What is Pete Buttigieg’s IQ?
No IQ score is public. The record is Harvard, a Rhodes Scholarship and an Oxford first.
Pete Buttigieg’s IQ is unknown: no IQ score has been published for him. What is documented is a Harvard degree in history and literature (2004), a Rhodes Scholarship and a first in philosophy, politics and economics from Pembroke College, Oxford (2007).
Pete Buttigieg’s estimated IQ
- First prize in the John F. Kennedy Library’s 2000 Profile in Courage essay contest for high school students, chosen from more than 600 essays (JFK Library news release, May 2, 2000).
- A Harvard degree in history and literature (2004) and election to Phi Beta Kappa, listed in the Harvard Gazette on June 10, 2004.
- A Rhodes Scholarship, announced in November 2004 according to the Harvard Gazette, to read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford.
- A first in philosophy, politics and economics from Pembroke College, Oxford, in 2007, according to the college.
This is an inference from a school and university record, not a test result. No source gives an SAT, GRE or any IQ score for him, and awards and honors measure standing among candidates, not points on a scale. The range is wide for that reason and is best read as a floor with an uncertain top.
- Born
- 1982
- Education
- Harvard, history and literature (2004); Pembroke College, Oxford, philosophy, politics and economics (2007)
- Honors
- Rhodes Scholar (named 2004); Phi Beta Kappa (2004); first-class degree, Oxford (2007)
- Early prize
- First prize, JFK Library Profile in Courage essay contest (2000)
- Public service
- Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, 2012–2020; former Secretary of Transportation
- Circulating figure
- None found; no published IQ test result
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 Pete Buttigieg is
The earliest documented honor is a school essay. The John F. Kennedy Library announced on May 2, 2000 that Peter Buttigieg, a senior at St. Joseph’s High School in South Bend, Indiana, had won the national Profile in Courage essay contest. It says his essay was chosen from more than 600 submitted by high school students and carried a $3,000 prize. The essay was about Representative Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
At Harvard he concentrated in history and literature. The Harvard Gazette lists him among the seniors elected to Phi Beta Kappa on June 10, 2004. It also says his thesis examined the influence of Puritanism on American foreign policy as reflected in Graham Greene’s novel The Quiet American and its two film versions.
The Gazette reported in December 2004 that he was one of six Harvard-linked Rhodes Scholars named that year, and that he planned to read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford. Pembroke College says he came to Pembroke in 2005 and graduated in 2007 with a first in that subject.
Pembroke’s December 2020 news item says he served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 2012 to 2020, led a campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and had been nominated as Secretary of Transportation. The Oxford Student described him on October 31, 2026 as a former Transportation Secretary. This page is limited to his documented education and honors.
By Elora Mercer, Celebrity Research WriterFigures checked by Leon Falkner, Data & Research AnalystReviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Last reviewed November 2026
Pete Buttigieg: 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.
- 2000On May 2, the JFK Library announces his first-place essay in the national Profile in Courage contest.
- 2004Graduates from Harvard; the Harvard Gazette lists him among Phi Beta Kappa electees on June 10.
- 2004Named a Rhodes Scholar in November, to read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford.
- 2005Comes to Pembroke College, Oxford.
- 2007Graduates with a first in philosophy, politics and economics.
- 2012Begins eight years as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, according to Pembroke College.
- 2020Nominated in December for Secretary of Transportation, according to Pembroke College.
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.
No IQ test result has been published for Pete Buttigieg, so Pete Buttigieg’s IQ score is unknown. A number attached to his name without a named test, a date and an examiner is a guess. For how such figures spread, and what to check first, see where celebrity IQ numbers come from.
Is Pete Buttigieg smart? His record answers in the only way a record can. The Harvard Gazette lists him among 92 seniors elected to Phi Beta Kappa in June 2004, and in December 2004 it reports his Rhodes Scholarship, announced on November 21. Pembroke College says he graduated in 2007 with a first in philosophy, politics and economics. These are selective honors. They show strong academic standing, but they do not give a score.
