Dewey Smart
Book

College Lists

Colleges With Early Action

41 of the 100 most selective colleges we track offer non-binding Early Action for the 2026-27 cycle, and 6 more offer a restrictive or single-choice version. Deadlines are from each school's admissions page.

SchoolEA deadlineAcceptance rateSAT middle 50%
Baylor UniversityNov 1, 202651.3%1200–1400
Binghamton UniversityNov 1, 202638.6%1340–1500
Brandeis UniversityNov 2, 202640.5%1390–1520
Case Western Reserve UniversityNov 1, 202636.5%1430–1540
Clemson UniversityOct 15, 2026 (materials due Nov 1, 2026; decisions mid-December)38.3%1240–1410
Fordham UniversityNov 1, 202659.3%1320–1480
Georgetown UniversityNov 1, 202612.9%1390–1550
Georgia Institute of TechnologyNov 2, 202614.1%1370–1540
Indiana UniversityNov 1, 202678.2%1170–1400
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyNov 1, 20264.5%1520–1580
Michigan State UniversityNov 1, 202684.8%1180–1360
North Carolina State UniversityNov 1, 2026 (materials due Nov 10, 2026; NC-resident decisions by end of Dec, others by Jan 31, 2027)41.7%1300–1470
Northeastern UniversityNov 1, 20265.2%1440–1540
Ohio State UniversityNov 1, 2026 (decision by Dec 11, 2026 for Ohio residents/Stamps Eminence; Jan 22, 2027 for non-residents/international)60.6%1310–1480
Pennsylvania State UniversityNov 1, 2026 (decision by Dec 24, 2026)60.6%1240–1420
Purdue UniversityNov 1, 202649.9%1200–1480
Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteDec 1, 202663.5%1375–1510
Rutgers University-New BrunswickNov 1, 202658.1%1310–1500
Santa Clara UniversityNov 1, 202648%1350–1490
Southern Methodist UniversityNov 1, 202663.3%1340–1490
Stony Brook UniversityNov 1, 202649%1330–1500
Syracuse UniversityNov 1, 202645.9%1270–1440
Texas Christian UniversityNov 1, 202644.5%1140–1350
Tulane University of LouisianaNov 10, 202614%1400–1520
University of ChicagoNov 2, 20264.5%1510–1580
University of Colorado BoulderNov 15, 202678.1%1240–1430
University of FloridaNov 1, 202624.2%1320–1480
University of GeorgiaOct 15, 2026 (materials due Oct 29, 2026)37.7%1270–1480
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignNov 1, 202642.4%1310–1520
University of MarylandNov 1, 202644.8%1400–1530
University of Massachusetts-AmherstNov 5, 202659.7%1310–1500
University of MiamiNov 1, 202618.9%1320–1480
University of MichiganNov 1, 202615.6%1360–1530
University of MinnesotaNov 1, 202679.8%1300–1500
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillOct 15, 202615.3%1390–1530
University of Southern CaliforniaNov 1, 20269.8%1450–1550
University of Texas at AustinOct 15, 202626.6%1250–1510
University of VirginiaNov 1, 202616.8%1410–1540
University of Wisconsin-MadisonNov 1, 202645.2%1380–1520
Villanova UniversityNov 1, 202627%1395–1510
Virginia TechNov 15, 2026 (materials due Dec 1, 2026; decisions late-February)54.8%1280–1450

Keep this list

Email me this list

All 41 schools with their numbers, plus a link to compare every college we track.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked questions

Is Early Action binding?

No. Early Action gives you a decision sooner without a commitment to enroll, and you can usually apply early to several schools at once.

Which colleges have restrictive early action?

California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Notre Dame, and Yale University use restrictive or single-choice early action, which is non-binding but limits where else you can apply early.

Acceptance rates and SAT ranges: College Scorecard API — U.S. Department of Education (api.data.gov) and Editorial overrides layer (overrides.json) — Common Data Set & institutional sources. Test policies and deadlines: each school's admissions site, verified for the 2026-27 cycle.

Book my free consult