The Class of 2027 Commended cutoff is 208, and state Semifinalist cutoffs run from 208 (Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming) to 223 (New Jersey and Washington, D.C.). They came out on September 9, 2026, from the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT, and fell in every state, by 3.2 points on average.
Sources: Semifinalist and Commended qualifying scores set by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for the 2027 and 2026 programs, as reported in state releases. Checked October 15, 2026.
Don't know your Selection Index? Work it out from your section scores with our Selection Index calculator.
Semifinalist Selection Index cutoffs for the Class of 2027 (October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT) and the Class of 2026 (October 2024 PSAT/NMSQT). Students qualify in the state where they attend high school.
| 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 |
| Studying Abroad | 223 | 225 | −2 |
| U.S. Territories | 208 | 210 | −2 |
| Commended (national) | 208 | 210 | −2 |
Every cutoff fell. Across the 50 states and D.C., the average Semifinalist cutoff dropped from 217.6 to 214.4, the lowest average of the digital PSAT era. 37 of the 51 dropped by 3 points or more.
The Class of 2026 had set record highs in many states, so part of this is a swing back. Moves of 3–5 points in a year are now common, which is why last year's number is a guide, not a promise.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation named more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 2027 program, less than 1% of U.S. seniors. To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist completes NMSC's scholarship application with their school and meets its academic and other requirements. Winners of about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships, worth roughly $24 million, are announced in four nationwide releases from April to July 2027.
If you're a junior taking the PSAT/NMSQT this October, you're in the Class of 2028, and your cutoffs won't be known until September 2027. The Class of 2027 numbers are the floor of what you should plan for: if cutoffs rebound toward Class of 2026 levels, you'll need a few more points. We built a state-by-state range for you in National Merit cutoffs for the Class of 2028.
Because Reading and Writing counts double in the Selection Index, it's usually the fastest place to gain: 30 more Reading and Writing points add 6 Selection Index points, the same as 60 more Math points.