If you really, really know which college you have to attend, the "early decision" application route could be your best chance at getting in. With early decision, you can take advantage of the higher acceptance rates that many colleges offer to students who apply early. The catch is, if you do get in, you're obligated to enroll there. But that shouldn't be a problem, because it's your first-choice school, right? Early decision applications generally are due in mid-November, and by the end of the year, students are notified whether they've been accepted, deferred to the regular admission pool, or rejected.
The following list shows which colleges have the highest acceptance rates for their early-decision application pool, based on our most recent data. To keep these numbers in perspective, be sure to review the column for how many students applied early: For example, 15 of the 16 students who applied early to Prescott College were admitted. But even at Syracuse University, where more than 800 students applied early decision, that group's acceptance rate was nearly 25 percentage points higher than the overall number.
If you don't see the college you're looking for on this list, check our list of schools that use the "early action" option.
| Institution Name | Early Decision Deadline | Early Decision Acceptance Rate | Early Decision # of Applicants | Overall Acceptance Rate | Overall # of Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred University (NY) | 12/1 | 84.6 | 52 | 76.1 | 2557 |
| Allegheny College (PA) | 11/15 | 70.9 | 86 | 60.6 | 4243 |
| American Jewish University (CA) | 12/31 | 100.0 | 4 | 100.0 | 58 |
| American University (DC) | 11/15 | 75.1 | 397 | 52.9 | 15413 |
| Barnard College (NY) | 11/15 | 47.7 | 392 | 28.5 | 4274 |
| Bates College (ME) | 11/15 | 45.5 | 549 | 29.2 | 5098 |
| Bennington College (VT) | 11/15 | 60.0 | 75 | 61.6 | 1056 |
| Bentley University (MA) | 11/1 | 54.0 | 187 | 37.6 | 7238 |
| Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | 11/15 | 100.0 | 151 | 58.6 | 10840 |
| Bowdoin College (ME) | 11/15 | 30.0 | 690 | 18.6 | 6033 |
| Brandeis University (MA) | 11/15 | 53.1 | 458 | 32.4 | 7724 |
| Brown University (RI) | 11/1 | 22.6 | 2453 | 13.7 | 20633 |
| Bryant University (RI) | 11/15 | 58.6 | 239 | 45.1 | 6253 |
| Bryn Mawr College (PA) | 11/15 | 53.1 | 130 | 48.8 | 2150 |
| Bucknell University (PA) | 11/15 | 65.3 | 567 | 29.9 | 8024 |
| California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo | 10/31 | 25.2 | 3450 | 33.5 | 33352 |
| Carleton College (MN) | 11/15 | 55.2 | 375 | 27.5 | 4956 |
| Carnegie Mellon University (PA) | 11/1 | 29.1 | 855 | 37.9 | 13527 |
| Champlain College (VT) | 11/15 | 74.9 | 331 | 73.5 | 2979 |
| Claremont McKenna College (CA) | 11/15 | 27.8 | 316 | 19.2 | 4178 |
| Clark University (MA) | 11/15 | 73.3 | 90 | 56.4 | 5299 |
| Clarkson University (NY) | 12/1 | 93.8 | 113 | 78.7 | 3204 |
| Colby College (ME) | 11/15 | 46.8 | 455 | 30.9 | 4835 |
| Colgate University (NY) | 11/15 | 51.0 | 741 | 23.9 | 9416 |
| College of New Jersey | 11/15 | 57.3 | 450 | 42.4 | 9692 |
| College of the Atlantic (ME) | 12/1 | 79.5 | 39 | 69.1 | 314 |
| College of the Holy Cross (MA) | 12/15 | 55.7 | 522 | 33.8 | 7227 |
| College of William and Mary (VA) | 11/1 | 53.9 | 900 | 34.1 | 11636 |
| College of Wooster (OH) | 12/1 | 87.4 | 87 | 61.7 | 4504 |
| Colorado College | 11/15 | 41.1 | 414 | 26.0 | 5338 |
| Columbia University (NY) | 11/1 | 23.8 | 2509 | 10.0 | 22584 |
