Early Decision and Early Action deadlines for 2026-27: what 234 colleges' own pages say

The most common deadline in each round

The earliest Early Decision deadline in the pool is October 15, 2026: Coastal Carolina University.

All 234 colleges, earliest early deadline first

Colleges with an early round come first, ordered by their earliest early date; colleges with only a Regular Decision date follow. A note in brackets is the college’s own wording, such as Priority or Rolling. Click a college for its prompts, its source link and the date it was checked.

Early deadlines, answered

When is the Early Decision deadline for 2026-27?

Most commonly November 1, 2026: 50 of the 94 checked colleges that offer Early Decision use that date, and 37 use November 15, 2026. The earliest in the pool is October 15, 2026 (Coastal Carolina University). Every college's own date is in the table on this page, each read from the college's admissions site between August 17, 2026 and September 17, 2026.

What is the difference between Early Decision, Early Action and Restrictive Early Action?

Early Decision is binding: if admitted you withdraw every other application and enrol. Early Action is not binding: you apply early, hear early, and can still choose in the spring. Restrictive Early Action (also called single-choice early action) is not binding either, but the college limits where else you may apply early. Early Decision II is a second binding round with a later deadline, usually in January. Each college publishes its own rules and they differ in detail, so read the policy on the college’s page before you apply.

How many colleges offer Early Decision or Early Action for 2026-27?

Of the 234 colleges checked, 172 (74%) offer at least one early round: 94 offer Early Decision, 121 Early Action, 3 Restrictive Early Action, and 68 an Early Decision II round. 62 have only a Regular Decision deadline, and 18 of those admit on a rolling basis.

What is Early Decision II and when is it due?

A second binding round, for applicants who missed the first Early Decision date or were deferred or denied elsewhere. 68 of the 234 checked colleges offer one. The most common ED II deadline is January 15, 2027 (33 colleges), then January 5, 2027 (10).

Where do these deadlines come from?

From NudgeEssay's own dataset of 267 colleges' 2026-27 application requirements, read from each college's own admissions site. Only the 234 colleges with a dated check against the college's own site are shown; 33 without one are left out. Each college row links to its requirements page, which carries the source link and the date it was checked. Colleges change dates, so confirm on the college's own page before you rely on any date here.