What is Pope Leo XIV’s IQ?
A math degree and a Rome doctorate are on file. The 145 is not.
No IQ test result has been published for Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost), and no source gives the “145” people search for. What is documented — a Villanova mathematics degree, a canon law doctorate in Rome, five languages and 12 years leading the Augustinian order — supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145.
Pope Leo XIV’s estimated IQ
- A degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, followed by philosophy studies there (Holy See Press Office); Villanova’s president, the Rev. Peter Donohue, said he graduated in 1977 with a bachelor of science in mathematics (Bangor Daily News, May 9, 2025).
- A theology degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago: CTU records a Master of Divinity in 1982, and the Vatican biography lists a licentiate in theology in 1981.
- A licentiate in canon law in 1984 and a doctoral dissertation, “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine,” at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome: the Vatican biography dates the defense to 1985 and the publication two years later, while Vatican News gives 1987.
- Five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian (Holy See Press Office).
- Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, elected in 2001 and confirmed for a second six-year term in 2007; Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, from September 26, 2015; Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops from January 30, 2023; cardinal on September 30, 2023; elected pope on May 8, 2025.
No grade average, class rank, entrance score or IQ test is on record, so this range is inferred, not measured. Degrees and offices show sustained work and selection by others, but much of his record is pastoral and administrative, which an IQ test does not measure. A different reading of the same record could sit a little above or below this band.
- Born
- September 14, 1955, Chicago, Illinois
- Education
- Saint Augustine Seminary High School, Holland, Michigan; Villanova University, mathematics (1977); Catholic Theological Union, Chicago (Master of Divinity, 1982, per CTU); Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome: licentiate (1984) and doctorate in canon law
- Doctoral dissertation
- The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine (defended 1985 per the Vatican biography, published two years later; Vatican News gives 1987)
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian (Holy See Press Office)
- Offices
- Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (elected 2001, second term 2007; 12 years); Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru (September 26, 2015); Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (January 30, 2023); cardinal (September 30, 2023)
- Current office
- Elected pope on May 8, 2025; in office as of October 2026
- Test on record
- No IQ test result published; no SAT score, class rank or grade average on record
- Estimated range here
- 130–145 (academic record, completed doctorate)
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 Pope Leo XIV is
On Pope Leo XIV’s education and IQ, the record is specific about schools and silent about any test. Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Saint Mary School of the Assumption and Saint Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, Michigan. He then went to Villanova University in Pennsylvania. There he obtained a degree in mathematics in 1977 and pursued studies in philosophy (Holy See Press Office). He entered the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine on September 1, 1977, made his first profession on September 2, 1978 and his solemn profession on August 29, 1981.
His theology studies were at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, which records a Master of Divinity in 1982; the Vatican biography lists a licentiate in theology there in 1981. He was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, in Rome. He then studied canon law, the Church’s system of law, at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, known as the Angelicum, in Rome. He obtained the licentiate in canon law in 1984 and wrote a dissertation, “The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of Saint Augustine”. The Vatican biography says he defended it in 1985 and that it was published two years later; Vatican News and Wikipedia date the doctorate to 1987.
He then worked abroad. In 1985 he was assigned to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, in the Piura region of Peru. In 1988 he returned to the mission in Trujillo, where he taught canon law, moral theology and patristics (Holy See Press Office). Vatican News lists him as prior of the community from 1988 to 1992 and as judicial vicar from 1989 to 1998. In 1998 he was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinians’ province in Chicago. The Order’s General Chapter elected him Prior General in 2001 and confirmed him for a second six-year term in 2007; the Augustinians count 12 years in that office.
Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, on September 26, 2015. He became Apostolic Administrator of Callao on April 15, 2020 and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops on January 30, 2023. Pope Francis created him a cardinal on September 30, 2023. He was elected pope on May 8, 2025, the first pope from the United States and the first from the Order of Saint Augustine (Wikipedia). As of October 2026 he holds the office. The Holy See Press Office says he speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian. That shows study and practice. Bilingualism and IQ are separate questions.