| Connecticut College | 11/15 | 64.8 | 301 | 36.6 | 4716 |
| Cooper Union (NY) | 12/1 | 16.0 | 449 | 9.3 | 3055 |
| Cornell College (IA) | 11/1 | 41.9 | 105 | 43.6 | 2916 |
| Cornell University (NY) | 11/1 | 37.0 | 3094 | 20.7 | 33073 |
| Curry College (MA) | 12/1 | 38.2 | 136 | 67.3 | 3944 |
| Dartmouth College (NH) | 11/1 | 27.9 | 1428 | 13.5 | 16538 |
| Davidson College (NC) | 11/15 | 40.4 | 549 | 25.7 | 4412 |
| Denison University (OH) | 12/1 | 78.4 | 153 | 38.2 | 5305 |
| DePauw University (IN) | 11/1 | 82.0 | 50 | 64.6 | 4064 |
| Dickinson College (PA) | 11/15 | 83.6 | 348 | 44.2 | 5282 |
| Duke University (NC) | 11/1 | 38.3 | 1239 | 22.4 | 18774 |
| Duquesne University (PA) | 11/1 | 71.8 | 294 | 75.6 | 5715 |
| Earlham College (IN) | 12/1 | 97.6 | 41 | 75.4 | 1825 |
| Elmira College (NY) | 11/15 | 90.0 | 50 | 74.4 | 2090 |
| Elon University (NC) | 11/1 | 75.4 | 422 | 42.3 | 9434 |
| Flagler College (FL) | 12/1 | 72.9 | 573 | 45.0 | 2368 |
| Florida Southern College | 12/1 | 98.7 | 78 | 67.3 | 2110 |
| Franklin and Marshall College (PA) | 11/15 | 70.4 | 582 | 35.9 | 5632 |
| Furman University (SC) | 11/15 | 66.4 | 639 | 57.3 | 4414 |
| George Washington University (DC) | 11/10 | 66.8 | 1159 | 37.4 | 19430 |
| Gordon College (MA) | 11/15 | 97.8 | 45 | 71.1 | 1570 |
| Grinnell College (IA) | 11/15 | 68.5 | 200 | 43.0 | 3217 |
| Hamilton College (NY) | 11/15 | 36.4 | 612 | 28.1 | 5073 |
| Hampshire College (MA) | 11/15 | 71.4 | 98 | 53.1 | 2842 |
| Hartwick College (NY) | 11/15 | 84.8 | 112 | 83.0 | 2532 |
| Harvey Mudd College (CA) | 11/15 | 34.0 | 103 | 31.1 | 2532 |
| Hillsdale College (MI) | 11/15 | 80.0 | 100 | 64.3 | 1502 |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY) | 11/15 | 68.3 | 265 | 53.7 | 4298 |
| Howard University (DC) | 11/1 | 71.2 | 1745 | 48.5 | 9750 |
| Juniata College (PA) | 12/1 | 87.0 | 92 | 69.2 | 2349 |
| Kalamazoo College (MI) | 11/10 | 77.3 | 22 | 70.3 | 2059 |
| Kenyon College (OH) | 11/15 | 55.0 | 340 | 31.3 | 4509 |
| Lafayette College (PA) | 2/15 | 56.2 | 436 | 37.2 | 6357 |
| Lawrence University (WI) | 11/15 | 94.6 | 37 | 58.8 | 2618 |
| Le Moyne College (NY) | 12/1 | 71.4 | 56 | 61.2 | 4212 |
| Lehigh University (PA) | 11/15 | 57.8 | 939 | 27.9 | 12941 |
| Lynchburg College (VA) | 11/15 | 52.2 | 205 | 67.9 | 4501 |
| Macalester College (MN) | 11/15 | 46.8 | 252 | 41.1 | 5041 |
| Marist College (NY) | 11/15 | 77.0 | 161 | 37.5 | 9198 |
| Meredith College (NC) | 10/15 | 53.8 | 143 | 69.4 | 1557 |
| Miami University--Oxford (OH) | 11/1 | 75.6 | 636 | 80.4 | 15009 |
| Moravian College (PA) | 2/1 | 77.3 | 176 | 69.7 | 2098 |
| Nazareth College (NY) | 11/15 | 91.1 | 45 | 74.5 | 2181 |
| Northwestern University (IL) | 11/1 | 39.7 | 1395 | 26.2 | 25013 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | 12/1 | 31.1 | 61 | 64.3 | 4238 |
| Pomona College (CA) | 11/15 | 21.7 | 598 | 15.6 | 6293 |
| Presbyterian College (SC) | 11/1 | 78.6 | 56 | 68.6 | 1403 |
| Prescott College (AZ) | 12/1 | 93.8 | 16 | 76.7 | 365 |
| Purchase College--SUNY | 11/1 | 29.4 | 34 | 24.2 | 8905 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) | 11/1 | 49.8 | 1288 | 44.1 | 11249 |
| Rhodes College (TN) | 11/1 | 47.9 | 140 | 49.9 | 3747 |
| Rice University (TX) | 11/1 | 34.0 | 674 | 23.0 | 9813 |
| Rider University (NJ) | 11/15 | 29.4 | 51 | 74.0 | 6829 |
| Rollins College (FL) | 11/15 | 61.5 | 156 | 53.2 | 3485 |
