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Class of 2027 Selection Index cutoffs for all 50 states, Washington DC and US students abroad, with four years of history so you can see where your state is headed.
National Merit Semifinalists are chosen by state. Your PSAT/NMSQT scores from junior year are converted into a Selection Index, and you qualify if your index meets your state’s cutoff. Because each state receives a fixed share of the roughly 16,000 Semifinalist spots, a strong score in one state can fall short in another.
The table shows every state’s class of 2027 cutoff next to the three prior years. State names link to our local SAT and PSAT tutoring pages where we have them.
| State ↕ | Class of 2027 ↕ | 2026 ↕ | 2025 ↕ | 2024 ↕ | Change vs 2026 ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 210 | 214 | 212 | 210 | -4 |
| Alaska | 208 | 215 | 214 | 209 | -7 |
| Arizona | 215 | 218 | 217 | 216 | -3 |
| Arkansas | 210 | 215 | 213 | 210 | -5 |
| California | 220 | 224 | 221 | 221 | -4 |
| Colorado | 217 | 219 | 218 | 216 | -2 |
| Connecticut | 220 | 223 | 221 | 221 | -3 |
| Delaware | 219 | 220 | 219 | 219 | -1 |
| District of Columbia | 223 | 225 | 223 | 223 | -2 |
| Florida | 216 | 219 | 217 | 216 | -3 |
| Georgia | 217 | 220 | 218 | 217 | -3 |
| Hawaii | 218 | 219 | 217 | 217 | -1 |
| Idaho | 211 | 215 | 213 | 211 | -4 |
| Illinois | 218 | 222 | 220 | 219 | -4 |
| Indiana | 215 | 218 | 217 | 216 | -3 |
| Iowa | 210 | 214 | 212 | 210 | -4 |
| Kansas | 212 | 216 | 215 | 214 | -4 |
| Kentucky | 211 | 214 | 213 | 211 | -3 |
| Louisiana | 211 | 216 | 214 | 214 | -5 |
| Maine | 214 | 217 | 214 | 213 | -3 |
| Maryland | 221 | 224 | 222 | 221 | -3 |
| Massachusetts | 221 | 225 | 223 | 222 | -4 |
| Michigan | 216 | 220 | 218 | 217 | -4 |
| Minnesota | 214 | 219 | 217 | 216 | -5 |
| Mississippi | 211 | 213 | 212 | 209 | -2 |
| Missouri | 214 | 217 | 215 | 214 | -3 |
| Montana | 208 | 213 | 209 | 209 | -5 |
| Nebraska | 212 | 214 | 211 | 210 | -2 |
| Nevada | 211 | 214 | 214 | 211 | -3 |
| New Hampshire | 215 | 219 | 217 | 215 | -4 |
| New Jersey | 223 | 225 | 223 | 223 | -2 |
| New Mexico | 209 | 210 | 211 | 207 | -1 |
| New York | 220 | 223 | 220 | 220 | -3 |
| North Carolina | 217 | 220 | 218 | 217 | -3 |
| North Dakota | 208 | 210 | 210 | 207 | -2 |
| Ohio | 216 | 219 | 217 | 216 | -3 |
| Oklahoma | 210 | 212 | 211 | 208 | -2 |
| Oregon | 216 | 219 | 216 | 216 | -3 |
| Pennsylvania | 219 | 221 | 219 | 219 | -2 |
| Rhode Island | 213 | 219 | 217 | 215 | -6 |
| South Carolina | 212 | 215 | 214 | 209 | -3 |
| South Dakota | 210 | 211 | 208 | 209 | -1 |
| Tennessee | 214 | 219 | 217 | 217 | -5 |
| Texas | 219 | 222 | 219 | 219 | -3 |
| Utah | 209 | 213 | 211 | 209 | -4 |
| Vermont | 212 | 216 | 215 | 212 | -4 |
| Virginia | 221 | 224 | 222 | 219 | -3 |
| Washington | 221 | 224 | 222 | 220 | -3 |
| West Virginia | 208 | 210 | 209 | 207 | -2 |
| Wisconsin | 212 | 215 | 214 | 213 | -3 |
| Wyoming | 208 | 210 | 209 | 207 | -2 |
| U.S. TerritoriesEquals the national Commended level each year. | 208 | 210 | 208 | 207 | -2 |
| Studying AbroadU.S. citizens studying abroad; tracks the highest state cutoff each year. | 223 | 225 | 223 | 223 | -2 |
Selection Index = (2 × Reading and Writing + Math) ÷ 10, maximum 228. Change vs 2026 is the class of 2027 cutoff minus the class of 2026 cutoff. US boarding school students are grouped by region and use the highest state cutoff in that region.
Connecticut is 220 (down from 223 for the class of 2026), New York is 220 (down from 223) and New Jersey is 223 (down from 225). New Jersey is tied with Washington, DC and US students studying abroad for the highest cutoff in the country.
Every state fell, by 1 to 7 points. Test prep analysts attribute the drop to how the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT was scaled, especially the Reading and Writing section, rather than to weaker students. The class of 2026 had set record highs, with Massachusetts, New Jersey and DC at 225.
The national Commended Student cutoff is a Selection Index of 208 for the class of 2027, compared with 210 for the class of 2026, 208 for the class of 2025 and 207 for the class of 2024. NMSC named about 34,000 Commended Students this year.
Multiply your PSAT/NMSQT Reading and Writing score by 2, add your Math score, and divide by 10. For example, 740 Reading and Writing and 720 Math gives (1,480 + 720) / 10 = 220. The maximum is 228.
NMSC names more than 16,000 Semifinalists each year (about 16,230 for the class of 2027). Each state gets a share of Semifinalists in proportion to its share of the nation’s graduating seniors, and the cutoff is the score that fills that share. That is why cutoffs differ so much from state to state.
Students in the class of 2028 take the PSAT/NMSQT as juniors in fall 2026. NMSC notifies schools of Commended Students and Semifinalists in September 2027.
The class of 2028 takes the PSAT/NMSQT this fall. ConnectPrep’s PSAT and SAT tutors build a plan around your state’s cutoff, so you know exactly how many points you need in Reading and Writing and in Math. See our SAT prep and SAT and ACT test dates.
NMSC reports state qualifying scores to high schools but does not publish a public state table. Class of 2027 cutoffs were announced on September 9, 2026. The figures here come from Compass Education Group’s cutoff table and were cross checked against DigitalPSAT, College Intel, IvyTP and school district reprints of NMSC’s announcements. Where sources disagreed (Arizona 2026 and Maryland 2027), we used the value confirmed by the most independent sources. Commended cutoffs and Semifinalist counts come from NMSC’s own releases as reprinted by schools. No figure on this page is an estimate.
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This is a ConnectPrep page. It is researched and published by ConnectPrep, an independent tutoring, test prep and admissions advising company based in Westport, Connecticut. ConnectPrep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation or the College Board. Information is checked against official sources as of the date shown, but policies change, so always confirm details directly before you apply or register.