Updated for the class of 2027 · cutoffs as of September 22, 2026

Iowa National Merit Semifinalist cutoff

The class-of-2027 cutoff is 210 (confirmed). The early estimate for the class of 2028 is 209–216.Enter your PSAT/NMSQT score to see how your Selection Index compares.

Confirmed

210

Class of 2027

Early estimate

209–216

Class of 2028

October 2026 PSAT

Tied for 40th-highest of 51 states and D.C. · Unchanged from the class of 2024 (210)

Check your PSAT against Iowa's cutoff

Your PSAT score

Math

R&W

MathR&W

Click any number above to type it. Total 320–1520, sections 160–760, in steps of 10. Typed values snap into range.

Your Selection Index

180

(2 × R&W 600 + Math 600) ÷ 10

Below the cutoffby −30 points

180 vs. Iowa's 210

210

IA Semifinalist cutoff

confirmed

2026: 210

208

Commended cutoff

Your Selection Index is 28 points below

Iowa's cutoff, year by year

Four years of cutoffs and Compass's early estimate for the class of 2028.

Estimate

209–216

Class of 2028

October 2026 PSAT

Confirmed

210

Class of 2027

October 2025 PSAT

214

Class of 2026

212

Class of 2025

210

Class of 2024

About 152 Iowa students are named Semifinalists each year. The national Commended cutoff, which every state's Semifinalist cutoff sits at or above, is 208 for the class of 2027; the state cutoffs run from 208 to 223.

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Compare with other states

Highest class-of-2027 cutoff first, with Iowa pinned to the top. Every column sorts.

Sort by
Commended (national) · class of 2027 208 · 2026 210 · 2025 208 · ≈34,000 students a year.

Source: Compass Education Group, National Merit Semifinalist Cutoffs (Class of 2027, with 2028 estimates), page dated September 22, 2026, retrieved 2026-09-24. NMSC does not publish state cutoffs; "confirmed" means multiple consistent reports, "est." is Compass's most-likely estimate, and numbers may move as reports arrive.

Commended vs. Semifinalist vs. Finalist

About 50,000 of 1.3 million entrants qualify for recognition.

  1. Commended or better50,000
    ≈34,000 Commended on the national cutoff.
  2. Semifinalist16,000
    Top scorers in each state, under 1%.
  3. Finalist15,000
    ≈95% of Semifinalists; ≈6,700 win scholarships.
What this means

Commended Student — Meets the national Selection Index cutoff. Receives a Letter of Commendation but does not continue in the main National Merit competition.

Semifinalist — Among the highest-scoring students in their state. About 16,000 students qualify each year and may apply to become Finalists.

Finalist — About 95% of Semifinalists advance after meeting academic and application requirements. Finalists are considered for National Merit Scholarships and other sponsored awards.

Source: College Board & NMSC, 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide — "National Merit Scholarship Program" section (2028 program). Counts are NMSC's approximate figures: 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, about 6,700 Merit Scholarship winners in total once corporate- and college-sponsored awards are counted.

National Merit timeline (October 2026 test)

The 2028 program. NMSC publishes the October testing window; the months after it follow the same pattern every year and are marked expected.

  1. Oct 2026Take the PSAT/NMSQT as a junior
  2. Nov 2026Scores out — your Selection Index is on the report· expected
  3. Apr 2027NMSC sends schools the ~50,000 high scorers· expected
  4. Sep 2027~16,000 Semifinalists notified (early Sept)· expected
  5. Sep 2027~34,000 Commended Students notified (late Sept)· expected
  6. Feb 2028~15,000 Finalists named· expected
  7. Mar–Jun 2028Scholarship winners announced· expected
What happens at each step
  • October 2026 — Take the PSAT/NMSQT in your qualifying year.
  • October–November 2026 — Scores are released, including your Selection Index.
  • April 2027 — NMSC identifies about 50,000 high-scoring participants for further consideration.
  • September 2027 — About 16,000 Semifinalists and 34,000 Commended Students are notified.
  • February 2028 — About 15,000 Semifinalists advance to Finalist standing.
  • Spring 2028 — National Merit Scholarship winners are announced.

Not a junior yet? Use the PSAT-to-SAT projection to see how your current score compares with recent National Merit cutoffs.

Two weeks out? What to practise and what to skip — a plan for the time that is actually left, built on College Board's free material.

FAQ

What is the Iowa National Merit Semifinalist cutoff for the class of 2027?

210, confirmed. That is the Selection Index from the October 2025 PSAT/NMSQT; Semifinalists were named in September 2026. It was 214 for the class of 2026 and 212 for the class of 2025. For the class of 2028 (the October 2026 test), Compass's early estimate is 209–216.

How many National Merit Semifinalists does Iowa have each year?

About 152. NMSC allocates its roughly 16,000 Semifinalist places by each state's share of graduating seniors, so the number is steady from year to year even when the cutoff moves.

Is the Iowa cutoff going up or down?

The class-of-2027 cutoff of 210 is unchanged from the class of 2024 (210). Year to year it moves by a point or two with how the state's juniors scored on that October's PSAT, and it is tied for the 40th-highest of the 51 states and D.C. this year.

Why does the cutoff vary by state?

NMSC allocates roughly 16,000 Semifinalist spots across states based on each state’s share of graduating seniors. Within each state, the highest Selection Index scores fill those spots. That’s why more competitive states can end up with higher cutoffs.

Does NMSC publish the state cutoffs?

No. NMSC does not publish state qualifying scores. State cutoff tables are compiled from student and counselor reports. Compass Prep maintains one of the most widely used trackers and marks each state as confirmed or estimated as reports come in. This page uses those labels.

Can a sophomore qualify for National Merit?

Usually, no. National Merit qualification is based on the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the qualifying year, which is typically junior year. A sophomore score can still be useful for estimating how close you are to your state’s cutoff before the test that counts.

When exactly are scores released, and when do Semifinalist names become public?

From NMSC’s 2026 Student Guide — Scores released (October 22, November 5, or November 12, depending on when your school submits answer sheets). Your Selection Index appears on the score report. About 16,000 Semifinalists notified through their schools — the top scorers in each state. Names released to media mid-September.

Sources: cutoffs compiled from Compass Prep's crowd-sourced tracker (page dated September 22, 2026, retrieved 2026-09-24) — NMSC does not publish state cutoffs · program facts and dates: College Board & NMSC, 2026 PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide.

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