Every year, about 1.6 million high school juniors across the United States take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). For most test-takers, this exam serves as a trial run for the SAT. But for the top 1% of test-takers, this exam presents a chance to win a National Merit Scholarship, a prestigious national scholarship worth $2,500 and a shot at larger awards directly from colleges and universities.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about the National Merit Scholarship, including information on state cutoff scores, the application process, important dates, and more.
What is the National Merit Scholarship?
The National Merit Scholarship is an annual award granted to approximately 8,000 graduating high school seniors each year. In order to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship, students must score in the 99th percentile of their state on the PSAT and complete a multi-step application process.
Of the 1.6 million high school juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT every year, approximately 50,000 qualify for recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Of these, some 34,000 receive letters of commendation that can be listed in college applications. The 16,000 students who rank in the top 1% of test-takers in their state are designated National Merit Semifinalists and are given an opportunity to submit an application for a National Merit Scholarship. In order to be named a National Merit Semifinalist, students must score at or above their state’s Selection Index cutoff score (more on this below).
How many students are awarded a National Merit Scholarship?
A National Merit Scholarship is awarded to 8,700 students from the pool of semifinalists.
And 2,500 of the scholarships awarded are worth $2,500.
Other scholarships include corporate-sponsored scholarships and college-sponsored merit scholarships, which are available to students who plan to attend a partner college or university.
What are the state cutoff scores?
Students are named National Merit Semifinalists if they finish at or above their state’s cutoff score, which is set at the 99th percentile of scores for tests taken by students in that state in that year. As a result, cutoff scores vary by state and by year.
Cutoff scores are determined based on Selection Index scores. The Selection Index score is unique to the PSAT and differs from your official PSAT score, which ranges from 320 to 1520.
Selection Index scores are calculated by multiplying the Reading and Writing Score by 2, adding that number to the Math score, and then dividing that sum by 10. Individual section scores range from 160 to 769, and Selection Index scores range from 48 to 228. For example, if you have a Reading and Writing score of 700 and a Math score of 690, your selection index score is 209.
Cutoff scores vary by year based on the difficulty of the test. It’s not unusual to see years with low cutoff scores followed by years with high cutoff scores, and vice versa.
For the class of 2024, the lowest state cutoff score was 207 (New Mexico, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming ), and the highest state cutoff score was 223 (New Jersey, Washington D.C., and U.S. students studying abroad).
For context, these were considered relatively low scores. In 2018 (i.e., for the class of 2020), the lowest state cutoff score was 212 (North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming).
| State | Class of 2024 | Class of 2023 |
| Alabama | 210 | 212 |
| Alaska | 209 | 210 |
| Arizona | 216 | 214 |
| Arkansas | 210 | 210 |
| California | 221 | 220 |
| Colorado | 216 | 217 |
| Connecticut | 221 | 221 |
| Delaware | 219 | 218 |
| District of Columbia | 223 | 223 |
| Florida | 216 | 216 |
| Georgia | 217 | 218 |
| Hawaii | 217 | 215 |
| Idaho | 211 | 215 |
| Illinois | 219 | 219 |
| Indiana | 216 | 214 |
| Iowa | 210 | 212 |
| Kansas | 214 | 214 |
| Kentucky | 211 | 212 |
| Louisiana | 214 | 213 |
| Maine | 213 | 215 |
| Maryland | 221 | 222 |
| Massachusetts | 222 | 220 |
| Michigan | 217 | 218 |
| Minnesota | 216 | 216 |
| Mississippi | 209 | 210 |
| Missouri | 214 | 213 |
| Montana | 209 | 207 |
| Nebraska | 210 | 212 |
| Nevada | 211 | 210 |
| New Hampshire | 215 | 213 |
| New Jersey | 223 | 223 |
| New Mexico | 207 | 208 |
| New York | 220 | 219 |
| North Carolina | 217 | 217 |
| North Dakota | 207 | 209 |
| Ohio | 216 | 216 |
| Oklahoma | 208 | 211 |
| Oregon | 216 | 216 |
| Pennsylvania | 219 | 218 |
| Rhode Island | 215 | 216 |
| South Carolina | 209 | 213 |
| South Dakota | 209 | 212 |
| Tennessee | 217 | 215 |
| Texas | 219 | 219 |
| Utah | 209 | 211 |
| Vermont | 212 | 213 |
| Virginia | 219 | 221 |
| Washington | 220 | 220 |
| West Virginia | 207 | 207 |
| Wisconsin | 213 | 213 |
| Wyoming | 207 | 207 |
| U.S. Territories | 207 | 207 |
| Studying Abroad | 223 | 223 |
| Commended | 207 | 207 |
In general, if you want to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, you should aim for a score at least 4-5 points higher than your state’s average cutoff score. The higher your score, the better your chances of winning a scholarship after the Semifinalist round will be.