Pete Buttigieg’s estimated IQ, 130–145, matches Barack Obama (130–145) and Mark Carney (130–145). Carney also studied at Oxford and holds a doctorate. It is below Bill Clinton (136–159), another Rhodes Scholar, whose range is wider. None of the four has a published score. For how estimates for office holders are built, see US presidents ranked by IQ.
On the usual scale (SD 15), 130 is about the 97.7th percentile, so roughly 2 people in 100 score higher, and 145 is about 1 in 741. The percentile calculator works out any score between them. On average, IQ and education level rise together, but the arrow points both ways, and a degree is not a test.
How we read a number →No score report, entrance-exam result or clinician’s statement for Buttigieg is public. The Harvard Gazette, Pembroke College and JFK Library pages describe honors and degrees, and none gives an IQ.
Says Peter Buttigieg, a senior at St. Joseph’s High School in South Bend, Indiana, won; the entry was chosen from more than 600 essays; the prize was $3,000; and the essay concerned Representative Bernie Sanders.
Lists Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg, history and literature, Leverett House, among the seniors elected.
Names Peter Buttigieg ’04 of South Bend, Indiana, a history and literature concentrator, among six Rhodes Scholars announced on November 21; describes his thesis and his plan to pursue a B.A. in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford.
Says he came to Pembroke in 2005 on a Rhodes Scholarship, graduated in 2007 with a first in PPE, and served as mayor of South Bend from 2012 to 2020.
Source of the portrait, a work of the US federal government under the public-domain template for the Department of Transportation. Wikidata Q7173106 identifies him as an American politician born in 1982.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Pete Buttigieg, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
No IQ figure circulates for Pete Buttigieg in the sources we found, although people do search for “Pete Buttigieg IQ.”
The Harvard Gazette, Pembroke College and the John F. Kennedy Library describe an essay prize, a degree, a scholarship and a first-class degree. None gives an IQ. Honors are judgments by committees and examiners, not scores.
With nothing circulating, there is no spread to audit. 130–145 is this site’s estimated range for Pete Buttigieg and the only figure on the page. It rests on a record, not a test, so its floor, its top and its fifteen-point width are judgments.
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.
Pete Buttigieg — frequently asked
What is Pete Buttigieg’s IQ?
No IQ test result has been published for Pete Buttigieg, so his IQ is unknown. This site’s estimated range is 130–145. It is inferred from his Harvard degree, his Rhodes Scholarship and his Oxford first, not from a test.
Is Pete Buttigieg smart?
His documented record is strong: Phi Beta Kappa at Harvard in 2004, a Rhodes Scholarship and a first in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford in 2007. No test score backs the word “smart.” This site’s range, 130–145, is an estimate from that record.
Did Pete Buttigieg go to Harvard and Oxford?
Yes. The Harvard Gazette lists him as a history and literature concentrator in the class of 2004. Pembroke College, Oxford, says he came in 2005 on a Rhodes Scholarship and graduated in 2007 with a first in philosophy, politics and economics.
Is Pete Buttigieg a Rhodes Scholar?
Yes. The Harvard Gazette reported in December 2004 that Peter Buttigieg ’04 of South Bend, Indiana, was among six Rhodes Scholars announced on November 21. Pembroke College confirms that he came to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.
Did Pete Buttigieg win a national essay contest?
Yes. The John F. Kennedy Library announced on May 2, 2000 that Peter Buttigieg, then a high school senior in South Bend, Indiana, won first prize in its national Profile in Courage essay contest. The entry was chosen from more than 600 essays.
How does Pete Buttigieg’s estimated IQ compare with Barack Obama’s?
This site estimates 130–145 for both Pete Buttigieg and Barack Obama. Both ranges rest on academic and achievement records, not tests, and they are identical, so neither can be called higher.
Does a Rhodes Scholarship prove a high IQ?
No. A Rhodes Scholarship is chosen on academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential and physical vigor, the Harvard Gazette says, so it is not a test of IQ. It shows strong standing among candidates, not a score on a scale.
How does my IQ compare with Pete Buttigieg?
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 of Mark Carney by Bryan Berlin (July 19, 2026, at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, WikiPortraits), CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Bob McNeely, The White House, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Background removed for the portrait above. · Official White House photograph by Pete Souza (2012), public domain. Background removed for the portrait above.
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