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Category: Project

Description: In a longitudinal sample of 2593 individuals, we investigated the extent to which individuals with IQs ≤ 90 completed college and when they did whether they experienced the same social and economic benefits of higher-IQ individuals who completed college. We found that while the majority of individuals with IQs ≤ 90 did not have a college degree, approximately one in three women and one in five men did. Importantly, the magnitude of the college effect on occupational status, income, financial independence and law abidingness was independent of IQ level, a finding we replicated using the longitudinal NLSY97 sample. Additional analysis suggested that the association of college with occupational status was causal and that the educational success of individuals with low average IQs may depend on personality factors, family socioeconomic status and genetic endowment. We discuss our finding in the context of the recent expansion in college attainment as well as the relative dearth of research on individuals with low average IQs.