Early Action and Early Decision vs. Regular Decision Admission Rates

Here’s a fact that may surprise you—college admissions offices will be sweating every bit as much as college applicants during this college application season.

While anxiety-filled students are praying for acceptance into their first-choices schools, equally nervous admissions directors are trying desperately to ensure that they meet their enrollment targets in the spring. Amazingly, the majority of colleges fail to meet this goal and they are pining for strong candidates that are willing to commit to their school. This is why applying early decision, which is binding, can be a strategic advantage for applicants. Below you will find the ED acceptance rates and regular decision acceptance rates for some of the most prestigious schools in the United States. Where applicable, we included non-binding, early action admission rates as well.

*Data collected from 2022-23 Common Data Set (CDS) forms and institution websites, and indicates admission outcomes for students entering in Fall 2022, the most recent year for which data is made available.

Table updated November 2023

InstitutionED Admission RateRegular Admission Rate (Excluding EA and ED)Admission Rate (Freshman Overall)
138600Agnes Scott College88%67%67%
210669Allegheny College38%50%64%
131159American UniversityAU86%39%41%
164465Amherst College32%7%7%
197869Appalachian State UniversityApp StateN/A83%83%
104151Arizona State UniversityASUN/A90%90%
100858Auburn UniversityN/A44%44%
164580Babson College38%18%22%
189088Bard College89%Not Reported60%
189097Barnard College33%9%9%
160977Bates College48%14%14%
223232Baylor University30%46%46%
238333Beloit College67%56%66%
230816Bennington College30%41%45%
164739Bentley University78%57%58%
156295Berea CollegeN/A25%25%
164748Berklee College of MusicN/A54%54%
196079Binghamton UniversityN/A30%42%
142115Boise State UniversityN/A84%84%
164924Boston CollegeBC28%15%17%
164988Boston UniversityBU25%13%14%
161004Bowdoin College26%7%9%
165015Brandeis University64%39%39%
230038Brigham Young University-ProvoBYUN/A67%67%
217156Brown University15%4%5%
217165Bryant University82%50%69%
211273Bryn Mawr College62%28%31%
211291Bucknell University58%30%33%
150163Butler UniversityN/A57%82%
110404California Institute of TechnologyCaltechN/A3%3%
111081California Institute of the ArtsN/AN/A29%
110422California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCal PolyN/A30%30%
110529California State Polytechnic University-PomonaN/A55%55%
110556California State University-FresnoN/A95%95%
110565California State University-FullertonN/A67%67%
110583California State University-Long BeachN/A40%40%
110592California State University-Los AngelesN/A87%87%
173258Carleton College22%16%17%
211440Carnegie Mellon UniversityCMU13%11%11%
201645Case Western Reserve University34%22%27%
131283Catholic University of America76%86%86%
156408Centre College73%41%62%
230852Champlain College67%55%56%
111948Chapman University61%70%73%
112260Claremont McKenna CollegeCMC30%10%10%
165334Clark University35%39%50%
190044Clarkson University81%78%78%
217882Clemson UniversityN/A43%43%
161086Colby College42%8%8%
190099Colgate University25%11%12%
217819College of Charleston73%63%76%
160959College of the Atlantic80%58%60%
166124College of the Holy Cross81%33%36%
231624College of William and MaryW&M50%32%33%
126678Colorado CollegeCC44%Not Reported14%
126775Colorado School of MinesN/A58%58%
126818Colorado State UniversityCSUN/A83%91%
190150Columbia University in the City of New York12%2%4%
128902Connecticut College49%40%40%
190372Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art33%21%22%
153162Cornell CollegeN/A79%79%
190415Cornell University19%5%7%
181002Creighton UniversityN/A71%76%
190512CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeN/A50%50%
190594CUNY Hunter CollegeN/A48%48%
182670Dartmouth College21%5%6%
198385Davidson College43%13%17%
202523Denison University31%21%22%
144740DePaul UniversityN/A70%70%
150400DePauw University50%64%66%
212009Dickinson College58%34%35%
153269Drake UniversityN/A67%67%
184348Drew University98%73%73%
212054Drexel University92%69%80%