Alternate Entry
Students who miss the PSAT/NMSQT due to a legitimate reason, such as illness, emergency, or other extenuating circumstances, may still apply for the National Merit Scholarship through a process called Alternate Entry.
When do I find out if I qualify for National Merit Program recognition?
Students whose scores rank in the top 50,000 of test-takers in their class will be notified by NMSC in September of the year following the PSAT/NMSQT. For example, students in the class of 2025 will take the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2023 and will be notified of their recognition in September 2024.
There are two types of recognition that students may receive.
Commended Students
Of the 50,000 who earn recognition, 34,000 will be named commended students. Commended students will receive a Letter of Commendation that indicates outstanding performance, but will not be invited to participate in the competition for National Merit Scholarships. However, some commended students will be eligible for additional scholarships offered through corporate sponsors. Commended students will be notified of their recognition and receive their Letter of Commendation in late September, one year after they took the PSAT/NMSQT.
Semifinalists
The remaining 16,000 students are named Semifinalists and are invited to participate in the competition for the National Merit Scholarship. Semifinalists are notified of their recognition through their schools in early September, one year after they took the PSAT/NMSQT. Students who are named Semifinalists will receive scholarship application materials for the contest through their schools.
I was named a Semifinalist. What next?
Students who are named semifinalists will receive an application for the National Merit Scholarship competition.
In order to participate in the competition, students selected as semifinalists must fulfill several requirements, which they will receive with their application materials. These requirements are also listed in the official PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide. Applicants must submit an essay, a transcript, and an endorsement from an official at their school, among other materials.
Applications should be submitted online through the NMSC Online Scholarship Application (OSA) to your representative school official. Your school official will complete the school’s sections for the application and submit it to the NMSC.
Of 16,000 semifinalist applicants, approximately 15,000 will be named finalists.
When do I find out if I’ve been named a finalist?
Students who are named finalists are notified of their status in early February. Each finalist receives a Certificate of Merit that recognizes their accomplishment.
Finalists who have been selected for scholarships are notified between March and May of their award year.
Scholarships
Finalists are eligible to win one of three types of scholarships: National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored scholarships, and college-sponsored Merit scholarships.
National Merit $2,500 Scholarships
All finalists are eligible to compete to win the National Merit $2,500 Scholarships. These awards provide a one-time grant worth $2,500 and are awarded to 2,500 finalists each year. Recipients are notified in late March of their award year.
Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships
Corporate-sponsored scholarships are offered in partnership with corporations, company foundations, and businesses. These scholarships are open to finalists who meet a set of criteria specified by a corporate sponsor. Common eligibility criteria include: children of employees; residents of specific states, localities and communities; and finalists studying certain majors or career plans.
Corporate-sponsored scholarship awards vary in amount by sponsor. Available awards include one-time grants worth $2,500-$5,000 as well as renewable scholarships worth $1,000 to $10,000. Over 2,100 corporate-sponsored scholarships are given out each year. Recipients are notified in early March of their award year.
A list of corporate sponsors is available in the official PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide.
College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships
College-sponsored merit scholarships are available to finalists who plan to attend a partner college. In order to receive the award, applicants must notify NMSC that the sponsor college is their first choice.
The award size varies by sponsor school and may be anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per year. All scholarships are renewable for up to four years of study. An estimated 4,100 applicants will receive college-sponsored awards in 2020. Recipients are notified in early May of their award year.
A list of partner schools is included in the official PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide.
Conclusion
The National Merit Scholarship awards approximately 8,700 scholarships to qualifying students each year. Take the PSAT to qualify for a chance to win!
