Complete List of All Early Action Deadlines for Every College With EA
Thinking of applying for college early? Here's what you need to know about early action and the early action deadline for your school of choice.
Ben Luthi
Nov 11, 2021
If you're thinking about applying for college early, it's important to know the early action deadline for your chosen school. In most cases, deadlines range from November 1 to November 15 , but some schools offer later deadlines to give you more time to make a decision and prepare your application.
Here's what you need to know about early action and the early action deadlines for schools you're considering.
How early action works
Early action allows you to apply and receive an admissions decision before most other students. There are no eligibility requirements to submit an early application, but acceptance is generally reserved for the top candidates with a strong academic record.
Getting an early action decision can give you a few more months to start preparing for your college experience, and in many cases, you can submit an application for early action to multiple schools. Note, however, that some schools have restrictive early action, which means you can submit such an application with only one school.
The good news is that early action is nonbinding, which means that you can change your mind if you're accepted but decide to attend another school instead. That gives you more flexibility than early decision, which is a process that requires you to attend the school you apply for if accepted.
Early action deadline by school
If you're thinking about applying early to your first-choice school or even multiple schools, knowing the deadline is crucial for a quality application. Once you know when you need to submit your application, you'll be able to create a schedule to complete the steps required to do so. They include:
- Taking the SAT or ACT
- Getting letters of recommendation from teachers and your counselor
- Requesting your transcript to send to colleges
- Working on your personal statement and other essays
- Completing your application and proofreading it several times
With that in mind, here's a comprehensive list from PrepScholar of early action deadlines from schools across the U.S.
School | State | EA deadline | Decision notification |
Adelphi University | NY | December 1 | December 31 |
Agnes Scott College | GA | November 15 / January 15 | December 15 / February 15 |
Assumption College | MA | November 1 / December 15 | December 15 / January 31 |
Auburn University | AL | December 1 | — |
Augustana College | IL | November 1 | December 20 |
Austin College | TX | December 1 / February 1 | January 15 / March 1 |
Azusa Pacific University | CA | November 15 | Within three weeks |
Babson College | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
Bard College | NY | November 1 | December 31 |
Bay Path University | MA | December 15 | — |
Baylor University | TX | November 2 | January 15 |
Bellarmine University | KY | November 1 | — |
Beloit College | WI | November 1 / December 1 | December 1 / January 1 |
Bennington College | VT | December 1 | February 1 |
Berklee College of Music | MA | November 1 | January 31 |
Binghamton University—SUNY | NY | November 1 | January 15 |
Biola University | CA | November 15 / January 15 | January 15 / February 15 |
Birmingham-Southern College | AL | November 15 | December 15 |
Bloomfield College | NJ | November 30 | December 31 |
Bridgewater State University | MA | November 15 | December 15 |
Bryant University | RI | November 15 | January 15 |
Butler University | IN | November 1 | December 31 |
Caldwell University | NJ | December 1 | December 31 |
California Baptist University | CA | December 1 | — |
California Institute of Technology | CA | November 1 | December 15 |
California Lutheran University | CA | November 1 | January 15 |
Carthage College | WI | Summer | September 15 |
Case Western Reserve University | OH | November 1 | December 21 |
The Catholic University of America | DC | November 1 | January 1 |
Centenary College of Louisiana | LA | December 1 | — |
Centre College | KY | December 1 | January 15 |
Chapman University | CA | November 1 | December 31 to February |
Christendom College | VA | December 1 | December 15 |
Christopher Newport University | VA | December 1 | January 15 |
Clark University | MA | November 15 | — |
Cleveland Institute of Art | OH | December 1 / January 15 | January 15 / February 15 |
Coe College | IA | December 10 | Within two weeks |
College of Charleston | SC | December 1 | February 1 |
College for Creative Studies | MI | December 1 | — |
College of Idaho | ID | November 15 / January 15 | December 15 / February 15 |
College of Mount Saint Vincent | NY | November 15 | December 15 |
College of Saint Benedict | MN | November 15 / December 15 | December 15 / January 15 |
College of Wooster | OH | November 15 | December 31 |
Colorado College | CO | November 1 | December 17 |
Colorado State University | CO | December 1 | December 31 |
