Semifinalist cutoffs aren't set nationally -- each state draws its own line, and Alabama's confirmed Class of 2027 line trails every state that borders it with individual coverage here. Here's exactly where 210 sits.
The number: 210, trailing all three neighbors
Per Compass Education Group's confirmed reporting, Alabama's Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoff is 210, down 4 points from the Class of 2026 -- one of the larger single-year declines nationally. The full state-by-state list shows Alabama seven points below Georgia at 217, six points below Florida at 216, and four points below Tennessee at 214.
The low point among three Southeastern neighbors
Alabama's own line sits well below each of the bordering states covered here:
- 217: Georgia -- 7 points above, to the east
- 216: Florida -- 6 points above, to the southeast
- 214: Tennessee -- 4 points above, to the north
- 210 (Alabama's line): Alabama
The part that surprises people: a seven-point gap to Georgia, the widest in this Southeastern cluster
Alabama trails Georgia by more than it trails Florida or Tennessee, even though all three borders sit within the same region. Semifinalist slots are allocated to each state in proportion to its share of the nation's graduating seniors, a separate calculation from the cutoff score. The cutoff itself depends entirely on where the top slice of Selection Index scores lands among each state's own PSAT/NMSQT takers that year -- there's no single "Deep South" number, and the four-to-seven-point spread among Alabama's own neighbors shows regional averages don't hold even within one corner of the country.
What this means for you
- Check your Selection Index against 210, not Georgia's, Florida's, or Tennessee's number. Use the calculator to convert your actual PSAT Reading & Writing and Math scores directly -- Alabama's line sits below all three neighbors, so a score that fell short elsewhere may still clear it here.
- This is the confirmed, official cutoff, not a projection. NMSC announced Class of 2027 Semifinalists nationally on September 9, 2026, and Compass Education Group's number reflects real qualifying and non-qualifying score reports.
- Don't assume the Southeast shares one cutoff. Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee span a seven-point range despite all bordering Alabama directly or sitting one state away.
- If you're weighing a move within the Deep South before junior year, check both states' specific lines. Eligibility is based on where you're enrolled at the time of the qualifying PSAT, not where you grew up.
- This is one piece of the larger National Merit picture -- see the full breakdown of how National Merit actually works for how the cutoff fits into the whole Commended-to-Scholar process.