Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to apply to some schools early and receive admissions decisions earlier? Well, with Early Action (EA), you can! Many schools around the US offer opportunities for students to apply via a non-binding admissions method to be able to apply early and find out their admissions decision early.
Need a refresher on what Early Action is? Read about what Early Action is here and a bit about the Early Action admissions process here
Though many do, not all schools offer Early Action, so we have compiled an extensive list of colleges that offer early action, in alphabetical order.
Looking to see if a certain college in particular offers Early Action? Use Ctrl + F to search for a specific college.
| College | Location |
| Agnes Scott College | Georgia |
| Albion College | Michigan |
| Alfred University | New York |
| Allegheny College | Pennsylvania |
| Appalachian State University | North Carolina |
| Assumption University | Massachusetts |
| Auburn University | Alabama |
| Austin College | Texas |
| Azuza Pacific University | California |
| Babson College | Massachusetts |
| Bard College | New York |
| Baylor University | Texas |
| Bellarmine University | Kentucky |
| Beloit College | Wisconsin |
| Bennington College | Vermont |
| Berea College | Kentucky |
| Berry College | Georgia |
| Binghamton University | New York |
| Biola University | California |
| Birmingham-Southern College | Alabama |
| Bradley University | Illinois |
| Bryant University | Rhode Island |
| Butler University | Indiana |
| California Institute of Technology (CalTech) (REA) | California |
| California Lutheran University | California |
| Case Western Reserve University | Ohio |
| Catholic University of America | Washington D.C. |
| Centenary College of Louisiana | Louisiana |
| Centre College | Kentucky |
| Chapman University | California |
| Christopher Newport University | Virginia |
| Clark University | Massachusetts |
| Clemson University | South Carolina |
| Coe College | Iowa |
| College of Charleston | South Carolina |
| College of Saint Benedict / Saint John’s University | Minnesota |
| College of Wooster | Ohio |
| Colorado College | Colorado |
| Colorado State University | Colorado |
| Creighton University | Nebraska |
| DePaul University | Illinois |
| Depauw University | Indiana |
| Drew University | New Jersey |
| Drexel University | Pennsylvania |
| Duquesne University | Pennsylvania |
| Earlham College | Indiana |
| Eckerd College | Florida |
| Elmira College | New York |
| Elon University | North Carolina |
| Emerson College | Massachusetts |
| Fairfield University | Connecticut |
| Florida Southern College | Florida |
| Florida State University (Florida Students Only) | Florida |
| Fordham University | New York |
| Furman University | South Carolina |
| George Mason University | Virginia |
| Georgia Tech (EA 1: Georgia Students Only, EA 2: Non-Georgia Students Only) | Georgia |
| Gordon College | Massachusetts |
| Goucher College | Maryland |
| Hampden-Sydney College | Virginia |
| Hampton University | Virginia |
| Hanover College | Indiana |
| Harvard College (REA) | Massachusetts |
| Hendrix College | Arkansas |
| High Point University | North Carolina |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | New York |
| Hofstra University | New York |
| Hollins University | Virginia |
| Howard University | Washington D.C. |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Illinois |
| Indiana University – Bloomington | Indiana |
| Ithaca College | New York |
| James Madison University | Virginia |
| John Carroll University | Ohio |
| Juniata College | Pennsylvania |
| Kalamazoo College | Michigan |
| Kettering University | Michigan |
| Lake Forest College | Illinois |
| Lawrence University | Wisconsin |
| Le Moyne College | New York |
| Lewis and Clark College | Oregon |
| Loyola Marymount University | California |
| Loyola University Maryland | Maryland |
| Loyola University New Orleans | Louisiana |
| Lycoming College | Pennsylvania |
| Macalester College | Minnesota |
| Manhattanville College | New York |
| Marist College | New York |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Massachusetts |
| McDaniel College | Maryland |
| Mercer University | Georgia |
| Miami University | Ohio |
| Michigan State University | Michigan |
| Millsaps College | Mississippi |
| Monmouth University | New Jersey |
| New College of Florida | Florida |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology (EA1 and EA2) | New Jersey |
| North Carolina State University | North Carolina |
| Northeastern University | Massachusetts |
| Ohio State University – Columbus & Athens | Ohio |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | Ohio |
| Oregon State University | Oregon |
| Pace University | New York |
| Penn State University Park | Pennsylvania |
| Pepperdine University | California |
| Princeton University (Single Choice EA) | New Jersey |
| Providence College | Rhode Island |
| Purchase College (depends on which college applying to – some have EA special deadlines) | New York |
| Purdue University – West Lafayette | Indiana |
| Quinnipiac University | Connecticut |
| Randolph College | Virginia |
| Randolph-Macon College | Virginia |