Columbia University, School of General Studies | NY | January 15 / March 1 | March 1 / May 1 |
Concordia College New York | NY | November 15 | — |
Concordia University Irvine | CA | November 15 / February 15 | December 15 / March 1 |
Cornish College of the Arts | WA | December 1 | December 15 |
Curry College | MA | December 1 | December 15 |
Dean College | MA | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
Delaware College of Art and Design | DE | December 1 | January 1 |
DePaul University | IL | November 15 | December 15 |
DePauw University | IN | December 1 | January 15 |
Duquesne University | PA | December 1 | — |
Earlham College | IN | November 15 / January 1 | December 15 / February 1 |
Eckerd College | FL | November 15 | December 15 |
Elon University | NC | November 1 | December 20 |
Emerson College | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
Emmanuel College | GA | November 1 / December 15 | After December 15 / After January 15 |
Fairfield University | CT | November 1 | December 20 |
Fordham University | NY | November 1 | December 19 |
Framingham State University | MA | November 15 | — |
Furman University | SC | December 1 | January 15 |
George Fox University | OR | November 1 | Rolling |
George Mason University | VA | November 1 | December 15 |
Georgetown University | DC | November 1 | December 15 |
Georgia College and State University | GA | October 15 | Early December |
Georgia Institute of Technology | GA | October 15/ November 1 | — |
Gordon College | MA | November 1 / December 1 | November 15 / December 15 |
Goucher College | MD | December 1 | February 1 |
Gustavus Adolphus College | MN | November 1 | November 15 |
Hamline University | MN | December 1 | December 20 |
Hampden-Sydney College | VA | October 15 / December 1 | — |
Hampshire College | MA | December 1 | February 15 |
Hampton University | VA | November 1 | January 31 |
Hanover College | IN | November 1 / December 1 | Rolling |
Harvard University | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
Hellenic College | MA | December 1 | — |
Hendrix College | AR | November 15 / February 1 | Beginning December 15 / Beginning March 1 |
High Point University | NC | November 15 | December 16 |
Hofstra University | NY | November 15 / December 15 | Beginning December 15 / Beginning January 15 |
Hollins University | VA | November 15 | — |
Howard University | DC | November 1 | December 15 |
Illinois College | IL | December 1 | — |
Illinois Wesleyan University | IL | November 15 | November 15 to December 15 |
Iona College | NY | December 15 | — |
Ithaca College | NY | December 1 | February 1 |
James Madison University | VA | November 15 | — |
John Carroll University | OH | December 1 | December 21 |
Kalamazoo College | MI | November 1 | December 20 |
Kean University | NJ | January 1 | January 31 |
Knox College | IL | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
La Salle University | PA | November 1 | November 30 |
Lake Forest College | IL | November 1 / January 15 | Rolling |
Lasell College | MA | November 15 / January 15 | December 1 / February 1 |
Lawrence University | WI | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 25 |
Le Moyne College | NY | November 15 | Beginning December 15 |
Lees-McRae College | NC | December 1 | December 15 |
Lesley University | MA | December 1 | January 1 |
Lewis & Clark College | OR | November 1 | January 1 |
LIM College | NY | November 15 | — |
Longwood University | VA | December 1 | — |
Loyola Marymount University | CA | November 1 | December 31 |
Loyola University Maryland | MD | November 15 | January 15 |
Lycoming College | PA | December 1 | December 15 |
Lynn University | FL | November 15 | — |
Maine Maritime Academy | ME | November 30 | February 1 |
Manhattanville College | NY | December 1 | Rolling |
Marist College | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
Massachusetts College of Art and Design | MA | December 1 | Early January |
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | MA | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
Massachusetts Maritime Academy | MA | November 15 | — |
The Master's University | CA | November 1 | — |
McDaniel College | MD | November 15 / December 15 | December 15 / January 15 |
Menlo College | CA | November 15 | December 15 |
Mercer University | GA | October 15 | November 7 |
Merrimack College | MA | November 15 / January 15 | December 1 / February 1 |
Miami University | OH | December 1 | January 15 |
Michigan State University | MI | November 1 | January 15 |
Millsaps College | MS | November 15 | January 15 |
Minneapolis College of Art and Design | MN | December 1 | December 15 |
Molloy College | NY | December 1 | Decisions "made promptly" |
Monmouth University | NJ | December 1 | January 15 |
Montserrat College of Art | MA | December 6 | December 19 |
Mount Saint Mary's University | CA | December 1 | January 15 |
Mount St. Mary's University | MD | November 1 | December 25 |
New York Institute of Technology | NY | February 15 | Rolling |
North Carolina State University | NC | November 1 | January 30 |
Northeastern University | MA | November 1 | February 1 |
