Cps Selective Enrollment Cutoff Scores 2024-2025 |top| -

Note: Specific cutoff scores are updated annually by CPS. For the most current list, refer to the official CPS Office of Access and Enrollment website.

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. cps selective enrollment cutoff scores 2024-2025

One cannot discuss CPS cutoffs without addressing the elephant in the room: the four socioeconomic tiers. CPS assigns every student to a tier based on census data (median income, education level, single-parent household rate, and homeownership). The 2024–2025 cutoffs are reported per tier , meaning a student in Tier 1 (lowest socioeconomic band) might gain admission to Payton with a 775, while a Tier 4 student would need an 893. This system is designed to prevent economic segregation, but it also creates confusion and frustration. Parents in affluent Tier 4 areas often lament that their child’s 880 “isn’t good enough,” while families in under-resourced areas celebrate the same score as life-changing. Note: Specific cutoff scores are updated annually by CPS

For all the data released by CPS, the cutoff scores are a lagging indicator. They do not measure a school’s culture, its arts programs, or its support for students with IEPs. Furthermore, many families overlook the “tier A” and “tier B” options—schools like Lindblom (718) or Hancock (707)—that offer rigorous IB curricula without the crushing pressure of a 900-point target. Instead, the district calculates a composite score based

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.