Semifinalist cutoffs aren't set nationally -- each state draws its own line, and Illinois's confirmed Class of 2027 line still sits well clear of every other state in its region, even after this year's nationwide decline. Here's exactly where 218 ranks, and why no other Midwestern state comes close.
The number: 218, tied with Hawaii
Per Compass Education Group's confirmed reporting, Illinois's Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoff is 218, down 4 points from the Class of 2026's 222. The full state-by-state list shows Illinois tied at that exact number with Hawaii -- New York, which tied Illinois last cycle, now sits two points higher at 220.
Still the highest cutoff anywhere in the Midwest
Illinois isn't just high relative to a couple of neighbors -- it's the outright ceiling for its entire region, even after falling four points:
- 218 (Illinois's line): Illinois, Hawaii
- 216: Michigan, Ohio -- two points below Illinois
- 215: Indiana -- three points below
- 214: Missouri -- four points below
- 212: Wisconsin, Kansas -- six points below
Every other state touching the Great Lakes or generally counted as the Midwest sits at least two points under Illinois, and the gap to Wisconsin -- a direct neighbor -- still runs a full six points, unchanged from last cycle even though both states' actual cutoffs dropped.
The part that surprises people: a regional outlier doesn't mean fewer slots
It's easy to read Illinois's gap over its neighbors as "harder to get recognized in Illinois specifically," but that's not how the mechanism works. Semifinalist slots are allocated to each state in proportion to its share of the nation's graduating seniors -- a calculation about total recognition count, entirely separate from the cutoff score. The cutoff itself depends on where the top slice of Selection Index scores lands specifically among Illinois's own PSAT/NMSQT takers that year. Illinois's cluster of top scorers happens to sit noticeably higher than its neighbors' -- likely reflecting Chicago-area testing density -- but that says nothing about how many total Illinois students clear the bar.
What this means for you
- Check your Selection Index against 218, not Michigan's or Wisconsin'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 Illinois'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.
- The regional gap is unusually wide here. A six-point spread between Illinois and Wisconsin is larger than what most bordering states see -- don't assume "same region" means "close cutoff."
- If you're weighing a move within the Midwest before junior year, run both states' numbers. 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.