| Russell Sage College (NY) | 12/1 | 90.0 | 10 | 74.3 | 378 |
| Sacred Heart University (CT) | 12/1 | 84.5 | 193 | 65.1 | 7568 |
| Scripps College (CA) | 11/1 | 48.1 | 81 | 43.4 | 1931 |
| Sewanee--University of the South (TN) | 11/15 | 54.1 | 185 | 64.0 | 2488 |
| Skidmore College (NY) | 11/15 | 59.4 | 497 | 29.8 | 7316 |
| Smith College (MA) | 11/15 | 63.7 | 256 | 47.7 | 3771 |
| Southwestern University (TX) | 11/1 | 87.5 | 64 | 65.4 | 1923 |
| St. Anselm College (NH) | 11/15 | 75.9 | 79 | 69.9 | 3835 |
| St. John Fisher College (NY) | 12/1 | 62.6 | 155 | 62.4 | 3231 |
| St. Mary's College (IN) | 11/15 | 90.4 | 115 | 79.6 | 1422 |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | 11/1 | 43.2 | 373 | 51.8 | 2723 |
| St. Olaf College (MN) | 11/15 | 92.7 | 151 | 58.9 | 3964 |
| Stetson University (FL) | 11/1 | 91.2 | 34 | 53.9 | 4110 |
| Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) | 11/15 | 69.7 | 399 | 51.8 | 2889 |
| Stonehill College (MA) | 11/1 | 65.7 | 67 | 45.0 | 6838 |
| SUNY Institute of Technology--Utica/Rome | 11/1 | 60.0 | 35 | 38.7 | 1731 |
| SUNY--Fredonia | 11/1 | 62.1 | 66 | 51.8 | 6489 |
| SUNY--Oswego | 11/15 | 53.3 | 150 | 47.0 | 9965 |
| SUNY--Plattsburgh | 11/15 | 51.7 | 89 | 49.4 | 6909 |
| Susquehanna University (PA) | 11/15 | 82.7 | 173 | 72.6 | 2777 |
| Swarthmore College (PA) | 11/15 | 33.8 | 480 | 15.7 | 6121 |
| Sweet Briar College (VA) | 12/1 | 96.9 | 64 | 82.7 | 629 |
| Syracuse University (NY) | 11/15 | 77.4 | 826 | 52.5 | 22079 |
| Tabor College (KS) | 12/31 | 100.0 | 98 | 93.6 | 405 |
| The Citadel (SC) | 10/26 | 72.2 | 126 | 75.2 | 2024 |
| Trinity College (CT) | 11/15 | 69.3 | 417 | 41.7 | 5136 |
| Trinity University (TX) | 11/1 | 72.0 | 50 | 58.2 | 3754 |
| Union College (NY) | 11/15 | 77.1 | 327 | 39.2 | 5271 |
| University at Buffalo--SUNY | 11/1 | 70.5 | 555 | 51.9 | 19784 |
| University of Miami (FL) | 11/1 | 22.2 | 1210 | 38.6 | 21773 |
| University of Puget Sound (WA) | 11/15 | 90.2 | 132 | 65.3 | 5580 |
| University of Rochester (NY) | 11/1 | 46.7 | 583 | 42.7 | 11633 |
| Ursinus College (PA) | 1/15 | 61.9 | 197 | 54.7 | 6192 |
| Vanderbilt University (TN) | 11/1 | 36.2 | 1468 | 25.3 | 16944 |
| Vassar College (NY) | 11/15 | 38.3 | 582 | 25.0 | 7361 |
| Virginia Military Institute | 11/15 | 60.8 | 283 | 53.6 | 1600 |
| Virginia Tech | 11/1 | 54.7 | 2288 | 65.4 | 20615 |
| Wabash College (IN) | 11/15 | 74.6 | 63 | 49.1 | 1365 |
| Wagner College (NY) | 1/1 | 63.3 | 90 | 60.8 | 3012 |
| Wake Forest University (NC) | 11/15 | 50.7 | 671 | 38.4 | 9050 |
| Washington and Jefferson College (PA) | 12/1 | 50.0 | 8 | 38.3 | 6826 |
| Washington and Lee University (VA) | 11/15 | 44.4 | 428 | 16.8 | 6386 |
| Washington College (MD) | 11/1 | 92.6 | 68 | 69.0 | 3413 |
| Wellesley College (MA) | 11/1 | 51.4 | 208 | 36.0 | 4001 |
| Wells College (NY) | 12/15 | 63.2 | 19 | 63.8 | 1117 |
| Wesleyan University (CT) | 11/15 | 45.5 | 650 | 27.2 | 8250 |
| Western Carolina University (NC) | 11/15 | 65.6 | 1687 | 51.1 | 7331 |
| Wheaton College (MA) | 11/15 | 85.6 | 195 | 38.8 | 3832 |
| Whitman College (WA) | 11/15 | 74.5 | 145 | 45.8 | 3096 |
| Williams College (MA) | 11/10 | 37.4 | 605 | 17.0 | 7552 |
| Wittenberg University (OH) | 11/15 | 60.8 | 51 | 68.8 | 3344 |
| Wofford College (SC) | 11/15 | 64.1 | 587 | 58.9 | 2278 |
Reader Comments Read all comments (11)
Elana Joram of IA 1:23PM October 23, 2011
daniel of MA 7:08PM September 27, 2011
Jemison Foster 2:19AM March 08, 2011