Northwest Nazarene University | ID | November 15 | — |
Northwest University | WA | November 15 / January 15 | — |
Oglethorpe University | GA | November 15 | Within two weeks |
The Ohio State University | OH | November 15 | January 31 |
Ohio Wesleyan University | OH | December 1 | December 15 |
Old Dominion University | VA | December 1 | January 31 |
Oregon State University | OR | November 1 | December 14 |
Pace University | NY | November 15 / December 1 | — |
Parsons School of Design (The New School) | NY | November 1 | December 31 |
Patrick Henry College | VA | November 1 | Rolling |
Pennsylvania State University (all undergraduate campuses) | PA | November 1 | December 24 |
Point Loma Nazarene University | CA | November 15 | December 15 |
Pratt Institute | NY | November 1 | Late December to early January |
Presbyterian College | SC | December 1 | December 15 |
Princeton University | NJ | November 1 | December 15 |
Providence College | RI | November 1 | Early January |
Purchase College—SUNY | NY | November 15 | — |
Purdue University | IN | November 1 | January 15 |
Radford University | VA | December 1 | January 15 |
Randolph College | VA | November 15 | December 15 |
Randolph-Macon College | VA | November 15 | January 1 |
Reed College | OR | November 15 | February 15 |
Regis College | MA | November 15 | Rolling |
Rhodes College | TN | November 15 | January 15 |
Rider University | NJ | November 15 | December 20 |
Roger Williams University | RI | November 15 | December 15 |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | IN | November 1 | December 15 |
Rutgers—New Brunswick | NJ | November 1 | February 15 |
The Sage Colleges | NY | December 1 | — |
Saint Anselm College | NH | November 15 | January 15 |
Saint John's University | MN | November 15 / December 15 | December 15 / January 15 |
Saint Joseph's College of Maine | ME | November 15 | Beginning December 15 |
Saint Joseph's University | PA | November 1 | December 20 |
Saint Mary's College of California | CA | November 15 | — |
Salisbury University | MD | December 1 | January 15 |
Salve Regina University | RI | November 1 | January 1 |
Santa Clara University | CA | November 1 | December 31 |
School of the Art Institute of Chicago | IL | November 15 | — |
Seattle Pacific University | WA | November 1 | — |
Seattle University | WA | November 15 | December 21 |
Seton Hall University | NJ | November 15 / December 15 | December 30 / January 31 |
Sewanee: The University of the South | TN | December 1 | February 15 |
Shepherd University | WV | November 15 | Within 10 business days |
Siena College | NY | October 15 | Within one week |
Simmons College | MA | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
Southern Methodist University | TX | November 1 | — |
Southern New Hampshire University | NH | November 15 | December 15 |
Southwestern University | TX | December 7 | — |
Spelman College | GA | November 15 | December 31 |
St. John's College | MD | November 15 | December 15 |
St. John's College | NM | November 15 | December 15 |
Stanford University | CA | November 1 | December 15 |
Sterling College | VT | December 15 / January 15 | January 1 / February 1 |
Stonehill College | MA | November 1 | January 1 |
Suffolk University | MA | November 15 | December 20 |
SUNY Cortland | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
SUNY New Paltz | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
SUNY Oneonta | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
Susquehanna University | PA | November 1 / December 1 | December 1 / January 15 |
Sweet Briar College | VA | December 1 | — |
Tarleton State University | TX | March 1 | — |
Temple University | PA | November 1 | January 10 |
Texas Christian University | TX | November 1 | January 1 |
Texas Lutheran University | TX | November 15 | Within two weeks |
Transylvania University | KY | October 31 / December 1 | Early December |
Trinity University | TX | November 1 | December 15 |
Tulane University | LA | November 15 | January 15 |
United States Coast Guard Academy | CT | October 15 | December 23 |
Unity College | ME | December 15 | — |
University of Akron | OH | November 1 | — |
University at Albany—SUNY | NY | November 15 | — |
University of Arkansas | AR | November 15 | — |
University at Buffalo—SUNY | NY | November 15 | "Candidates will receive an early response" |
University of Chicago | IL | November 1 | December 15 |
University of Cincinnati | OH | December 1 | — |
University of Colorado Boulder | CO | November 15 | February 1 |
University of Dallas | TX | November 1 / December 1 | — |
University of Dayton | OH | November 1 | — |
University of Denver | CO | November 1 | — |
University of Evansville | IN | November 1 | December 15 |
University of Georgia | GA | October 15 | December 1 |
University of Illinois at Chicago | IL | November 1 | December 1 |
University of Kentucky | KY | December 1 | Rolling, usually in 4-6 weeks |
University of Maine | ME | December 1 | — |
University of Maine at Farmington | ME | November 15 | Rolling |
