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September 2024: The class of 2025 statewide SI cutoffs have officially been leaked! This year's National Merit Scholarship Selection Index cutoffs range from 208 (Commended, US Territories, South Dakota) to 223 (Studying Abroad, Massachusetts, New Jersey).
You can also click / tap on each state to see a full list of semifinalists (not including home-schooled students) from that state.
If you missed out becoming a on National Merit semifinalist, then don’t fret: studies have suggested that fewer than 40% of Ivy Leaguers are National Merit semifinalists, finalists, or scholarship winners. To state the obvious, some of the 50 U.S. states are obviously far more competitive than others—and colleges will keep this in mind during the admission process.
The main qualification for National Merit is a high PSAT score (out of 1520), unless you utilize the little-known / controversial Alternate Entry process for students who are unable to take the 11th-grade PSAT. Thus, a high SAT score (out of 1600) in one's junior or senior year will in most cases serve the same purpose.
You can also rest assured that, unlike SAT and ACT scores, PSAT scores are not an official part of the college admissions process. In other words, including your PSAT score on your college applications is 100% optional.
Best of luck on your PSATs, SATs, college applications, and beyond.
-Brian
2024 Guide to the National Merit Scholarship Program
Alabama 212
Alaska 214
Arizona 217
Arkansas 213
California 221 (part 2)
Colorado 218
Connecticut 221
Delaware 219
Florida 217
Georgia 218
Hawaii 217
Idaho 213
Illinois 220
Indiana 217
Iowa 212
Kansas 215
Kentucky 213
Louisiana 214
Maine 214
Maryland 222
Massachusetts 223
Michigan 218
Minnesota 217
Mississippi 212
Missouri 215
Montana 209
Nebraska 211
Nevada 214
New Hampshire 217
New Jersey 223
New Mexico 211
New York 220
North Carolina 218
North Dakota 210
Ohio 217
Oklahoma 211
Oregon 216
Pennsylvania 219
Rhode Island 217
South Carolina 209
South Dakota 208
Tennessee 217
Texas 219
Utah 211
Vermont 215
Virginia 222
Washington 222
Washington, DC aka District of Colombia 222
West Virginia 207
Wisconsin 213
Wyoming 207
U.S. Territories / Commended 207
U.S. Abroad 223
To give you a sense of recent historical trends, here are the statewide cutoffs for the previous 3 years.
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