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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Pope Leo XIV: 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.
- 1955Born September 14 in Chicago, Illinois.
- 1977Degree in mathematics from Villanova University; enters the novitiate of the Order of Saint Augustine on September 1.
- 1982Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union, per CTU; ordained a priest on June 19.
- 1984Licentiate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome.
- 1985Defends his canon law dissertation, per the Vatican biography; assigned to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Peru.
- 1987Dissertation published; Vatican News dates the doctorate to this year.
- 2001Elected Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine; confirmed for a second term in 2007.
- 2015Appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, on September 26.
- 2023Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops on January 30; created a cardinal on September 30.
- 2025Elected pope on May 8 and takes the name Leo XIV.
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.
Pope Leo XIV’s IQ is not on record: no IQ test result has been published for him, and no source gives the 145 that people attach to his name. “Pope Leo IQ 145” is a phrase people type into search engines, and a suggested search is not a test result. Nothing names a test, a date or a person who gave it. What is on record is a mathematics degree from Villanova in 1977, a doctorate in canon law from the Angelicum in Rome, five languages and a career running an international religious order. That record supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145.
Did Pope Leo XIV take an IQ test, and is Pope Leo smart? No Pope Leo IQ test appears in the Holy See Press Office biography, Vatican News, the Catholic Theological Union’s page, the Augustinians’ profile or the remarks of Villanova’s president. They list schools, degrees, posts and dates, never a score. A number without a named test, a date and a tester is a guess, which is how celebrity IQ numbers usually arise. “Smart” fits a mathematics degree and a Rome doctorate. It is not a score.
The most specific evidence is the mathematics degree. The Vatican biography says he obtained a degree in mathematics at Villanova University in 1977, and Villanova’s president said the same at the time of the election. The National Catholic Register adds that he is thought to be the first math major to become pope. A math degree is a fair sign of quantitative reasoning. But achievement records are not IQ tests, no grades are published, and the same record would fit scores a little above or below this band.
Among this site’s politics profiles, the Pope Leo XIV IQ level falls in the same band as Mark Carney, also estimated at 130–145 from a completed doctorate, and as Barack Obama. It sits below the 138–155 given to Angela Merkel, whose estimate also rests on a completed doctorate. The comparison is by degree level and kind of evidence, not by office. On the usual scale, 145 is three standard deviations above average, about 1 person in 740 (what an IQ of 145 means). That is the top of this band. Nothing on record puts him there rather than lower in it.
How we read a number →States birth on September 14, 1955 in Chicago; Saint Mary School of the Assumption and Saint Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, Michigan; a degree in mathematics at Villanova in 1977 followed by philosophy studies; a licentiate in theology at the Catholic Theological Union in 1981; the licentiate in canon law in 1984 at the Angelicum and a doctoral dissertation defended in 1985 and published two years later; novitiate on September 1, 1977; priestly ordination on June 19, 1982; the Peru missions of 1985 and 1988; election as Prior General in 2001 and a second term in 2007; Bishop of Chiclayo on September 26, 2015; Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops on January 30, 2023; cardinal on September 30, 2023; election on May 8, 2025; and “He speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.” No IQ, SAT score or class rank appears.
Says he earned a degree in mathematics at Villanova in 1977 and also studied philosophy; gives 1984 for the licentiate and 1987 for the doctoral thesis; dates his priestly ordination to June 19, 1982; lists his offices as community prior (1988–1992), judicial vicar (1989–1998), Apostolic Administrator of Callao (April 15, 2020), Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (January 30, 2023) and cardinal (September 30, 2023). It lists no languages and gives no test score.
Says he earned his Master of Divinity degree from CTU in 1982 after joining the Augustinians in 1977. CTU’s page says he was ordained “the following year,” which differs from the Vatican’s date of June 19, 1982. No test score appears.
