister ran from July 5, 2024 to July 20, 2026.
By Elora Mercer, Celebrity Research WriterFigures checked by Leon Falkner, Data & Research AnalystReviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Last reviewed October 2026
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Keir Starmer: the documented record
The estimate above rests on this record. Every entry here is a matter of public fact, which is more than can be said for the number itself.
- 1962Born on September 2 in Southwark, London.
- 1985Graduates from the University of Leeds with a first-class Bachelor of Laws and a share of the Hughes Prize; begins the Bachelor of Civil Law at St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
- 1987Called to the Bar.
- 2002Appointed Queen’s Counsel on April 9, aged 39.
- 2008–2013Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service.
- 2014Knighted (KCB) in the New Year Honours for services to law and criminal justice.
- 2015Elected MP for Holborn and St Pancras at the general election on May 7.
- 2020Declared leader of the Labour Party on April 4.
- 2024Becomes Prime Minister on July 5.
- 2026Announces on June 22 that he will resign; Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister on July 20; Starmer leaves the House of Commons on September 1.
Why no figure circulates
Following a claim back to its first appearance is the part almost nobody does — and it is what most people are actually asking.
Keir Starmer’s IQ is not on record: no IQ test result has been published for him, so any Keir Starmer IQ score has to be built from the record. That record comes from his universities and the UK government. The University of Leeds records a first-class law degree in 1985. St Edmund Hall, Oxford, records a Bachelor of Civil Law. GOV.UK records his years as a barrister, his time as Director of Public Prosecutions and his term as Prime Minister. None of these pages gives a score. How circulating numbers for public figures usually arise is covered in where celebrity IQ numbers come from.
Did Keir Starmer take an IQ test? None is documented. A degree class and a list of offices cannot be converted into one number the way an SAT score or a chess rating can, and achievement records are not IQ tests. Extreme results on one measure also tend to be followed by less extreme ones on the next, which is regression to the mean. For that reason the estimate below is a band, and a Starmer IQ figure given as a single exact number should be read as a guess.
The estimated IQ rests on three layers of evidence. The first is academic: a first-class Leeds law degree in 1985, a share of the Hughes Prize for the best final-year dissertation, and a postgraduate Oxford law degree, the BCL. The second is professional: called to the Bar in 1987, Queen’s Counsel in 2002 at 39, and two awards for his human rights work. The third is public office: five years as Director of Public Prosecutions, then the House of Commons and Downing Street. Together they fit a midpoint near 138, close to what an IQ of 135 means: well above the population average of 100, but inferred from a record. For the profession as a whole, see the site’s note on the average IQ of lawyers.
Among the politics profiles here, the Keir Starmer IQ level of 130–145 overlaps Boris Johnson’s 125–140 but reaches five points higher, because Starmer’s record includes a first-class degree where Johnson’s Oxford result was a 2:1. It sits below Margaret Thatcher’s 135–150 on the same method, and matches the 130–145 given to Mark Carney, whose estimate rests on a completed Oxford doctorate. Winston Churchill’s 140–160 uses a historiometric method that weighs a lifetime of published work, so it is not like for like. The full field is in the site’s ranking of UK prime ministers by IQ, which sets out the estimates, degrees and expert rankings.
How we read a number →The School of Law page states that he gained a 1st class degree of Bachelor of Laws from the University of Leeds in 1985. The news page says he graduated from Leeds in 1985, that he received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Leeds in 2012, and that the University could for the first time count a Prime Minister among its graduates.
Timeline entry “1985: Keir Starmer graduates from Leeds with a first class degree in law”; says he was co-recipient of the Hughes Prize, given to the law student with the best final-year dissertation. No IQ or intelligence figure appears.
States he matriculated in 1985 to read for a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) and quotes him on “an intense year studying for the BCL”; says he is the first Aularian to hold the office and an Honorary Fellow. The profile gives his call to the Bar in 1987, Queen’s Counsel in 2002, Head of Chambers in 2007, Northern Ireland Policing Board human rights adviser from 2003 to 2008, Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013 and Labour leader on April 4, 2020.
Confirms the knighthood (KCB) for services to law and criminal justice, his law studies at Leeds (LLB) and Oxford (BCL), call to the Bar in 1987, Queen’s Counsel in 2002, Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2001, QC of the Year in Human Rights and Public Law in 2007, and Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.
States that he attended Reigate Grammar School and studied law at Leeds, took a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford, qualified as a barrister in 1987, became a Queen’s Counsel in 2002, was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 until 2013, was knighted in 2014, was elected MP for Holborn and St Pancras in May 2015 and Labour leader in April 2020, and was Prime Minister from July 5, 2024 to July 20, 2026.
The Prime Minister page names the Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP as Prime Minister and says he became Prime Minister on July 20, 2026, confirming the date Keir Starmer left the office.
