PSAT Percentiles by State

The PSAT, also known as the Preliminary SAT, is another standardized test in the United States that helps students practise for the SAT test and provides students with a qualifying test to be admitted to the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students’ performance may be judged according to how they perform compared to other students in different states, and the information given by the PSAT may show that the level of competition in different states is different.

What are PSAT Percentiles?

The percentiles of the PSAT score highlight the performances of the student in comparison to the other students. For instance, because of percentage rank, if the rank of a particular student is 85, it indicates that the result obtained by the student is higher than 85% of the other individuals who took the test. In other words, percentiles are derived from the rank of all students who appear for the test throughout the year.

Importance of State-Specific Percentiles

State-specific percentiles are important for several reasons:

• Benchmarking Performance: They assist instructors and students in understanding the ways in which performance differs geographically, which impacts practices in study and education.
• National Merit Scholarship: The state percentiles are crucial for the final selection process, as the National Merit Scholarship Program selects semifinalists as the highest-scoring students in their state.
• Educational Insights: They serve as a reference source that is very important to the state education department as they try to analyze whether they can do something to enhance their state’s education system.

PSAT Percentiles by State: Analyzing the Data

While specific percentile data can vary each year, here is a general overview based on trends observed in recent years:

High-Performing States

State	Key Factors Contributing to High Performance	Typical Percentile Rank	National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores (Approximate)
Massachusetts	Excellent public and private schools, significant educational funding, emphasis on academic achievement	90th – 99th percentile	220 – 225
New Jersey	Strong public schools, competitive college admissions, access to test prep resources	90th – 99th percentile	220 – 225
Maryland	Focus on STEM education, numerous high-performing school districts	85th – 95th percentile	215 – 220
Virginia	High educational standards with a strong emphasis on college readiness	85th – 95th percentile	215 – 220
Connecticut	High quality of education, extensive support for student learning	85th – 95th percentile	215 – 220
California	Diverse educational resources, high standards in many school districts	85th – 95th percentile	220 – 225
Illinois	A mix of urban and suburban schools with strong academic programs	80th – 90th percentile	215 – 220
Florida	Varied performance with high-achieving districts balancing others	80th – 90th percentile	215 – 220
Texas	Large student population with a focus on educational excellence in many districts	80th – 90th percentile	215 – 220

Mid-Performing States

State	Key Factors Contributing to Performance	Typical Percentile Rank	National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores (Approximate)
Illinois	A mix of urban, suburban, and rural schools with strong academic programs in many districts	70th – 85th percentile	210 – 215
Texas	Large and diverse student population with a significant focus on educational excellence in numerous districts	70th – 85th percentile	210 – 215
Florida	Varied performance with high-achieving districts balancing lower-performing areas	70th – 85th percentile	210 – 215
Pennsylvania	Strong educational institutions, with significant variation across urban, suburban, and rural areas	70th – 85th percentile	210 – 215
Ohio	Diverse educational landscape with both high-performing and under-resourced schools	65th – 80th percentile	210 – 215
Georgia	Large disparities between urban and rural schools, with some high-achieving districts	65th – 80th percentile	210 – 215
Michigan	A mix of high-performing suburban schools and lower-performing urban and rural schools	65th – 80th percentile	210 – 215
North Carolina	Strong emphasis on education in urban centers, but varying quality across the state	65th – 80th percentile	210 – 215
Indiana	Strong academic programs in certain districts, but variability in performance statewide	65th – 80th percentile	210 – 215

Lower-Performing States 

State	Key Factors Contributing to Performance	Typical Percentile Rank	National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores (Approximate)
Mississippi	Low educational funding, high poverty rates, significant challenges in educational resources	50th – 65th percentile	200 – 205
New Mexico	Lower educational funding, high socioeconomic challenges, and limited access to test preparation resources	50th – 65th percentile	200 – 205
West Virginia	High rates of poverty, rural educational challenges, and lower access to advanced educational programs	50th – 65th percentile	200 – 205
Arkansas	Significant rural population, lower educational funding, and fewer academic resources	50th – 65th percentile	200 – 205
Louisiana	High poverty rates, challenges in educational funding, and significant variation in school performance	50th – 65th percentile	200 – 205

National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores

Each state uses a cutoff score that determines the minimum standard required to achieve semifinalist status.

• High Cutoff Scores: High-performing states such as Massachusetts, New Jersey and California have B Foreign cutoff scores because the prepared have high scores overall.
• Moderate Cutoff Scores: This special case is seen in states such as Illinois, Texas, and Florida, where the cutoffs are moderate.
• Low Cutoff Scores: For instance, cutoff scores in Mississippi, New Mexico, and West Virginia are generally lower than those of other states in view of these general performance patterns.

Conclusion

Therefore, PSAT scores by state are useful as they reveal the performance and preparedness of students in the United States. By incorporating distinctive educational systems and resources, high-performing states currently enjoy a competitive edge, whereas low-performing states strive to attain common high standards. 

Recognizing these trends will inform better performance students, constructive education policies and strategies that will lead to proper preparation for the PSAT test among most of the students. Join Turito for a streamlined and hassle-free increase in PSAT performance.

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