What is Rowan Atkinson’s IQ?
No test stands behind the 178 given to Rowan Atkinson or Mr. Bean; his Newcastle BSc and Oxford MSc are on record.
Rowan Atkinson’s IQ has never been published: no test, date or examiner stands behind the 178 on celebrity lists, and this site’s estimated IQ level for him is 125–140. What is on record is a BSc in electrical and electronic engineering from Newcastle University (1975) and an Oxford MSc, which he took in place of the DPhil he went there to do.
Rowan Atkinson’s estimated IQ
- A BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University, 1975; Newcastle’s alumni page lists him as “BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1975.”
- An MSc in Electrical Engineering from The Queen’s College, Oxford, which he entered in 1975. He has said he was there to do a DPhil and “ended up just with a Masters, with an MSc” (The Arts Desk, January 19, 2013).
- A master’s thesis, published in 1978, on the application of self-tuning control, according to Wikipedia.
- Listed by The Queen’s College, Oxford, as “BSc Newc, MSc Oxf” and Honorary Fellow.
- Appointed CBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity, and credited with two BAFTAs by Newcastle University.
A BSc and an MSc in engineering are checkable qualifications, but none of the Newcastle, Oxford or Wikipedia pages records a class of degree, and Atkinson did not take the doctorate. Qualifications and awards show study and achievement, not a tested IQ, so this range is an estimate from the record and not a score.
- Born
- January 6, 1955 — Consett, County Durham (Wikipedia also gives Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne)
- Field
- Acting, comedy
- Education
- BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Newcastle University, 1975; MSc Electrical Engineering, The Queen’s College, Oxford
- Known for
- Mr. Bean (1990–1995); Blackadder (1983–1989); Not the Nine O’Clock News (1979–1982); Johnny English
- Honors
- CBE, 2013; Honorary Fellow, The Queen’s College, Oxford
- Published IQ test result
- None
What an IQ of 125–140 actually means
Set the claim aside for a moment. If someone genuinely scored in this range, here is what that would represent.
Average is 100 by construction, and about two-thirds of people fall between 85 and 115. Take the test to place your own score on this scale.
| 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 Rowan Atkinson is
Rowan Atkinson was born on January 6, 1955, in Consett, County Durham; Wikipedia also gives Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne. He received a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University in 1975 and went to The Queen’s College, Oxford, the same year. The college lists him as “BSc Newc, MSc Oxf,” and its October 2024 news item calls him a Queen’s Old Member and Honorary Fellow, “Engineering, 1975.”
Wikipedia says his master’s thesis, published in 1978, considered the application of self-tuning control, a method in which a controller adjusts its own settings. Comedy took the time the doctorate needed. He wrote and performed sketches for student revue groups in Oxford, including the Experimental Theatre Club’s Etceteras, met the writer Richard Curtis there, and in August 1976 won national attention in The Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He told The Arts Desk he was “distracted sufficiently not to be able to realise my academic ambitions as much as I should have done.”
He first gained success on Not the Nine O’Clock News (BBC Two, October 16, 1979, to March 8, 1982; 27 episodes in four series), which won a BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Programme in 1982. Blackadder ran on BBC One from 1983 to 1989, written by Curtis with Atkinson (series one) and Ben Elton (series two to four). Mr. Bean, created with Curtis, began on ITV on January 1, 1990, and ran for 14 episodes until 1995; Wikipedia says the character was developed while Atkinson was studying for his master’s degree.
His films include Bean (1997), Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007) and the Johnny English series (2003, 2011 and 2018); the four-part Netflix series Man vs Baby, which he co-created and wrote with William Davies, premiered on December 11, 2025. He was appointed CBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours, and Newcastle University says he has won two BAFTAs. The Queen’s College lists him as an Honorary Fellow.
By Elora Mercer, Celebrity Research WriterFigures checked by Leon Falkner, Data & Research AnalystReviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Last reviewed October 2026
Rowan Atkinson: 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 on January 6 in Consett, County Durham (Wikipedia also gives Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne).
- 1975Receives a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University, then goes to The Queen’s College, Oxford.
- 1976Wins national attention in The Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.
- 1978His master’s thesis on the application of self-tuning control is published, according to Wikipedia; the Oxford degree he ends with is an MSc, not a DPhil.
- 1979Joins Not the Nine O’Clock News on BBC Two; first broadcast October 16.
- 1982Not the Nine O’Clock News wins a BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Programme; the series ends on March 8.
- 1983The Black Adder, the first Blackadder series, begins on BBC One.
- 1990Mr. Bean debuts on ITV on January 1.
