Semifinalist cutoffs aren't set nationally -- each state draws its own line, and Delaware's confirmed Class of 2027 line matches one of the three states pressed against its tiny footprint almost exactly. Here's exactly where 219 sits.
The number: 219, tied with Pennsylvania
Per Compass Education Group's confirmed reporting, Delaware's Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoff is 219, down 1 point from the Class of 2026 -- one of the smallest year-over-year declines nationally. The full state-by-state list shows Delaware tied at that exact number with Pennsylvania and Texas, and two points below Maryland.
An exact match with one neighbor, real gaps to the other two
Delaware borders only three states, and its own line splits the difference unevenly among them:
- 223: New Jersey -- 4 points above, across the Delaware River
- 221: Maryland -- 2 points above, to the southwest
- 219 (Delaware's line): Delaware, Pennsylvania -- an exact match, to the north
The part that surprises people: one of the smallest states matching one of the biggest
Delaware -- the second-smallest state by land area -- lands on the exact same cutoff as Pennsylvania, a state more than 20 times its size, while its other two direct neighbors, Maryland and New Jersey, confirm 2 and 4 points higher. 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, and unrelated to land area. 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 -- Delaware matching Pennsylvania this cycle is a coincidence of independent score distributions, not a function of size or proximity.
What this means for you
- Check your Selection Index against 219, not Maryland's or New Jersey's number. Use the calculator to convert your actual PSAT Reading & Writing and Math scores directly, rather than assuming a score that clears a neighboring state's bar clears Delaware's too.
- 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 tri-state area shares one number. Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey span a 4-point range despite all three bordering Delaware directly.
- If you're weighing a move within the Delmarva or Philadelphia metro area 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.