National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists 2026 | Key Facts and How to Check

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of over 16,000 semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program in September 2025.

These high-achieving high school seniors represent less than one percent of U.S. graduating seniors and can compete for nearly $26 million in scholarships awarded next spring.

Key Facts about 2026 Semifinalists

• Announcement Date: Early September 2025.

• Eligibility: Students qualified by scoring among the top in their states on the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT. State-specific cutoff Selection Index scores ranged (for example, California’s was 224, Texas 222, Florida 219).

• Advancement: About 95% of semifinalists are expected to become finalists after submitting scholarship applications, writing essays, and meeting academic and SAT/ACT confirmation requirements.

• Scholarships: Finalists can receive one of 6,930 National Merit Scholarships in 2026.

How to Check Names and Local Lists

• Schools and local media report the names of semifinalists, and official notifications are mailed directly to schools.

• The National Merit website and local school district websites also publish public lists for each state and school.

This year’s selection continues the program’s tradition of recognizing top academic talent and supporting higher education achievement in the U.S.

Also Read : How To Check Position In Queue Pokemon Center

⚠️ Important Warnings / Best Practices

People have mentioned a few caveats, so beware:

• Refreshing the page or switching tabs too often may cause you to lose your place in queue.

• Using VPNs or being on proxy networks can sometimes get flagged, possibly delaying or resetting your queue.

Sample 2026 Cutoff Scores by State

Cutoffs tend to be higher in states with larger populations and stronger academic competition and lower in smaller or less competitive states. The cutoff cannot fall below the national Commended level, which is consistent across all states.

🧾 Examples of Semifinalist Announcements

Here are a few examples of students/schools that have publicly announced semifinalists:

• Prince William County Public Schools: Luke Davis, Alexander Gushi, Rebecca Clark, Julienne Lim, Benjamin Fu, Luke Pomfret.

• Duval County Public Schools: 28 students from multiple high schools including Fletcher, Mandarin, Paxon, Stanton, and Wolfson.

• GCISD (Grapevine‑Colleyville ISD): 19 students such as Thomas Cooper, Anderson Davis, Tara Jacobs, etc.

• Fairfax County Public Schools: 262 students across 19 high schools, with Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology having 113 semifinalists.

• Plano ISD: 72 students.

• Fremont Unified: 120 students.

• Some individual names, e.g. from Lemont High School: Kinga Strzalka.