Joe Biden's IQ Estimate: The Ages 18-26 Evidence
A 1.9 GPA, bottom-of-class law school ranking, a plagiarism incident, and a failed course. The clearest negative academic signal of the three modern presidents.
The 18-26 window: Delaware, Syracuse Law, and early career
Joe Biden was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Archmere Academy in 1961 and enrolled at the University of Delaware, where he earned a BA in 1965 with a double major in history and political science. He then attended Syracuse University College of Law, graduating in 1968 with a JD. The ages 18-26 window covers his entire undergraduate and law school career. Biden had a severe stutter from childhood, which he worked to overcome by memorizing poetry and practicing speech in front of a mirror.
Year-by-year achievement chronology
The table below documents a record of consistent academic underperformance throughout the 18-26 window. The plagiarism incident and failed course in law school are the strongest negative indicators.
| Age | Year | Achievement | Cognitive assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1961 | Enters University of Delaware (moderately selective state school) | At expected age |
| 18 | 1961 | 1.9 GPA first semester; parents force him to quit football | Strong negative indicator; failing-level grades |
| 19 | 1962 | Mostly C and D grades for next two semesters | Below-average academic performance |
| 20 | 1963 | Grades 'began to improve, but never became especially good' | Improving but still below average |
| 21 | 1964 | Makes varsity football team (junior year spring practices) | Athletic, not intellectual achievement |
| 22 | 1965 | Graduates University of Delaware, BA history and political science, English minor | At expected age; double major shows breadth |
| 22 | 1965 | C average overall; class rank 506 out of 688 (bottom 27%) | Bottom quartile of graduating class |
| 23 | 1966 | Enters Syracuse University College of Law (low-ranked law school) | At expected age; not a selective program |
| 23 | 1966 | Half scholarship based on financial need (not academic merit) | Need-based, not merit-based aid |
| 23 | 1966 | Calls law school 'the biggest bore in the world'; pulls all-nighters | Negative indicator for intellectual engagement |
| 23 | 1966 | Skips classes, relies on other students' notes | Negative indicator for academic diligence |
| 23 | 1966 | Runs for law school class president, loses by one vote | Social leadership attempt; not intellectual |
| 24 | 1967 | Plagiarism: 15-page paper copies 5 pages from Fordham Law Review article | Strong negative indicator for academic integrity |
| 24 | 1967 | Receives failing 'F' grade, required to retake course | Failed a law school course |
| 25 | 1968 | Consistently near bottom of class throughout law school | Sustained below-average performance |
| 26 | 1968 | Graduates Syracuse Law JD — ranked 76th out of 85 (bottom 10%) | Bottom 10% of law school class |
Assessment and estimate
Strengths: Biden earned a double major (history and political science) with an English minor, showing breadth of interest. He did graduate from both college and law school and was admitted to the Delaware bar. He was a natural social leader—class president in high school—and overcame a severe stutter through memorization techniques, which required discipline. A law professor later noted he was 'one of the great successes after law school,' suggesting practical intelligence may exceed academic performance. Weaknesses: The academic record is the weakest of the three modern presidents. A 1.9 GPA in his first college semester is failing-level. His overall college C average placed him 506th out of 688 graduates (bottom 27%). In law school he ranked 76th out of 85 (bottom 10%). He had a documented plagiarism incident—copying five pages from a published Fordham Law Review article—which resulted in a failing grade and a required course retake. He described law school as 'the biggest bore in the world,' skipped classes, and relied on others' notes. No published writing, thesis, or intellectual output is documented for the entire period. No academic honors of any kind were earned. Placement: In the Simonton distribution, the lowest II-C value is Grant at 130. Biden's record is arguably weaker than Grant's, who at least had no documented academic failures. An informal estimate of 125 places Biden at or near the bottom of the presidential range. The caveat is important: Biden's severe stutter may have depressed some academic measures without fully reflecting his cognitive ability, and his long, successful political career suggests practical intelligence that standardized academic performance did not capture.