SHSAT Cutoff Scores 2026 — What Score Do You Need for Each School?

2025 SHSAT Cutoff Scores by School

The 2025 SHSAT cutoff scores (for students who tested in 2024 for fall 2025 admission) vary significantly by school. Cutoff scores are officially released by the NYC Department of Education in spring. The scores below reflect published 2025 admission cycle data — scores represent the lowest composite score of an admitted student:

NYC Specialized High School 2025 Cutoff Scores (Approximate):

• Stuyvesant High School: Approximately 555–569 (historically the highest cutoff)
• Bronx High School of Science: Approximately 515–530
• Brooklyn Technical High School: Approximately 470–490
• Staten Island Technical High School: Approximately 519–535
• High School of American Studies at Lehman College: Approximately 515–525
• High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College: Approximately 523–538
• Queens High School for the Sciences at York College: Approximately 509–522
• Brooklyn Latin School: Approximately 464–480

Note: Exact 2025 cutoff scores are released by NYCDOE after offers are made. The figures above reflect historical ranges based on published cycle data — verify current scores with the official NYCDOE offer results. To calculate your projected composite score, use our shsat score calculator.

How SHSAT Cutoff Scores Are Set

The SHSAT cutoff score for each school is not predetermined — it is determined after all students have tested and ranked their school preferences. The process works as follows:

1. Students take the SHSAT and rank their specialized high school preferences (up to 8 schools in order)
2. The NYCDOE matches students to their highest-ranked school where their score is competitive, using all available seats
3. After all matches are made, the lowest score among admitted students becomes that school's cutoff for that year
4. The cutoffs are then published — students discover them when offer notifications are released in spring

This means cutoff scores fluctuate each year based on how many students apply, how they rank their preferences, and how competitive the applicant pool is. A year with many high-scoring applicants listing Stuyvesant first pushes Stuyvesant's cutoff higher. This competitive, market-driven process makes predicting exact future cutoffs difficult, but historical averages provide reliable guidance.

For a detailed breakdown of how scoring works, see our shsat cutoff scores guide and use our shsat score calculator to estimate your projected composite score.

SHSAT Cutoff Score Historical Trends

SHSAT cutoff scores have shown consistent patterns over recent years, though individual cycles vary:

Stuyvesant High School: Has maintained the highest cutoff consistently — typically 550–570. Small variations year to year depend on pool competitiveness. The trend has been relatively stable with slight upward pressure during high-competition years.

Brooklyn Technical High School: Has the most variability due to its large number of seats (~1,800+). Cutoffs typically range 460–490. Having more seats means more students land offers and the bottom cutoff shifts more from year to year.

Smaller specialized schools: Staten Island Tech and HSMSE (City College) have historically had cutoffs in the 515–540 range due to smaller applicant pools and limited seats. Students who rank these schools highly relative to their scores often see better odds than at the three largest schools.

Year-over-year changes: SHSAT cutoffs dropped moderately in 2021–2022 due to COVID-related changes in the applicant pool and testing environment. Scores rebounded significantly in 2023 and 2024 as competition normalized. The 2025 cycle reflects near-normal pre-pandemic competition levels for most schools.