198419Duke University16%6%6%
212106Duquesne UniversityN/A84%87%
150455Earlham CollegeN/A71%73%
198464East Carolina UniversityECUN/A92%92%
133492Eckerd CollegeN/A47%65%
212197Elizabethtown CollegeN/A81%81%
198516Elon University90%71%74%
133553Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityN/A65%65%
165662Emerson College68%31%43%
165671Emmanuel CollegeN/A61%80%
139658Emory University26%10%11%
129242Fairfield University83%43%52%
191126Fashion Institute of TechnologyFITN/A53%53%
133669Florida Atlantic UniversityFAUN/A81%81%
133881Florida Institute of TechnologyN/A64%64%
133951Florida International UniversityFIUN/A64%64%
134079Florida Southern College72%47%57%
134097Florida State UniversityFSUN/A25%25%
191241Fordham University67%51%54%
212577Franklin and Marshall CollegeF&M58%35%36%
441982Franklin W Olin College of EngineeringN/A19%19%
218070Furman University41%67%67%
232186George Mason UniversityGMUN/A90%90%
131469George Washington UniversityGWU66%48%49%
131496Georgetown UniversityN/A13%12%
139861Georgia College & State UniversityN/A78%80%
139755Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia TechN/A10%17%
139940Georgia State UniversityN/A61%61%
212674Gettysburg College55%56%56%
235316Gonzaga UniversityN/A70%70%
162654Goucher CollegeN/A81%81%
153384Grinnell College51%8%11%
212805Grove City College95%66%71%
173647Gustavus Adolphus CollegeN/A74%74%
191515Hamilton College34%10%12%
166018Hampshire College87%69%69%
150756Hanover College89%74%74%
166027Harvard UniversityN/A3%3%
115409Harvey Mudd CollegeHMC19%13%13%
212911Haverford College41%14%14%
107080Hendrix CollegeN/A54%60%
170286Hillsdale College33%19%21%
191630Hobart William Smith Colleges74%59%68%
191649Hofstra UniversityN/A63%69%
170301Hope CollegeN/A80%80%
131520Howard UniversityHU48%48%53%
145725Illinois Institute of TechnologyIIT43%40%61%
145646Illinois Wesleyan UniversityN/A34%42%
151351Indiana University-BloomingtonIUBN/A82%82%
153603Iowa State UniversityN/A90%90%
191968Ithaca College94%62%75%
232423James Madison UniversityJMUN/A78%78%
162928Johns Hopkins UniversityJHU15%6%7%
213251Juniata College67%76%76%
170532Kalamazoo College75%69%80%
155399Kansas State UniversityN/A95%95%
203535Kenyon College44%34%34%
169983Kettering UniversityN/A65%81%
146427Knox College35%68%73%
213385Lafayette College43%33%34%
146481Lake Forest College38%60%60%
239017Lawrence University69%59%72%
192323Le Moyne CollegeN/A79%78%
213543Lehigh University66%34%37%
209056Lewis & Clark College72%59%69%
159391Louisiana State UniversityLSUN/A76%76%
117946Loyola Marymount UniversityLMU61%28%41%
146719Loyola University ChicagoLUCN/A79%79%
163046Loyola University MarylandN/A72%83%
173902Macalester College53%19%28%
161299Maine Maritime AcademyN/A62%62%
192819Marist College77%42%63%
239105Marquette UniversityN/A87%87%
166683Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMITN/A3%4%
140447Mercer UniversityN/A62%75%
204024Miami University-Oxford88%88%88%
171100Michigan State UniversityMSUN/A88%88%
171128Michigan Technological UniversityN/A86%86%
230959Middlebury College42%10%13%
239318Milwaukee School of EngineeringMSOEN/A63%63%
176080Mississippi State UniversityN/A70%70%
178411Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMUSTN/A81%81%
180461Montana State UniversityN/AN/A73%
140553Morehouse College78%51%59%
166939Mount Holyoke CollegeMHC62%38%40%
214175Muhlenberg College73%65%66%
262129New College of FloridaN/A73%75%
185828New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNJITN/A66%66%
187967New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNMITN/A74%74%
193900New York UniversityNYUNot Reported12%12%
199193North Carolina State UniversityNC StateN/A46%47%
167358Northeastern University33%7%7%
147767Northwestern University22%6%7%
204501Oberlin CollegeNot Reported35%35%
120254Occidental CollegeOxy59%38%39%
204796Ohio State UniversityOSUN/A39%53%
204857Ohio UniversityOUN/A76%87%
204909Ohio Wesleyan University45%39%52%
209542Oregon State UniversityOSUN/A83%83%
214777Pennsylvania State UniversityPSU; Penn StateN/A48%55%
121150Pepperdine UniversityN/A50%49%
121257Pitzer College40%16%18%
121345Pomona College17%7%7%
194578Pratt Institute-MainN/A40%45%
