What Score Do You Need to Get Into Queens Science in 2026?

What Score Do You Need to Get Into Queens Science in 2026?

Based on the most recent 2025 admissions cycle, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College had a cutoff of 518 composite SHSAT score. Queens Science shares its cutoff exactly with Bronx Science, but it admits far fewer students, making it one of the most selective specialized high schools by applicant-to-seat ratio. For the 2026 cycle, plan to score in the 528 to 538 range to be safely above the cutoff.

This guide covers what 518 means in raw score terms, what makes Queens Science different from the other specialized high schools, and how to put together a study plan if this is your target.

The Short Answer

• 2025 cutoff: 518 composite
• 2026 target range: 528 to 538 (10 to 20 points above last year's cutoff)
• What 518 means in practice: approximately 82 to 84% of the 114 scored questions correct
• Offers in 2025: 148 out of 25,933 testers
• Approximate seats: ~116
• SHSAT format in 2026: computer-adaptive (CAT)

If you are currently scoring in the high 400s to low 500s in practice tests, Queens Science is a realistic but very selective target. The school admits only ~116 students per year, so the competition is fierce even at a 518 cutoff.

2025 Cutoff at a Glance

For context on where 518 sits, here is the 2025 cutoff for all eight specialized high schools:

See our complete 2026 SHSAT cutoff analysis for the full picture.

What "Competitive" Means for Queens Science

Cutoffs are floors. The student who scores exactly 518 in 2026 has qualified, but they have not built in any margin. Cutoffs move 3 to 10 points year to year, sometimes more.

Our recommended targeting framework for 2026:

• Bare minimum to qualify: 518 (last year's cutoff)
• Comfortable competitive score: 528 to 535 (10 to 17 points above)
• Comfortable with safety margin: 545+ (20+ points above)

A particular note for Queens Science: with only ~116 seats, the school is one of the smallest specialized high schools. Even a small movement in the cutoff can knock dozens of students out of contention. The school's reputation and US News ranking drive strong preference-ranking from high-scoring students, so the cutoff tends to be sticky at 518 or higher.

How SHSAT Scoring Actually Works

The composite score the DOE reports is the sum of two scaled section scores: ELA and Math. Here is the path from your answer sheet to 518:

1. Raw score. Count of correct answers per section (out of 57). Wrong and blank answers both count as zero, so answer every question.
2. Scaled score. The DOE applies a nonlinear transformation per section. The curve is steeper in the middle and steeper at the top, so a few extra correct questions at higher difficulty can move you several points.
3. Composite score. Scaled ELA plus scaled Math. The maximum is around 700.

At the 518 level, the scaling curve is in its steeper middle range, which means a few additional correct questions can move you up faster than they would at the very top of the range. Our SHSAT scoring strategy guide walks through the math.

For Fall 2026, the test becomes computer-adaptive. The DOE has said scores will remain comparable to prior years. See our 2026 adaptive test guide for what is changing.

Estimated Raw Score for 518

The SHSAT scoring formula is not public, but based on historical scaling patterns, a 518 composite typically requires:

• Around 93 to 96 correct out of 114 scored questions, or roughly 82 to 84% accuracy
• Balanced performance between ELA and Math is the most reliable path, though a strong one-sided performance is viable

These are estimates, not guarantees. The conversion shifts slightly year to year, and 10 of the 114 questions are unscored field-test items. Treat every question as if it counts.

What Makes Queens Science Different

Queens Science is the school most families overlook, and that is a mistake. US News and World Report has ranked it the number one high school in New York State and number 25 nationally, ahead of every other specialized high school including Stuyvesant. The school shares Bronx Science's 518 cutoff but admits only 148 students to Bronx Science's 738, which makes it, by the numbers, the most selective specialized high school in terms of the ratio of applicants to spots.

The school is located on the York College campus in Jamaica, Queens. Students have access to college facilities, take college-level courses with York College professors, and participate in undergraduate research during their high school years. This is a similar setup to HSMSE at CCNY, but Queens Science has earned the higher US News ranking.

The 2025 admit profile is heavily concentrated: 117 Asian, 11 multiracial, 8 White, 6 Hispanic, and 6 Black students. That breakdown is the most lopsided of any specialized high school, and it reflects both the school's location in central Queens and the strong preference-ranking from high-scoring Asian-American families in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The school's small size creates a tight-knit community. Teachers know every student by name. The college counseling is unusually personal, and per-capita elite college placement numbers are exceptional because of the small denominator.

There are tradeoffs to consider. The school occupies just one floor of the York College academic building, which means the physical space is constrained. Sports options are limited compared to the larger specialized high schools. Teacher turnover has been a recurring complaint in school surveys. None of these are dealbreakers, but they are real.

For students considering other schools, see our guides for Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and HSMSE.

How to Actually Hit 528+ in 2026

If you want to score 528 to 538 and get into Queens Science, the work starts now. The Fall 2026 SHSAT is in late October or early November, which gives you a real prep window if you begin between March and June 2026. Here is what a serious 12-week plan looks like, modeled on our SHSAT study plan guide.

A Sample 12-Week Weekly Plan

This is the structure that consistently produces 30 to 50 point score improvements. Adapt it to your starting point: a 3-month timeline is fine if you are already in the 500s; a 6-month timeline is safer if you are starting in the high 400s.

Difficulty progression: start with medium-difficulty questions for the first 4 weeks, shift to hard for weeks 5 to 8, then take one full mock exam every Saturday in weeks 9 to 12. You should be scoring 80%+ on hard-difficulty questions in your strongest subtopics by the final month.

Start Prepping Now

The fastest way to fall behind on the SHSAT is to wait until September. Students who begin in March or April arrive at the November test with content mastery, test-day stamina, and digital-format fluency. Students who start in September arrive anxious and underprepared. The 6-month head start is the single biggest predictor of score improvement.

For the full week-by-week schedules (3-month, 6-month, and 12-month timelines), see our SHSAT study plan guide. It includes monthly milestones, mock exam protocol, and a difficulty-progression chart.

What SHSPrep Gives You

To hit the 528+ range for Queens Science, you need practice that mirrors the real test. SHSPrep is built for exactly this:

• 3,100+ SHSAT-aligned practice questions across 42 subtopics (22 math, 20 ELA), calibrated to the actual digital format
• 10 full-length mock exams with the 12 digital question types built in, including drag-and-drop, multi-select, and grid-in
• Adaptive practice that matches the new Fall 2026 computer-adaptive format, so you build the no-going-back discipline the real test demands
• Per-subtopic progress tracking that shows exactly where you are strong, where you are losing points, and what to focus on next
• A 2-week starter study plan (free, no signup) if you want to build the daily habit before committing

Start with a free mock exam on SHSPrep to see where you stand today. Most students are surprised by how much room there is to improve in just the first 4 to 6 weeks of focused practice.

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Keep Reading

• SHSAT Study Plan: Week-by-Week for 3, 6, 12 Months
• What Score Do You Need to Get Into Bronx Science?
• 2026 SHSAT Cutoff Scores for Every Specialized High School
• Specialized High Schools Comparison Guide

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