Early Action Deadlines 2026–27: All 448 Dates, and More Than Half Fall After November 2

Early Decision deadlines mostly sit on two weekends, November 1 and November 15. Early Action is spread across a season. The Common App's 2026–27 requirements grid lists 448 member colleges with an Early Action deadline for students entering in fall 2027, and only 183 of them close on Sunday, November 1. More than half, 234, close after Monday, November 2: 122 on November 15, 71 on December 1, and the rest scattered as late as February 18.

That matters if you're also applying somewhere binding. If your binding application goes in on November 1 or 2, you still have two to four weeks for Early Action applications at colleges that close later. It also means one group has already come and gone. Seventeen Early Action deadlines fell between October 15 and October 18, and ten of them belong to public universities in the South.

The dates below are as each college entered them in the grid. The file was last updated September 25, 2026, and we read it on October 19. We checked it against the 483 Early Decision and Regular Decision dates already on our site for the same colleges, and all 483 match. Colleges can still move a date, so check yours on the college's own page before you plan a weekend around it. For binding rounds, here is every Early Decision I date.

Where the 448 dates land

Already passed: October 15–18

Clemson University · Drury University · Florida Atlantic University · Florida State University · Georgia College & State University · Georgia Institute of Technology · Lipscomb University · Randolph-Macon College · Regis University · Siena University · The University of Texas at Austin · University of Central Florida · University of Georgia · University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · University of South Carolina Columbia · Westmont College · Wheaton College (IL)

This is where several of the most applied-to public universities put their early round. North Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Texas, Clemson, South Carolina and Florida State all closed Early Action on Thursday, October 15; Randolph-Macon followed on Sunday, October 18. If one of the public universities is still on your list, Regular Decision is the door that's left, and the grid gives these dates for it:

Georgia Tech is the exception worth knowing about. Its October 15 round was for Georgia students. Everyone else, international applicants included, applies in its second Early Action round, which closes Monday, November 2, according to Georgia Tech's own deadlines page.

October 30–31

American University of Beirut (AUB) · Augusta University · Belmont Abbey College · Meredith College · Transylvania University

Meredith closes on Friday, October 30; the other four on Saturday, October 31. The American University of Beirut is one of a dozen Common App members outside the US that show up on these lists.

Sunday, November 1: 183 colleges

Abilene Christian University · Adelphi University · American University · Augustana College (Illinois) · Austin College · Babson College · Bard College · Bard College Berlin · Baylor University · Bellarmine University · Belmont University · Beloit College · Bennington College · Berry College · Bradley University · Butler University · Carroll College (Montana) · Case Western Reserve University · Centenary University · Chapman University · Chatham University · Chicago State University · Clark Atlanta University · Clark University · College of Saint Benedict · College of Wooster · Colorado College · Colorado School of Mines · Connecticut College · Converse University · Creighton University · Daemen University · Dean College · DePauw University · Earlham College · Elon University · Emerson College · Emmanuel College (MA) · Fairfield University · Fisk University · Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) · Florida Gulf Coast University · Florida Southern College · Fordham University · Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU) · Furman University · George Mason University · Georgetown University · Georgetown University in Qatar · Gustavus Adolphus College · Hamline University (MN) · Hanover College · Hollins University · Holy Cross College · Hood College · Hope College · Howard University · Illinois State University · Indiana University Bloomington - Flagship Campus · James Madison University · John Carroll University · Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte · Johnson & Wales University-Providence · Knox College · La Salle University · Lake Forest College · Le Moyne College · Lebanon Valley College · Lewis & Clark College · Loyola Marymount University · Macalester College · Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Mercer University · Miami University (Ohio) · Michigan State University · Michigan Technological University · Minerva University · Mount St. Mary's University · New College of Florida · Newman University · Norfolk State University · North Carolina A&T State University · North Carolina State University · Northeastern University · Northwestern University in Qatar · Nova Southeastern University · Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences · Occidental College · Oglethorpe University · Ohio Dominican University · Oral Roberts University · Oregon Tech · Pacific University Oregon · Penn State · Pepperdine University · Presbyterian College · Providence College · Purdue University · Radford University · Reed College · Regis College · Ripon College · Rivier University · Rochester Institute of Technology · Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · Rutgers University · Saint John's University (MN) · Saint Mary's College of California · Saint Michael's College · Saint Xavier University · Salve Regina University · Samford University · Santa Clara University · Sarah Lawrence College · Schreiner University · Seattle Pacific University · Seattle University · Shanghai Jiao Tong University Global College · Simmons University · SKEMA Business School - US Campus · Soka University of America · Southern Methodist University · Spelman College · St. Mary's College of Maryland · St. Olaf College · Stonehill College · SUNY Binghamton University · SUNY Stony Brook University · SUNY University at Buffalo · Syracuse University · Temple University · Texas Christian University · The Catholic University of America · The College of New Jersey · The New School · The Ohio State University · The University of Arizona · The University of Tennessee Knoxville · Thomas Jefferson University · Towson University · Trinity University · UMBC: University of Maryland, Baltimore County · University of Akron · University of Cincinnati · University of Dallas · University of Dayton · University of Delaware · University of Denver · University of Detroit Mercy · University of Evansville · University of Florida · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · University of Maryland · University of Massachusetts Boston · University of Miami · University of Michigan · University of Minnesota Morris · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · University of North Carolina Asheville · University of North Carolina at Charlotte · University of North Carolina Greensboro · University of North Carolina Wilmington · University of Oregon · University of Puget Sound · University of Redlands · University of Richmond · University of San Diego · University of San Francisco · University of Southern California · University of St. Thomas (MN) · University of Vermont · University of Virginia · University of Wisconsin-Madison · Villanova University · Western Carolina University · Western Washington University · Westlake University · Widener University · Willamette University · Woodbury University – now University of Redlands, Los Angeles · Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Xavier University

