Updated 20 November 2025
Key takeaways:
- 37% of American Gen Z insist they’re smarter than past generations, citing adapting to trends (85%), AI prompting (48%), and understanding memes (46%) as clear signs of intelligence.
- Just 54% see college as useful, with a desire for higher education to teach modern subjects such as mental health first aid (70%), climate survival (50%), and AI prompt engineering (30%).
- Finance is an area of struggle for many Gen Zers, with 46% unable to understand cryptocurrency, 33% unsure about inflation and interest rates, and 8% unable to identify the number of cents in a dollar.
Generation Z has had their brains melted by social media, their laid-back attitude is telling of their intellect, and the infamous Gen Z stare? It’s proof of their low IQ. According to some, anyway.
Yet, the “stupid” Gen Z stereotype seems silly when you consider they’re the most highly educated generation yet, tech comes naturally to them, and they recognize the importance of ethics and the environment – pushing for societal improvement in ways their predecessors struggled with.
EduBirdie surveyed 2000 Americans aged 18-27 to find out how they define intelligence, what makes someone brainy, and whether there’s any truth to claims that intellect is in freefall. The results show that Gen Z doesn’t lack smarts – but intelligence today does look very different from the past.
For Gen Z, intelligence comes in many forms. While 91% still equate being well-educated and well-read with brains, 83% that tech savviness is another clear sign of smarts. You don’t even have to master coding – 48% believe crafting clever prompts for artificial intelligence sets you apart.
Knowledge is usually a good sign of a good brain, but it doesn’t necessarily matter which subjects you excel in. In fact, 46% insist that a strong meme game is a sign of intelligence.
While Gen Z believes intelligence can present itself in many ways, tech competence is a clear marker for the young generation. That shows who Gen Zers believe to be the world’s smartest people – Elon Musk (46%), Mark Zuckerberg (41%), and Jeff Bezos (35%), three of the most successful names in tech.
While past generations may scold youngsters for sharing their lives online, getting tattoos, or whatever else they gripe about… Gen Z is just as quick to judge their elders. Some 53% admit feeling embarrassed by how slowly older generations developed technology, though 42% recognize that every generation has its limits.
Knowledge often comes at a high price – today, the average annual cost of college in the US tops $38,000. But is it worth it?
While 54% of Gen Zers believe college provides useful skills and knowledge, 32% say it’s solely as a way to strengthen their resume, and 8% insist it offers no real value at all.
What would make college more appealing? Classes that actually prepare students for today’s world and workplace. Some 70% want mental health first aid on the syllabus, while 50% want classes on climate crisis survival. Likewise, 30% want to study AI prompt engineering, and 12% want to learn the secrets to social media success.
For Gen Z, growing up in the digital age meant having endless knowledge just a few clicks away. Yet, despite having Google, Yahoo!, and Ask Jeeves (for the eldest among them) as teachers, there are glaring gaps in the young generation’s knowledge.
Just 38% know when humans first appeared on Earth, for instance, with 5% convinced humanity started just 2025 years ago.
And while 87% correctly name George Washington as the founding president of the United States, 6% believe Abraham Lincoln – the 16th to take the title – was actually the first.
Gen Z fairs or fails worse when it comes to modern history. While 72% know the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, 19% confuse it with the Great Wall of China, which is still mostly standing today. Likewise, 8% believe it was Wall Street – a financial hub, not a wall – that was brought down.
When it comes to literature, most Gen Zers get a pass: 88% correctly identified William Shakespeare as the author of Hamlet. However, 12% attribute one of the greatest tragedies ever written to Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, or Jane Austen.
But if there’s one subject where Gen Z stumbled most, it’s geography. Just 64% could correctly point to Madrid as Spain’s capital, while 32% mislabeled the coastal city of Barcelona – more famous for beaches, architecture, and soccer than government.
Is Gen Z stupid? Not at all. While some may flunk a general knowledge quiz, that doesn’t define a whole generation’s intelligence.
Most young people can navigate technology without a second thought – unlike their parents, who still haven’t worked out how to add an attachment to an email. So, what is the smartest generation? According to Gen Z, digital fluency is far more telling of intelligence, with 37% believing they’re smarter than their predecessors.
And while experience may come with age, many Gen Zers aren’t convinced it makes their elders any wiser. In fact, 28% insist they’re smarter than their own boss or supervisor.
In today’s unpredictable economy, finance is one area where Gen Zers can’t afford to be clueless. Yet, 8% don’t even know how many cents are in a dollar – with 2% believing it’s ten, 3% certain it’s 50, and 3% sure it’s tied to inflation.
However, while most Gen Zers can count cents, money still trips most of them up. Some 46% admit they struggle to understand cryptocurrency, while 33% can’t wrap their heads around inflation and interest rates. From compound interest (28%) to credit scores (22%), mortgages and loans (22%), Gen Z has a lot of work to do when it comes to understanding their finances.
Is Gen Z a smart generation? Clearly. Gen Zers navigate technology effortlessly, can grow a social media following like no other, and (for the most part) have no struggles when it comes to conventional education. Intelligence comes in many shapes and forms, and like every generation before and after them, Gen Z has it in abundance.
