Most High-IQ Outside Elite Colleges

A back-of-the-envelope simulation using 2017 university ACT percentiles and enrollment suggests only about 13.8–15.6% of Americans with IQs above 125 attended a top-25 'elite' undergraduate school. Even at very high ability (≈145 IQ), the model estimates only around 50/50 odds of elite-college graduation. The upshot is that elite degrees miss most of the high-ability pool. — This challenges credentialism and argues hiring, research funding, and leadership pipelines should seek talent beyond elite-college pedigrees.