Cps Selective Enrollment Cutoff Scores 2024-2025 May 2026

For the uninitiated, CPS does not use a simple entrance exam. Instead, the district calculates a composite score based on 7th-grade grades (core subjects), NWEA MAP scores in reading and math, and the score from the Selective Enrollment High School Admissions Test (SEHSAT). The final cutoff is the lowest composite score admitted to a particular school. In 2024–2025, while the official citywide cutoffs shifted modestly from the previous year, the underlying trends remained stark: top-tier schools like Payton, Northside, and Young continued to require near-perfect scores, while other strong magnets remained more accessible.

According to CPS data released in early 2025 for the fall 2024 entering class (the 2024–2025 school year), the highest cutoff scores once again belonged to (tier 4: 893), followed closely by Northside College Prep (887) and Whitney M. Young Magnet High School (882). At the other end of the spectrum, schools like Gage Park (623) and Westinghouse (642) offered genuine selective opportunities without the hyper-competitive thresholds. cps selective enrollment cutoff scores 2024-2025

The 2024–2025 cycle also highlighted a critical flaw: the cutoffs reward early preparation. Students with access to test prep tutors, NWMA MAP coaching, and grade-grinding private schools have a clear advantage—especially in Tiers 3 and 4. This has renewed calls for CPS to de-emphasize the SEHSAT and move toward a lottery or portfolio-based system, though no changes have been announced for future cycles. For the uninitiated, CPS does not use a simple entrance exam