This is the biggest single date, and the most common one for large public universities: Michigan, Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Maryland, Ohio State, Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Indiana, Tennessee and Florida are all here. So is Georgetown, which names its round Early Action but, by its own rules, doesn't let its Early Action applicants apply Early Decision I or II anywhere else at the same time.

Monday, November 2: nine colleges

Brandeis University · College of Charleston · Florida International University · Hampden-Sydney College · Oregon State University · University of Chicago · University of Illinois Chicago · University of South Florida · Washington University in St. Louis

Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis, Brandeis and the College of Charleston put their Early Decision I and Early Action deadlines on the same Monday.

November 3–10: eight colleges

University of Iowa (Tuesday, November 3) · Shenandoah University (Wednesday, November 4) · University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of Massachusetts Lowell (Thursday, November 5) · Covenant College, Linfield University, Tulane University and Ursinus College (Tuesday, November 10)

Tulane is the one people miss. Its Early Decision I round closes November 1, but its Early Action round stays open until November 10.

Sunday, November 15: 122 colleges

Agnes Scott College · Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · Assumption University · Benedictine College · Bridgewater College · Bridgewater State University · Bryant University · Bryn Athyn College · Caldwell University · California Lutheran University · Catawba College · Centre College · Colorado State University · Concordia University Irvine · DePaul University · Dharma Realm Buddhist University · Dickinson College · Drexel University · Duquesne University · Eckerd College · Elmhurst University · Elmira College · Elms College · Emory & Henry University · Evangel University · Florida Polytechnic University · Fort Lewis College · Framingham State University · Georgia State University · Gettysburg College · Gonzaga University · Gordon College · Goucher College · Governors State University · Hampton University · Hawaii Pacific University · Hendrix College · High Point University · Hobart and William Smith Colleges · Hofstra University · Illinois Institute of Technology · Illinois Wesleyan University · John Cabot University in Rome · Kettering University · Lasell University · Loyola University Maryland · Loyola University New Orleans · Lynn University · Lyon College · Marist University · Marquette University · McDaniel College · Merrimack College · Mitchell College · Monmouth College (IL) · Moravian University · Neumann University · New Jersey Institute of Technology · Northwest Nazarene University · Northwest University · Ohio University · Pace University · Pacific Northwest College of Art · Point Loma Nazarene University · Pratt Institute · Quinnipiac University · Randolph College · Rhodes College · Rider University · Roger Williams University · Rollins College · Saint Anselm College · Saint Joseph's College of Maine · Saint Joseph's University · Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana · Salem State University · School of the Art Institute of Chicago · Seton Hall University · Shepherd University · Southern New Hampshire University · St. John's College (MD) · St. John's College (NM) · Stetson University · Suffolk University · SUNY College at Geneseo · SUNY College at Old Westbury · SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry · SUNY Cortland · SUNY Maritime College · SUNY New Paltz · SUNY Oneonta · SUNY Polytechnic Institute · SUNY Purchase · SUNY, University at Albany · Texas Lutheran University · The American University of Paris · The College of Idaho · The Culinary Institute of America · The University of Scranton · University of Colorado Boulder · University of Hartford · University of Mary Washington · University of Massachusetts Dartmouth · University of New England · University of New Hampshire · University of Tampa · University of the Pacific · University of Washington Bothell · University of Washington Tacoma · Utica University · Virginia Tech · Wagner College · Wake Forest University · Warren Wilson College · Wentworth Institute of Technology · Western New England University · Westfield State University · Wheaton College, Massachusetts · Whittier College · Whitworth University · Wofford College · Worcester State University