- 2013Appointed CBE in the Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
- 2025Man vs Baby, co-created with William Davies, premieres on Netflix on December 11.
Where the 178 figure came from
Following a claim back to its first appearance is the part almost nobody does — and it is what most people are actually asking.
The 178 comes from celebrity lists, and none of them names a test. The t-online.de gallery “Diese Stars sind besonders intelligent” says “Der Schauspieler hat einen IQ von 178” with no date and no source beyond a photo credit. Fiction Horizon (February 18, 2026) says his intelligence quotient “is reported to be 178.” A German FAQ page dated June 16, 2023 credits another website as its source.
Mr. Bean has no IQ of his own. That German page is headed “Wie hoch ist der IQ von Mister Bean?” (“How high is Mister Bean’s IQ?”) and answers with Rowan Atkinson’s 178 and the claim that he has an even higher IQ than Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, so a question about the character is answered with a number for the actor. Wikipedia’s article on the character has no statement about his intelligence; it describes him as immature and self-absorbed and quotes Atkinson, in 2011 interviews, calling him “a child at heart” who is “aged 11 really, mentally.” That describes how a comic character is written, and a character cannot sit a test.
What is documented is an engineering education, not a score. Newcastle University’s alumni page lists him as “BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1975,” and The Queen’s College lists him as “BSc Newc, MSc Oxf” and Honorary Fellow. Atkinson, who went to Oxford in 1975 after his Newcastle degree, told The Arts Desk (January 19, 2013) that he “was there to do a DPhil,” and “I didn’t do a DPhil, I ended up just with a Masters, with an MSc.” The line that he never finished his PhD is therefore right in substance; Wikipedia says only that he “briefly embarked on a PhD study.”
The comparison that holds is with people whose degrees are documented. Brian May earned his Imperial College PhD in 2007 for work started in 1971, Mayim Bialik a UCLA neuroscience PhD in 2007 and John Urschel an MIT mathematics PhD in 2021; their ranges on this site are 140–155, 140–155 and 145–160, against Atkinson’s 125–140. His Blackadder co-star Stephen Fry, who played Lord Melchett and General Melchett, is at 130–145. For how numbers like 178 spread from list to list, see where celebrity IQ numbers come from.
How we read a number →Atkinson on his Oxford years: he went to Oxford in 1975 after his first degree at Newcastle, was there to do a DPhil, did not do one and “ended up just with a Masters, with an MSc.” He gives no IQ figure.
Lists “Rowan Atkinson CBE (BSc Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1975)”; says he was awarded a CBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity and “has won two BAFTAs.” No IQ.
The people page lists “Mr Rowan Atkinson, BSc Newc, MSc Oxf, Honorary Fellow”; the news item calls him a Queen’s Old Member and Honorary Fellow, “Engineering, 1975,” and the narrator of An Oxford Elegy. Neither page gives the year of the fellowship or a class of degree.
Born January 6, 1955 (Consett, or Gosforth); BSc at Newcastle in 1975; MSc at Queen’s; master’s thesis published in 1978 on self-tuning control; “briefly embarked on a PhD study”; Oxford Revue at the Fringe in August 1976; CBE in 2013. No mention of IQ or Mensa.
Not the Nine O’Clock News: BBC Two, October 16, 1979, to March 8, 1982, 27 episodes, BAFTA for Best Light Entertainment Programme in 1982. Blackadder: BBC One, 1983 to 1989, four series. Mr. Bean: ITV, January 1, 1990, to 1995, 14 episodes. Man vs Baby: Netflix, December 11, 2025.
Describes Bean as “immature, self-absorbed, extremely competitive”; quotes Atkinson in 2011 interviews: “Mr Bean is a child at heart” and “He is aged 11 really, mentally.” Says the character was developed while Atkinson studied for his master’s degree. Contains no statement about the character’s intelligence or IQ.
Used for the comparisons: May’s Imperial College PhD in 2007 for work started in 1971; Bialik’s UCLA PhD in neuroscience in 2007; Urschel’s MIT PhD in mathematics in 2021; Stephen Fry as Lord Melchett (Blackadder II) and General Melchett (Blackadder Goes Forth).
Says he studied electrical engineering at Newcastle University, took “a master’s degree at Queen’s College, Oxford” and took part in student revues at the Edinburgh Fringe from 1973 to 1977. No mention of IQ.
An IQ-test company’s review. Says no verified score exists, that the 178 “comes from unsourced celebrity listicles that cite no test, date, or examiner,” and that there is no verified record of Mensa membership. Does not state 170 or 139.
Slide 21 says Atkinson has an IQ of 178. No test, date, source or disclaimer; the only attribution is a photo credit. No publication date shown.
