What is House of Cards's IQ Score?

House of Cards has an IQ Score of 165/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Masterclass tier. The score breaks down to 44/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 37/50 Educational Value, and 43/50 Craft & Quality.

Is House of Cards educational?

House of Cards is strong on educational value, 37/50 on TVI's rubric, which covers academic content, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, life skills, and knowledge transfer.

How does TV Intelligentsia calculate IQ Score?

TV Intelligentsia's IQ Score is calculated as round((Cognitive Stimulation × 0.4 + Educational Value × 0.35 + Craft & Quality × 0.25) × 4), scoring titles from 0 to 200 across five tiers: Masterclass (≥160), Stimulating (≥130), Competent (≥100), Passive (≥70), and Numbing (<70). The framework is published at tvintelligentsia.com/methodology/.

House of Cards , IQ Score 165/200

House of Cards has an IQ Score of 165/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Masterclass tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MPH·Updated 2026-05-21·Methodology

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165/ 200

Masterclass

Measurably increases domain knowledge or cognitive capacity

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

Cinematic Score/50

IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4) · How we score →

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Why you should trust this score

Methodology reviewed by Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician scientist. Master of Public Health, with substantial coursework in research methodology. Reviews the rubric and its application across the adult catalog.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

round(C × 0.40 + E × 0.35 + Q × 0.25) × 4

Database scale

2,282 titles, version-controlled

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The TVI Take

Multiple Emmy nominations and the show that launched Netflix original programming. Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman who manipulates his way to the presidency.

High cognitive demands from the Machiavellian scheming and fourth-wall breaks. Educational value from the political process, even as it exaggerates. Changed how television was distributed and consumed.

Where to Watch

Stream