Virginia Tech, Colorado Boulder and New Hampshire are here, along with ten SUNY campuses (Binghamton, Stony Brook and Buffalo close on November 1) and private colleges and universities including Wake Forest, Drexel, Gonzaga, Marquette, Seton Hall, Hofstra and Rhodes. November 15 is also a Sunday.

November 16–30: nine colleges

Coastal Carolina University and Paul Smith's College (Monday, November 16) · Manhattanville University (Tuesday, November 17) · Lake Erie College (Friday, November 20) · Bethany Lutheran College (Wednesday, November 25) · Wilkes University (Sunday, November 29) · Biola University, Maine Maritime Academy and Menlo College (Monday, November 30)

Tuesday, December 1: 71 colleges

Albion College · Alfred University · Allegheny College · Auburn University · Canisius University · Carlow University · Centenary College of Louisiana · Christopher Newport University · Cleveland Institute of Art · College for Creative Studies · College of the Atlantic · Drew University · Franklin Switzerland · Illinois College · Ithaca College · Juniata College · Kalamazoo College · Kansas City Art Institute · Lawrence University · Lesley University · Lewis University · Longwood University · Lycoming College · Maine College of Art & Design · Massachusetts College of Art and Design · Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts · Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design · Minneapolis College of Art and Design · Molloy University · Monmouth University · Montclair State University · Montserrat College of Art · Morgan State University · Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles · Muhlenberg College · Nazareth University · North Central University · Ohio Wesleyan University · Old Dominion University · Queens University of Charlotte · Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Ringling College of Art and Design · Roanoke College · Sacred Heart University · Saint Louis University · Salisbury University · Sewanee: The University of the South · Simon's Rock at Bard College · Southwestern University · St. John's University (NY) · St. Lawrence University · Stevens Institute of Technology · The University of Utah · University of Bridgeport · University of Illinois Springfield · University of Kentucky · University of Maine · University of Maine at Farmington · University of Northern Colorado · University of Portland · University of Rhode Island · University of Southern Maine · Utah State University · Vanguard University of Southern California · Wabash College · Washington College · Western Michigan University · Westminster University (Utah) · Whitman College · William Paterson University of NJ · Wittenberg University

Art and design schools gather on this date. Ringling, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Kansas City Art Institute, the College for Creative Studies, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the Maine College of Art & Design, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and Montserrat all close Early Action on December 1, a month after most of the colleges above, which gives portfolio applicants more room. Auburn, Kentucky, Utah, Rensselaer, Stevens, Saint Louis University and Whitman close December 1 as well.