186131Princeton UniversityN/A4%6%
217402Providence College87%36%53%
243780Purdue University-Main CampusN/A39%53%
130226Quinnipiac University89%76%84%
186201Ramapo College of New Jersey85%58%70%
209922Reed College33%Not Reported44%
194824Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRPI54%53%65%
217493Rhode Island School of DesignRISD32%19%19%
221351Rhodes College58%32%48%
227757Rice University19%8%9%
195003Rochester Institute of TechnologyRIT79%66%67%
136950Rollins College55%50%50%
152318Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyRHITN/A61%73%
184782Rowan UniversityN/A77%77%
186371Rutgers University-CamdenN/A77%77%
186380Rutgers University-New BrunswickRUN/A66%66%
186399Rutgers University-NewarkN/A74%74%
183239Saint Anselm College90%69%82%
179159Saint Louis UniversitySLUNot Reported85%85%
231059Saint Michael's CollegeN/A73%85%
122409San Diego State UniversitySDSUN/A39%39%
122755San Jose State UniversitySJSUN/A75%75%
122931Santa Clara UniversitySCU83%31%52%
195304Sarah Lawrence CollegeSLC59%46%50%
123165Scripps College40%27%28%
236595Seattle UniversityN/A80%85%
195474Siena CollegeNot Reported71%71%
167783Simmons UniversityN/A64%76%
195526Skidmore College51%24%26%
167835Smith College49%20%23%
399911Soka University of AmericaN/A61%57%
228246Southern Methodist UniversitySMU71%27%52%
228343Southwestern University34%34%45%
195216St Lawrence UniversitySLU73%63%63%
174844St Olaf College72%45%56%
163976St. John's College70%39%50%
245652St. John's College67%42%54%
163912St. Mary's College of Maryland90%64%77%
243744Stanford UniversityN/A4%4%
196176State University of New York at New PaltzN/A58%58%
137546Stetson University98%90%94%
186867Stevens Institute of Technology59%45%46%
167996Stonehill College89%63%73%
196097Stony Brook UniversityN/A49%49%
196219SUNY at Purchase CollegeN/A77%78%
196167SUNY College at Geneseo97%75%75%
196103SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry75%69%70%
216287Swarthmore College19%6%7%
196413Syracuse University60%51%52%
216339Temple UniversityN/A70%80%
228723Texas A & M University-College StationN/A63%63%
228875Texas Christian UniversityTCU79%34%56%
229115Texas Tech UniversityN/A67%67%
187134The College of New JerseyTCNJ97%63%64%
206589The College of Wooster56%40%56%
193654The New SchoolN/A57%57%
100751The University of AlabamaN/A80%80%
180489The University of MontanaN/A95%95%
137847The University of TampaN/A6%26%
221759The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleUTKN/A47%68%
228778The University of Texas at AustinUT AustinN/A31%31%
228787The University of Texas at DallasUTD; UT DallasN/A85%85%
221519The University of the South60%28%52%
124292Thomas Aquinas CollegeN/A85%85%
216366Thomas Jefferson UniversityN/A87%87%
164076Towson UniversityN/A63%79%
130590Trinity College54%36%36%
229267Trinity University57%14%31%
178615Truman State UniversityN/A45%45%
168148Tufts UniversityNot Reported10%10%
160755Tulane University of Louisiana68%1%11%
196866Union College69%37%47%
128328United States Air Force AcademyUSAFAN/A13%13%
130624United States Coast Guard AcademyUSCGAN/A15%15%
197027United States Merchant Marine AcademyN/A29%29%
197036United States Military AcademyUSMAN/A12%12%
164155United States Naval AcademyN/A11%11%
196088University at BuffaloN/A61%68%
100663University of Alabama at BirminghamUABN/A87%87%
104179University of ArizonaUAN/A87%87%
106397University of ArkansasN/A55%79%
110635University of California-BerkeleyUCB: UC BerkeleyN/A11%11%
110644University of California-DavisUCD; UC DavisN/A37%37%
110653University of California-IrvineUCI; UC IrvineN/A21%21%
110662University of California-Los AngelesUCLAN/A9%9%
445188University of California-MercedUC MercedN/A89%89%
110671University of California-RiversideUCR; UC RiversideN/A69%69%
110680University of California-San DiegoUCSD; UC San DiegoN/A24%24%
110705University of California-Santa BarbaraUCSB; UC Santa BarbaraN/A26%26%
110714University of California-Santa CruzUCSC; UC Santa CruzN/A47%47%
132903University of Central FloridaUCFN/A41%41%
144050University of ChicagoUChicagoNot Reported5%5%
201885University of Cincinnati-Main CampusN/A86%86%
126614University of Colorado BoulderN/A51%79%