Answers the question about the character with “Rowan Atkinson: IQ 178” and says he has a higher IQ than Hawking and Einstein. Names no test; points to another website as its source.
Says his “intelligence quotient is reported to be 178.” No test, date or source; the only hedge is the word “reported.”
Checked: Wikipedia’s biography, Newcastle University’s and Queen’s College’s entries for him, the Chortle biography and the 2013 Arts Desk interview. None gives a tested score, a test name or a date.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Rowan Atkinson, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
An IQ of 178 is the figure attached to Rowan Atkinson on celebrity lists, and at least one page gives the same number as the answer to a question about Mr. Bean, the character he plays. Figures of 170 and 139 have also been attributed to him, but no page states either.
No test, date or examiner is named for the 178 on any page that gives it. Four pages give or discuss it: a t-online.de photo gallery (“Der Schauspieler hat einen IQ von 178”), a German FAQ page dated June 16, 2023, a Fiction Horizon list dated February 18, 2026 (“reported to be 178”) and a Riot IQ review dated August 9, 2026 that calls it “internet folklore.” Atkinson’s 2013 Arts Desk interview, his Wikipedia biography and the Newcastle and Queen’s College entries for him say nothing about an IQ.
Only 178 appears on the pages that give a figure, and none of them names a test. No page states 170 or 139, so those two are unconfirmed and left off the chart. A figure that travels from list to list without a test name cannot be checked, which is why this page rates the documented record instead.
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.
Rowan Atkinson — frequently asked
What is Rowan Atkinson’s IQ?
Rowan Atkinson’s IQ is not known: no test result has been published, and the 178 listed for him on celebrity pages names no test, date or examiner. This site’s estimated IQ level for him is 125–140, based on his Newcastle BSc (1975), his Oxford MSc and his career, not on a score.
Is Rowan Atkinson’s IQ really 178?
There is no evidence for it. The pages that give 178 cite no test, and Riot IQ calls it “internet folklore.” A German FAQ says he has a higher IQ than Hawking and Einstein, yet Albert Einstein has no test on record either. See the highest IQ score a test can report.
What is Mr. Bean’s IQ?
No source states an IQ for Mr. Bean the character, and Wikipedia’s article on him has no statement about his intelligence. Atkinson created him with Richard Curtis and plays him, and has called him “a child at heart.” The 178 given for “Mr. Bean” is the actor’s listed figure and has no test behind it.
Did Rowan Atkinson take an IQ test?
No test is on record. His Wikipedia biography, the Newcastle and Queen’s College entries for him and his 2013 Arts Desk interview, which covers his Newcastle and Oxford years, give no IQ. Whether he sat a test privately is not recorded, so any score quoted for him is unsourced.
How smart is Rowan Atkinson?
His record points to high academic ability: a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (1975), an Oxford MSc and a master’s thesis on self-tuning control. That supports this site’s estimated range of 125–140, not a genius label. His Blackadder co-star Stephen Fry is rated 130–145 here.
What did Rowan Atkinson study, and what degrees does he have?
Electrical engineering. Newcastle University awarded him a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 1975; he then went to The Queen’s College, Oxford, which lists him as “BSc Newc, MSc Oxf.” The pages that list them do not record a class of degree for either.
Did Rowan Atkinson finish his PhD?
No. Atkinson told The Arts Desk (January 19, 2013) that he went to Oxford to do a DPhil, “and I didn’t do a DPhil, I ended up just with a Masters.” Wikipedia says he briefly embarked on a PhD study before devoting his full attention to acting.
What honors does Rowan Atkinson hold?
The Queen’s College, Oxford, lists him as an Honorary Fellow. He was appointed CBE in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity, and Newcastle University credits him with two BAFTAs. These record his work, not an intelligence measure.
Why does this page give an estimated range of 125–140 instead of one number?
Because no score exists to report. The range is an estimate from his documented qualifications and career. For comparison, Brian May (Imperial College PhD, 2007) is at 140–155 and John Urschel (MIT PhD, 2021) at 145–160. See what an IQ of 125 and 140 means.
How does my IQ compare with Rowan Atkinson?
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 actors profiles, starting with Natalie Portman.
- 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 actors profiles — same field, same method
More actors
Photograph by PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Montclair Film, CC BY 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by iDominick (PaleyFest, March 2013), CC BY-SA 2.0. Background removed for the portrait above.
An estimate is an inference.
Yours can be measured.
Thirty questions, scored against general-population benchmarks. Your score, your percentile, your ability breakdown and a printable IIF certificate.
Find your IQ score now! →