# PSAT National Merit Cutoffs by State: Classes of 2027 and 2026

Source: https://1600.now/psat-national-merit-cutoffs
Last updated: 2026-10-02

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Scores

## National Merit Cutoffs by State

Class of 2027 National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs refer to the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT and the September 2026 announcements. The state figures below are reported by the named cutoff trackers; confirm recognition with your school or NMSC. October 2026 juniors enter the class of 2028 competition.

Written by [Luke Finigan](https://1600.now/about)

Updated Oct 2, 2026

State

Reading and Writing

Math

Your index —

Commended 208

Class of 2027 208–223

Class of 2026 210–225

Enter both section scores to see your Selection Index.

### Reported Semifinalist cutoffs

State values are transcribed from Compass Education Group’s cutoff table, checked October 2, 2026. They are reported figures, rather than a state table published here by NMSC. The school notification and NMSC determine your recognition.

**National Merit Semifinalist cutoffs by state, class of 2027 and class of 2026**

| State | Class of 2027 | Class of 2026 | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alabama | 210 | 214 | −4 |
| Alaska | 208 | 215 | −7 |
| Arizona | 215 | 218 | −3 |
| Arkansas | 210 | 215 | −5 |
| California | 220 | 224 | −4 |
| Colorado | 217 | 219 | −2 |
| Connecticut | 220 | 223 | −3 |
| Delaware | 219 | 220 | −1 |
| District of Columbia | 223 | 225 | −2 |
| Florida | 216 | 219 | −3 |
| Georgia | 217 | 220 | −3 |
| Hawaii | 218 | 219 | −1 |
| Idaho | 211 | 215 | −4 |
| Illinois | 218 | 222 | −4 |
| Indiana | 215 | 218 | −3 |
| Iowa | 210 | 214 | −4 |
| Kansas | 212 | 216 | −4 |
| Kentucky | 211 | 214 | −3 |
| Louisiana | 211 | 216 | −5 |
| Maine | 214 | 217 | −3 |
| Maryland | 221 | 224 | −3 |
| Massachusetts | 221 | 225 | −4 |
| Michigan | 216 | 220 | −4 |
| Minnesota | 214 | 219 | −5 |
| Mississippi | 211 | 213 | −2 |
| Missouri | 214 | 217 | −3 |
| Montana | 208 | 213 | −5 |
| Nebraska | 212 | 214 | −2 |
| Nevada | 211 | 214 | −3 |
| New Hampshire | 215 | 219 | −4 |
| New Jersey | 223 | 225 | −2 |
| New Mexico | 209 | 210 | −1 |
| New York | 220 | 223 | −3 |
| North Carolina | 217 | 220 | −3 |
| North Dakota | 208 | 210 | −2 |
| Ohio | 216 | 219 | −3 |
| Oklahoma | 210 | 212 | −2 |
| Oregon | 216 | 219 | −3 |
| Pennsylvania | 219 | 221 | −2 |
| Rhode Island | 213 | 219 | −6 |
| South Carolina | 212 | 215 | −3 |
| South Dakota | 210 | 211 | −1 |
| Tennessee | 214 | 219 | −5 |
| Texas | 219 | 222 | −3 |
| Utah | 209 | 213 | −4 |
| Vermont | 212 | 216 | −4 |
| Virginia | 221 | 224 | −3 |
| Washington | 221 | 224 | −3 |
| West Virginia | 208 | 210 | −2 |
| Wisconsin | 212 | 215 | −3 |
| Wyoming | 208 | 210 | −2 |
| U.S. territories | 208 | 210 | −2 |
| U.S. students abroad | 223 | 225 | −2 |

* Compass Education Group lists Maryland at 221 and McElroy Tutoring at 222. At 221, confirm your status with your school counselor.

† Same as the Commended line, 208.

Your state is where you went to school when you took the PSAT/NMSQT. Homeschooled students count in their home state.

### Selection Index

Your Selection Index is: $$\frac{2 \times \text{Reading and Writing} + \text{Math}}{10}$$

720 Reading and Writing with 710 Math gives $(2 \times 720 + 710) \div 10 = 215$. Swap them and it drops to 214, from the same 1430 total. Each section runs from 160 to 760, so the index runs from 48 to 228.

### Which year’s cutoff do you need?

“2026 cutoff” can mean the graduating class of 2026 or a result announced during calendar year 2026. Those are different competitions. Use the graduation-year column, then match the junior-year PSAT date.

| Graduating class | Junior PSAT/NMSQT | Semifinalist announcement |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 | October 2024 | September 2025 |
| 2027 | October 2025 | September 9, 2026 |
| 2028 | October 2026 | Expected fall 2027; cutoff unknown |

The class of 2027 Commended line is reported as 208; the class of 2026 line was 210. Commended uses a national line, so Washington and Arizona do not have separate Commended cutoffs. Their Semifinalist cutoffs are state-specific.

### A cutoff is a score line, not complete eligibility

For 640 Reading and Writing and 710 Math, the Selection Index is 199. That is below the reported Kansas lines of 212 for class of 2027 and 216 for class of 2026. The PSAT total of 1350 is a different number. An index of 2660 is outside the 48–228 PSAT Selection Index scale.

A 220 index meets the listed class of 2027 score line in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, South Carolina and Ohio. It falls below the listed Massachusetts and Washington line of 221. This compares score thresholds only; entry requirements and the correct program year still matter.

Check the eligibility statement on your PSAT/NMSQT report. Meeting a reported cutoff does not automatically make you a Finalist or scholarship winner. Semifinalists must complete NMSC’s application and additional requirements, including its confirming-score instructions where applicable. An SAT score ordinarily does not replace the qualifying PSAT; alternate entry has a separate process.

Maryland remains flagged because Compass lists 221 and McElroy lists 222. If your index is 221 there, use your school’s notification or NMSC confirmation instead of treating either tracker as a final status decision.

### Testing in October 2026

Juniors taking the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2026 are the class of 2028. Scores come out October 22, November 5 or November 12, depending on when your school gives the test. Class of 2028 cutoffs come out around September 2027.

Class of 2028 cutoffs are not known yet. The two previous classes provide historical context, not a promised qualifying score. Do not assume that the higher previous cutoff will be sufficient for a future class.

[Practice Reading and Writing](https://1600.now/bank/reading/browse)

Checked October 2, 2026 · [NMSC program recognition and Selection Index](https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?cc=1&gid=2&pgid=1881&sid=1758) · [NMSC September 9, 2026 Semifinalist announcement](https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?gid=2&no_cookie=1&pgid=405&sid=1758) · [Compass reported state cutoffs](https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/) · [McElroy reported state cutoffs](https://mcelroytutoring.com/blog-post.php?id=5332) · [College Board score ranges](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/what-scores-mean) · [College Board score release dates](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/score-release-dates)