129020University of ConnecticutUConnN/A55%55%
224323University of DallasN/A59%59%
130943University of DelawareUDN/A72%72%
127060University of DenverUD62%65%78%
134130University of FloridaUFN/A23%23%
139959University of GeorgiaUGAN/A43%43%
225511University of HoustonN/A66%66%
142285University of IdahoN/A74%74%
145600University of Illinois at ChicagoUICN/A72%79%
145637University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUIUCN/A45%45%
153658University of IowaN/A86%86%
155317University of KansasKUN/A88%88%
157085University of KentuckyUKN/A95%95%
157289University of LouisvilleN/A80%80%
161253University of MaineN/A94%94%
232681University of Mary Washington85%77%86%
163268University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyUMBCN/A103%81%
163286University of Maryland-College ParkUMDN/A38%44%
166629University of Massachusetts-AmherstUMass AmherstN/A56%64%
166638University of Massachusetts-BostonUMass BostonN/A75%81%
166513University of Massachusetts-LowellUMass LowellN/A86%86%
135726University of MiamiUM57%6%19%
170976University of MichiganUMichN/A18%18%
174233University of Minnesota-DuluthN/A81%81%
174251University of Minnesota-MorrisN/A78%78%
174066University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesUMNN/A75%75%
176017University of MississippiOle MissN/A97%97%
178396University of Missouri-ColumbiaMizzouN/A79%79%
181464University of Nebraska-LincolnUNLN/A79%79%
182281University of Nevada-Las VegasUNLVN/A85%85%
182290University of Nevada-RenoUNRN/A86%86%
183044University of New HampshireUNHN/A109%87%
199111University of North Carolina at AshevilleUNC Asheville78%74%74%
199120University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUNC Chapel HillN/A9%17%
199139University of North Carolina at CharlotteUNCC; UNC CharlotteN/A65%80%
199148University of North Carolina at GreensboroUNCG; UNC GreensboroN/A86%92%
199218University of North Carolina WilmingtonUNC WilmingtonN/A57%69%
152080University of Notre DameUNDN/A9%13%
207500University of OklahomaOUN/A73%73%
209551University of OregonN/A86%86%
215062University of PennsylvaniaUPenn16%5%7%
215293University of PittsburghN/A49%49%
209825University of PortlandN/A93%93%
236328University of Puget Sound53%75%83%
121691University of Redlands100%82%82%
217484University of Rhode IslandURIN/ANot Reported76%
233374University of Richmond44%15%24%
195030University of Rochester43%39%39%
122436University of San DiegoUSDN/A53%53%
122612University of San FranciscoUSF62%66%71%
215929University of ScrantonN/A84%84%
218663University of South CarolinaUSCN/A64%64%
137351University of South FloridaUSFN/A44%44%
123961University of Southern CaliforniaUSCN/A12%12%
174914University of St ThomasN/A78%78%
231174University of VermontUVMN/A46%60%
234076University of VirginiaUVA45%9%19%
377555University of Washington-Bothell CampusN/ANot Reported83%
236948University of Washington-SeattleUWN/A48%48%
240444University of Wisconsin-MadisonUW-MadisonN/A49%49%
216524Ursinus College98%71%82%
221999Vanderbilt UniversityVandy18%5%7%
197133Vassar College39%17%19%
216597Villanova University55%18%23%
234030Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCUN/A91%91%
233921Virginia TechVirginia Tech50%57%57%
152673Wabash College85%59%61%
199847Wake Forest UniversityNot Reported21%21%
234207Washington and Lee UniversityW&L; WLU42%14%17%
164216Washington College98%74%75%
236939Washington State UniversityWSUN/A83%83%
179867Washington University in St LouisWashU26%9%11%
168218Wellesley College30%12%14%
168227Wentworth Institute of TechnologyN/A88%92%
130697Wesleyan University41%12%14%
216764West Chester University of PennsylvaniaN/A88%88%
238032West Virginia UniversityWVUN/A77%77%
125727Westmont CollegeN/A75%82%
168281Wheaton College82%73%80%
149781Wheaton College (IL)Not Reported79%89%
237057Whitman College44%48%48%
125763Whittier CollegeN/A92%94%
210401Willamette University77%72%81%
168342Williams College31%8%8%
218973Wofford College88%60%60%
168421Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWPI74%37%57%
130794Yale UniversityN/A5%5%
197708Yeshiva UniversityYU100%60%63%

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