How an extra year at school keeps you sharp at 80

ONE extra year in school can make people mentally sharper into their eighties, according to new research.

A study of more than 600,000 participants found an extra year in class led to IQ scores that were up to five points higher than those who quit school 12 months earlier.

The small but ‘noticeable’ differences lasted into old age – providing the best evidence yet that education really does improve brain power, say scientists.

Previously studies have found going to university reduces the risk of developing dementia later in life.

Lead author Dr Stuart Ritchie, of Edinburgh University, said: ‘The most surprising finding was how long-lasting the effects seemed to be – appearing even for people who completed intelligence tests in their seventies and eighties.

‘Something about that educational boost seemed to be beneficial right across the lifespan.’

In the first study of its kind Dr Ritchie’s team found an additional year of education was associated with an increase in IQ that ranged from 1.2 to 5.2 - with an overall average of 3.4 points. Dr Ritchie, an expert in human intelligence, said: ‘There is considerable interest in environmental factors that might improve the cognitive skills measured by intelligence tests – and for good reason.

‘These skills are linked not just to higher educational attainment but to superior performance at work, better physical and mental health and greater longevity.’