| Reed College | Oregon |
| Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute | New York |
| Rhodes College | Tennessee |
| Rider University | New Jersey |
| Roanoke College | Virginia |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Indiana |
| Rutgers University – New Brunswick | New Jersey |
| Sacred Heart University (EA1 and EA2) | Connecticut |
| Saint Anselm College | New Hampshire |
| Saint Mary’s College of California | California |
| Saint Mary’s College of Maryland | Maryland |
| Saint Michaels College (EA1 and EA2) | Vermont |
| Salisbury University | Maryland |
| Santa Clara University | California |
| Sarah Lawrence College | New York |
| Seattle University | Washington |
| Seton Hall University (EA1 and EA2) | New Jersey |
| Siena College | New York |
| Simmons University (EA1 and EA2) | Massachusetts |
| Southern Methodist University | Texas |
| Southwestern University | Texas |
| Spelman College | Georgia |
| St. Johns College (MD and NM) | Maryland and New Mexico |
| St. Johns University | New York |
| St. Josephs University | Pennsylvania |
| St. Louis University | Missouri |
| St. Olaf College | Minnesota |
| Stanford (REA) | California |
| Stetson University (EA1 and EA2) | Florida |
| Stonehill College (EA1 and EA2) | Massachusetts |
| Suffolk University | Massachusetts |
| Susquehanna University (EA1 and EA2) | Pennsylvania |
| Temple University | Pennsylvania |
| Texas Christian University | Texas |
| Trinity University | Texas |
| Tulane University | Louisiana |
| Tuskegee University | Alabama |
| Union College | New York |
| University of Arkansas – Fayetteville | Arkansas |
| University of Arkansas (referred to as “Early Deadline”) | Arkansas |
| University of Chicago | Illinois |
| University of Colorado – Boulder | Colorado |
| University of Dallas (EA1 and EA2) | Texas |
| University of Dayton | Ohio |
| University of Delaware | Delaware |
| University of Denver | Colorado |
| University of Georgia | Georgia |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois |
| University of Kansas | Kansas |
| University of Kentucky | Kentucky |
| University of Maine | Maine |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Maryland |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland |
| University of Massachusetts – Amherst | Massachusetts |
| University of Miami | Florida |
| University of Michigan – Ann Arbor | Michigan |
| University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (EA1 and EA2) | Minnesota |
| University of New England | Maine |
| University of New Hampshire | New Hampshire |
| University of New Haven (EA1 and EA2) | Connecticut |
| University of North Carolina – Asheville (EA1 and EA2) | North Carolina |
| University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | North Carolina |
| University of North Carolina – Greensboro (EA1 and EA2) | North Carolina |
| University of Notre Dame (REA) | Indiana |
| University of Oklahoma | Oklahoma |
| University of Oregon | Oregon |
| University of Puget Sound | Washington |
| University of Redlands | California |
| University of Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| University of Richmond | Virginia |
| University of San Francisco | California |
| University of Scranton | Pennsylvania |
| University of South Carolina | South Carolina |
| University of Southern California (*some programs do not participate in Early Action) | California |
| University of Tampa | Florida |
| University of Tennessee – Knoxville | Tennessee |
| University of the South | Tennessee |
| University of Vermont | Vermont |
| University of Virginia | Virginia |
| University of Wisconsin – Madison | Wisconsin |
| Ursinus College | Pennsylvania |
| Villanova | Pennsylvania |
| Virginia Tech | Virginia |
| Wabash College | Indiana |
| Wagner College | New York |
| Washington College | Maryland |
| Westminster College | Pennsylvania |
| Westminster College | Utah |
| Wheaton College | Massachusetts |
| Whittier College | California |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (EA1 and EA2) | Massachusetts |
| Yale University (REA) | Connecticut |
*REA or Single Choice Early Action = Restrictive Early Action; typically, this means you are not allowed to apply to another university’s early application program
*EA1 and EA2 = This school offers two separate EA deadlines; you can choose one to apply to
Important Notes
The above list is applicable to the 2023-2024 admissions cycle. While most schools do not change deadlines often, it can happen. Be sure to do your own research into the colleges you are interested in to find the right deadline for you.
Are you looking for further support identifying early action schools and which type of admission deadline would be the best for you? Contact an admissions specialist today to receive personalized support and recommendations.
Former Admissions Reader at The University of Michigan
3 years in University of Michigan Admissions
3,500+ Applications Read and Evaluated
Ever since graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Shayla Lebeck knew her passion lied within supporting students. Years later, Shayla has a graduate degree in Higher Education/Student Affairs with a concentration in academic advising.
