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.

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.


Ben Luthi

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.

piggy-bank-with-coins

Enter our scholarship in two minutes

Awards Monthly