Orientation source for the birth date and place (September 2, 1962, Southwark), the Middle Temple call, Doughty Street Chambers from 1990, Queen’s Counsel on April 9, 2002 aged 39, Director of Public Prosecutions dates, the 2014 New Year Honours, Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024, and his 2024 to 2026 term as Prime Minister.
The leadership page dates Starmer’s announcement to June 22, 2026 and his resignation as Prime Minister to July 20, 2026. The by-election page says he resigned from the House of Commons on September 1, 2026 and that the by-election was held on October 8, 2026. Khaleej Times (September 1, 2026) reports the departure from Parliament and names Andy Burnham as his successor as Prime Minister.
The Leeds, St Edmund Hall, Oxford Faculty of Law and GOV.UK biographies above list degrees, prizes, honors and offices with dates; none gives an IQ, an aptitude-test score or a class rank.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Keir Starmer, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
No sourced Keir Starmer IQ figure circulates: no source gives a test, a date or a tester for one. The phrases people type, “Keir Starmer IQ” and “Starmer IQ”, have no published number behind them.
No published IQ test result exists for Keir Starmer. The University of Leeds, St Edmund Hall, the Oxford Faculty of Law and the GOV.UK biography give his degrees, prizes, honors and offices with dates, and none of them gives an IQ, an aptitude-test score or a class rank.
There is no circulating IQ figure to set against this range, so the spread is only the width of the estimate. It is 15 points wide on purpose: a first-class degree and a run of senior legal and public offices cannot be turned into one score, and the range says so.
Want a number that does hold up? Every figure on this page is somebody’s claim. Take the 30-question test and get a percentile you can check rather than a figure you have to trust.
Keir Starmer — frequently asked
What is Keir Starmer’s IQ?
No IQ test result has been published for Keir Starmer, so his IQ is not on record. His documented record, a first-class law degree from Leeds in 1985, an Oxford Bachelor of Civil Law, Queen’s Counsel in 2002 and five years as Director of Public Prosecutions, supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145.
Did Keir Starmer take an IQ test?
No Keir Starmer IQ test result has been published. The University of Leeds, St Edmund Hall, Oxford’s law faculty and GOV.UK list his degrees, prizes, honors and offices with dates, but none gives an IQ, an aptitude-test score or a class rank. A Starmer IQ number with no named test, date and tester is a guess.
Is Keir Starmer smart?
Smart is a fair description of a first-class law degree, an Oxford postgraduate law degree and a Queen’s Counsel title taken at 39. It is not a score. Keir Starmer’s record supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145, well above the population average of 100, and genius is a label no test result backs for him.
What degree does Keir Starmer have?
Keir Starmer attended Reigate Grammar School, then graduated from the University of Leeds in 1985 with a first-class Bachelor of Laws. He took a Bachelor of Civil Law at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, beginning in 1985, and was called to the Bar in 1987. These are achievement records, not IQ results.
How does Keir Starmer’s estimated IQ compare with Boris Johnson’s?
IQ Metrics estimates Keir Starmer at 130–145 and Boris Johnson at 125–140, both on the achievement-and-academic-record method. The ranges overlap. Starmer’s sits higher at the top, helped by a first-class Leeds degree and a Queen’s Counsel title, where Johnson’s Oxford result was a 2:1. Both are estimates, not measurements.
Is Keir Starmer still Prime Minister?
No. As of October 2026 Keir Starmer is a former Prime Minister. He held the office from July 5, 2024 to July 20, 2026, when Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, and he left the House of Commons on September 1, 2026.
Does a first-class degree or a QC title prove a high IQ?
No. A degree class or a Queen’s Counsel title records selection, training, effort and opportunity as well as reasoning, so it supports a range, not a score. Keir Starmer’s record fits about 130–145 here, but no IQ test result sits behind it.
How does my IQ compare with Keir Starmer?
You can find out in about fifteen minutes. The IQ Metrics assessment is 30 questions, scored on the same 100-mean scale used throughout this page, so your result and the estimate above are at least expressed in the same units — one measured, one inferred. Once you have a number, the leaderboard shows where it would sit, and how we score and norm it explains the benchmarking.
Where does this estimate come from?
From the documented record rather than a test — the method is named above and set out in full under how we read a number. Compare it against the other politics profiles, starting with Thomas Jefferson.
- Take the 30-question IQ test — get a measured score and percentile of your own
- Average IQ by country — how the scale behaves across populations
- How IQ Metrics scores its assessment — the method behind our own number
- More on how IQ testing works — reliability, error and what a score can and cannot say
- More politics profiles — same field, same method
More politics
Photograph by Velislav Nikolov (EU2018BG), via Wikimedia Commons (Informal Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, February 2018), CC BY 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Rob Bogaerts, Nationaal Archief, CC0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Yousuf Karsh, Ottawa, 1941 — public domain in Canada and the United States; the Library and Archives Canada scan is CC BY 2.0.
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