Describes him as a graduate of Villanova University, says he served as prior general for 12 years and worked as a missionary pastor in Peru, and quotes an Augustinian friar saying he speaks multiple languages without naming them. It gives no IQ or class rank.
Quotes Villanova president the Rev. Peter Donohue saying he graduated in 1977 with a bachelor of science in mathematics. It contains no IQ figure.
Says he is thought to be the first math major to become pope and that its own non-exhaustive search found no earlier pope who studied math as a primary emphasis. It is cautious about the exact years of his study and gives no IQ or grades.
Wikidata Q6109517 is labeled “Leo XIV,” “267th Pope of the Catholic Church (2025–),” born September 14, 1955, with “Robert Francis Prevost” as birth name; a separate item, Robert Prévost, is a different person. Wikipedia gives the “first pope from the United States” and first from the Order of Saint Augustine. It does not give an IQ.
The Vatican’s official biography, Vatican News, the Catholic Theological Union, the Augustinians, Villanova’s president and newspaper profiles record schools, degrees, offices and dates only. None contains an IQ, SAT or class-rank record, and none gives a source for a figure of 145.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Pope Leo XIV, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
People search for “Pope Leo IQ 145,” but no page gives a test, a date or a testing body for that number. A search suggestion shows what people type. It is not a test result.
No published IQ test result exists for Pope Leo XIV. The Holy See Press Office biography, Vatican News, the Catholic Theological Union, the Augustinians and the remarks of Villanova’s president give degrees, offices and dates, and none gives an IQ, an SAT score, a class rank or a grade average. The National Catholic Register’s article on his mathematics background says he is thought to be the first math major to become pope, and it gives no score either.
There is no sourced figure to set against this range, only the 145 that people search for. It sits at the top edge of the band, not above it, so it is the most generous reading of the record rather than the middle of it. The midpoint of the band is about 138, and a search term is not a measurement.
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.
Pope Leo XIV — frequently asked
What is Pope Leo XIV’s IQ?
No IQ test result has been published for Pope Leo XIV, so his IQ is not on record. His documented record, a Villanova mathematics degree, a canon law doctorate from the Angelicum in Rome, five languages and 12 years leading the Augustinian order, supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145.
Is Pope Leo’s IQ 145?
No source gives Pope Leo an IQ of 145. The number appears in search queries, but no test, date or testing body stands behind it. The top of this page’s estimated range is also 145, so it is possible, but nothing on record puts him there.
Did Pope Leo XIV take an IQ test?
No Pope Leo IQ test result has been published as of October 2026. The Vatican biography, Vatican News, the Catholic Theological Union and the Augustinians list degrees, offices and dates, never a score. A degree or a papal election is not an IQ test.
Is Pope Leo smart or a genius?
Smart fits a mathematics degree, a doctorate in canon law and five languages. Genius is a label, not a score, and without a test it cannot be assigned. His record supports an estimated IQ of about 130–145, far above the average of 100, and no more.
Does Pope Leo have a math degree, and what else did he study?
Yes. Pope Leo XIV earned a degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977. He then studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and canon law at the Angelicum in Rome, with a licentiate in 1984 and a doctorate. These are achievement records, not IQ results.
What languages does Pope Leo XIV speak?
According to the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo XIV speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian. Language skill shows study and practice, not an IQ score.
How does Pope Leo XIV’s estimated IQ compare with Mark Carney’s?
IQ Metrics estimates Pope Leo XIV at 130–145, the same range as Mark Carney and Barack Obama, and below the 138–155 given to Angela Merkel. All of these figures are estimates from public records, not measurements.
How does my IQ compare with Pope Leo XIV?
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
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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. · Official White House photograph by Pete Souza (2012), public domain. Background removed for the portrait above. · Official U.S. government portrait (Department of Defense / Department of the Navy, 1977), via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Background removed for the portrait above.
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