The National Merit Scholarship program is co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation, with the goal of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence. The program recognizes top students based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which is administered in secondary schools across the country in October every year.
The 2025 PSAT/NMSQT testing window was October 1 – October 31. If you were unable to take the PSAT/NMSQT exam because of illness, an emergency, or another extenuating circumstance, but you otherwise meet all the requirements for NMSC program participation, write to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as soon as possible (no later than April 1) to ask about alternate entry procedures. For more details, see the NMSC’s website.
Qualifying Scores
Of the 1.3 million students who sit for the exam, honors are awarded to about 50,000 students with the highest combined score on the two sections: 1) Reading and Writing and 2) Math. These recognized students are classified as either Commended Students, who do not continue in the competition for National Merit scholarships (but may become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses), or Semifinalists, who progress in the competition.
Of the 50,000 students initially selected, two-thirds are deemed “Commended” based on national cut-offs, and one-third are designated “Semifinalists” based on state cutoffs. For the Class of 2026, the cutoff score for Commended students is 210, meaning that eligible juniors with a score of 210 or above will be designated either Commended or Semifinalists.
Cutoff scores for the Class of 2026 were released in September. The Semifinalist qualifying score ranged from a high of 225 (out of a possible 228) for Massachusetts, New Jersey and D.C., to a low of 210 for Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, New Mexico, and U.S. Territories.
Out of the more than 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 become Finalists after meeting additional requirements, including high grades and an application essay.
2,500 students total (about 16% of Finalists) become National Merit Scholarship winners, for which they are awarded a single payment of $2,500. An additional 4,430 Finalists and Semifinalists are awarded corporate- or college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.
College-Sponsored Scholarships
Around 150 schools offer generous National Merit scholarships to Finalists and Semifinalists who have been admitted and plan to attend. Students must notify NMSC of their college plans by specific deadlines in order to be eligible. Those who notify the NMSC of their first-choice sponsor college before March 1 are included in the first group sent to that institution for scholarship consideration. From March 1 through May 31, NMSC will periodically notify sponsor colleges of additional Finalists who have since provided their first-choice colleges. See these guidelines for additional information. Individual schools may have earlier deadline requirements.
A few examples of colleges that sponsor National Merit scholarships:
- University of Southern California: Finalists applying Early Action, who have designated USC as their first choice school with the NMSC, are eligible for a merit scholarship of $20,000 per year.
- Northeastern University: Admitted students who are recognized as National Merit Finalists receive a competitive merit-based award. To be eligible, students are required to designate Northeastern University-Boston as their college choice by the priority deadline (this year, that deadline is April 9, 2026).
- Texas A&M University: Semifinalists are guaranteed the President’s Endowed Scholarship of $12,000 over four years plus a $1,000 Study Abroad Stipend; Finalists receive an additional National Merit Recognition Award of $28,000 over four years and a National Merit Sponsorship of $2,000.
- University of Oklahoma: Finalists receive $79,650 total, and Semifinalists with a GPA of at least 3.5 receive $16,000 over four years.
Colleges in the Ivy League do not offer Merit scholarships, as they do not offer any merit-based financial aid.
Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships
Johnson & Johnson, Estée Lauder, and Pfizer are a few of the approximately 150 corporations that sponsor National Merit scholarships, as of the 2026 competition. According to NMSC, “Most corporate-sponsored awards are designated for children of a sponsor’s employees or members. However, some are offered for residents of a community where a company has operations or for students with college major or career plans the sponsor wishes to encourage.”
These awards may be given on a one-time basis or for all four years of college. Currently, there are about 830 corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship awards. In addition, around 660 National Merit participants “who are outstanding but are not Finalists” receive Special Scholarships provided by businesses. These Special Scholarships are usually “available to children of employees or members, or to students with qualifications of interest to the sponsor.”
At Collegiate Gateway, we know that navigating merit scholarships and taking advantage of merit aid opportunities can seem daunting! We invite you to set up a complimentary consultation to learn about our services. Whatever your question, Collegiate Gateway is happy to help!