University of Mary Washington | VA | November 15 | January 31 |
University of Maryland | MD | November 1 | February 1 |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | MA | November 5 | January 15 |
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | MA | November 15 | December 15 |
University of Massachusetts Lowell | MA | November 5 / January 5 | — |
University of Miami | FL | November 1 | Late January to early February |
University of Michigan | MI | November 1 | — |
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities | MN | November 1 | January 31 |
University of New England | ME | November 15 | December 31 |
University of New Hampshire | NH | November 15 | January 31 |
University of New Haven | CT | December 15 | Rolling, usually in 4-6 weeks |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | October 15 | January 31 |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | November 1 | January 30 |
University of North Carolina at Wilmington | NC | October 15 | Rolling |
University of Notre Dame | IN | November 1 | December 15 |
University of Oregon | OR | November 1 | December 15 |
University of the Pacific | CA | November 15 | January 15 |
University of Redlands | CA | November 15 | — |
University of Rhode Island | RI | December 1 | — |
University of San Francisco | CA | November 1 | Beginning December 15 |
University of Scranton | PA | November 15 | Beginning December 15 |
University of South Carolina | SC | October 15 | December 15 |
University of St. Thomas | TX | November 1 | December 15 |
University of Tampa | FL | November 15 / January 15 | December 15 / February 15 |
University of Utah | UT | December 1 | January 15 |
University of Vermont | VT | November 1 | December 15 |
University of Virginia | VA | November 1 | February 1 |
University of Virginia's College at Wise | VA | December 1 / February 1 | — |
University of Wisconsin—Madison | WI | November 1 | January 31 |
Ursinus College | PA | November 1 | December 15 |
Utica College | NY | November 15 | December 15 |
Vanguard University of Southern California | CA | December 1 | — |
Villanova University | PA | November 1 | January 15 |
Wabash College | IN | December 1 | December 31 |
Warren Wilson College | NC | November 15 | — |
Washington College | MD | December 1 | January 15 |
Washington & Jefferson College | PA | January 15 | February 15 |
Wells College | NY | December 15 | — |
Western Carolina University | NC | November 15 | December 15 |
Westminster College | PA | November 15 | December 15 |
Westmont College | CA | October 15 / November 1 | December 1 / Christmas break |
Wheaton College | IL | October 15 / November 15 | Thanksgiving / Christmas |
Wheaton College | MA | November 15 | January 15 |
Whittier College | CA | December 1 | December 31 |
Whitworth University | WA | November 15 / January 15 | — |
Willamette University | OR | November 15 | December 30 |
Wittenberg University | OH | December 1 | January 1 |
Wofford College | SC | November 15 | February 1 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute | MA | November 1 / January 15 | December 15 / March 1 |
Worcester State University | MA | November 15 | — |
Yale University | CT | November 1 | December 15 |
The bottom line
Early action can give you a head start on your college experience, but it's crucial to know the early action deadline for your school or schools of choice so that you can properly prepare. If you wait until the last minute, you may not be able to put together a good enough application to stand out.
As you go through this process, make sure you check with the school to see if it has restrictive early action and what the terms are — for example, are you restricted from applying only to certain schools, or is it comprehensive?
Once you know your deadline, take steps to complete the application with enough time to double-check and even triple-check everything to ensure you're showing your best self.
Once you're accepted, start thinking about how you're going to pay for your college expenses. Your financial aid offer may include scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid, but you may also need to rely on student loans.
For most undergraduate students, that typically means federal student loans because they offer certain benefits you can't get with private student loans and don't require a credit check. But if you reach your borrowing limit on federal student loans, consider joining Juno to get help with your private undergraduate student loan search. Juno actively negotiates exclusive discounts and rates with private lenders and will even offer you cash if you find a better offer somewhere else.
Written By
Ben Luthi
Ben Luthi is a personal finance and travel writer based in Salt Lake City, UT. He loves helping people better understand their finances. When he's not traveling, Ben enjoys spending time with his kids, hiking, and watching films. His work has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, MarketWatch, Fox Business, and many other publications.
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