Scores
National Merit cutoff history by state: 2024–2026
Compare three completed competitions using archived NMSC guides. These historical Selection Index values do not predict a future qualifying score.
Updated · Official sources
Read the year correctly
The PSAT/NMSQT® (Preliminary SAT®/National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test) is one exam; the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) runs the scholarship competition. Start with the test names and their differences if you are new to the program.
The columns below use the National Merit competition year: 2024 used the fall 2022 PSAT/NMSQT, 2025 used fall 2023, and 2026 used fall 2024. These are historical Semifinalist qualifying Selection Index values, not SAT totals or future targets.
- 2024 competition: NMSC September 2023 guide, pages 13–14.
- 2025 competition: NMSC September 2024 guide, pages 13–14.
- 2026 competition: NMSC September 2025 guide, pages 13–14.
State comparison
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to compare every year. The District of Columbia is listed separately after the states. Other selection units are outside this table.
| State / selection unit | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 210 | 212 | 214 |
| Alaska | 209 | 214 | 215 |
| Arizona | 216 | 217 | 218 |
| Arkansas | 210 | 213 | 215 |
| California | 221 | 221 | 224 |
| Colorado | 216 | 218 | 219 |
| Connecticut | 221 | 221 | 223 |
| Delaware | 219 | 219 | 220 |
| Florida | 216 | 217 | 219 |
| Georgia | 217 | 218 | 220 |
| Hawaii | 217 | 217 | 219 |
| Idaho | 211 | 213 | 215 |
| Illinois | 219 | 220 | 222 |
| Indiana | 216 | 217 | 218 |
| Iowa | 210 | 212 | 214 |
| Kansas | 214 | 215 | 216 |
| Kentucky | 211 | 213 | 214 |
| Louisiana | 214 | 214 | 216 |
| Maine | 213 | 214 | 217 |
| Maryland | 221 | 222 | 224 |
| Massachusetts | 222 | 223 | 225 |
| Michigan | 217 | 218 | 220 |
| Minnesota | 216 | 217 | 219 |
| Mississippi | 209 | 212 | 213 |
| Missouri | 214 | 215 | 217 |
| Montana | 209 | 209 | 213 |
| Nebraska | 210 | 211 | 214 |
| Nevada | 211 | 214 | 214 |
| New Hampshire | 215 | 217 | 219 |
| New Jersey | 223 | 223 | 225 |
| New Mexico | 207 | 211 | 210 |
| New York | 220 | 220 | 223 |
| North Carolina | 217 | 218 | 220 |
| North Dakota | 207 | 210 | 210 |
| Ohio | 216 | 217 | 219 |
| Oklahoma | 208 | 211 | 212 |
| Oregon | 216 | 216 | 219 |
| Pennsylvania | 219 | 219 | 221 |
| Rhode Island | 215 | 217 | 219 |
| South Carolina | 209 | 214 | 215 |
| South Dakota | 209 | 208 | 211 |
| Tennessee | 217 | 217 | 219 |
| Texas | 219 | 219 | 222 |
| Utah | 209 | 211 | 213 |
| Vermont | 212 | 215 | 216 |
| Virginia | 219 | 222 | 224 |
| Washington | 220 | 222 | 224 |
| West Virginia | 207 | 209 | 210 |
| Wisconsin | 213 | 214 | 215 |
| Wyoming | 207 | 209 | 210 |
| District of Columbia | 223 | 223 | 225 |
Use history as context
For example, Florida moved from 216 to 217 to 219, while South Carolina moved from 209 to 214 to 215 across these three competitions. Those observed changes do not establish a guaranteed margin for a later year.
A cutoff is only one part of recognition and scholarship eligibility. Use the official NMSC material for your own competition and educational timeline. See how the Selection Index is calculated and why PSAT/NMSQT results are not superscored.
Check the linked original guides for these historical values and NMSC's current guidance for present eligibility. This table intentionally describes 2024–2026; it is not a table for the 2027 or 2028 competition.