Americans Overestimate Their Own Intelligence

In two nationally representative U.S. surveys conducted in 2009 and 2011, 65% of Americans said they were more intelligent than average. Among respondents with no college or some college education, 55% in the telephone survey and 62% online made that claim, although national data suggested only 47% of people with a high school diploma or GED ranked above average. By contrast, 73% of those with college or graduate degrees rated themselves above average, while estimates indicated that 81% to 84% actually were, meaning this group slightly underestimated its intelligence.

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