After December 1: 24 colleges

Otis College of Art and Design (Saturday, December 5) · Coe College and Guilford College (Thursday, December 10)

Tuesday, December 15 (14): Albertus Magnus College · Champlain College · Colby-Sawyer College · Curry College · Iona University · Lees-McRae College · Long Island University · Morehouse College · Otterbein University · Ramapo College of New Jersey · Rhode Island College · University of New Haven · University of Saint Joseph · Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

Kean University (Friday, January 1) · List College The Jewish Theological Seminary (Sunday, January 3) · American College of the Mediterranean (ACM) (Wednesday, January 6) · American University in Bulgaria (Friday, January 15) · Lincoln University of Pennsylvania and The American University in Cairo (Monday, February 1) · Bowling Green State University (Thursday, February 18)

At this end of the calendar, "early" is the name of the plan more than a season. Several of these rounds close after other colleges' Regular Decision deadlines.

A second round at 81 colleges

Early Action II isn't one thing. At Georgia Tech it splits applicants by residency. At most of the 81 colleges that list one, it's a second non-binding round with a later date, most often December 1 (23 colleges), December 15 (16) or January 15 (16).

Sunday, November 1 (1): Westmont College

Monday, November 2 (1): Georgia Institute of Technology

Sunday, November 15 (2): Lipscomb University · Wheaton College (IL)

Tuesday, December 1 (23): Belmont University · Beloit College · College of Saint Benedict · Dean College · Earlham College · Hampden-Sydney College · Knox College · Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · Mercer University · Miami University (Ohio) · Mount St. Mary's University · Newman University · Ohio Dominican University · Ripon College · Rivier University · Saint John's University (MN) · Schreiner University · Simmons University · Transylvania University · University of Dallas · University of Minnesota Twin Cities · University of Redlands · Woodbury University – now University of Redlands, Los Angeles

Thursday, December 10 (1): Randolph-Macon College

Tuesday, December 15 (16): Assumption University · DePauw University · Emmanuel College (MA) · Gordon College · Hanover College · Hofstra University · Hood College · Hope College · Illinois Wesleyan University · McDaniel College · Monmouth College (IL) · New Jersey Institute of Technology · Seton Hall University · University of Hartford · University of Minnesota Morris · Utica University

Wednesday, December 16 (1): Florida International University

Thursday, December 31 (1): The Culinary Institute of America

Friday, January 1 (3): University of Massachusetts Boston · Wentworth Institute of Technology · Westlake University

Sunday, January 3 (2): Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte · Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Tuesday, January 5 (2): Salve Regina University · Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Friday, January 15 (16): Agnes Scott College · Emory & Henry University · Florida Polytechnic University · Iona University · Juniata College · Lake Forest College · Lynn University · Merrimack College · Mitchell College · Pacific University Oregon · Stonehill College · The College of Idaho · University of Massachusetts Lowell · Vanguard University of Southern California · Wheaton College, Massachusetts · Whitworth University

Monday, February 1 (6): Austin College · Fisk University · Oregon State University · Sacred Heart University · The American University of Paris · University of Bridgeport

Monday, February 15 (5): Albertus Magnus College · Concordia University Irvine · Minneapolis College of Art and Design · University of New Haven · Western New England University

Monday, March 15 (1): American University in Bulgaria

Restrictive Early Action: five on the grid

Caltech, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and Notre Dame list a restrictive early round, all closing Sunday, November 1. Restrictive rounds put conditions on where else you can apply early, and what each one allows varies more than the name suggests. Yale doesn't appear in the 2026–27 grid file, so take its single-choice date from Yale's own site.

157 of these colleges also run Early Decision

At 157 of the 448, you choose between a binding and a non-binding early round at the same school. Michigan, Virginia, Northeastern, Villanova, Tulane, Miami, Chicago and Washington University are among them. Which door to take depends on what each round actually admitted, and it's a separate question from whether to apply early at all.

Applying Early Action elsewhere is generally allowed under an Early Decision agreement, as long as the Early Action round itself doesn't forbid it. The agreement spells out the one promise you do make.

How to use the spread

Put the binding application in first. For Early Decision that's November 1 or 2 at most colleges and November 15 at many others; restrictive rounds close November 1. Everything non-binding can follow.

Then sort your Early Action schools by date rather than by name. If your binding deadline is November 1 or 2, the ones that close November 15 or December 1 don't have to compete with it for the same weekend. If it's November 15, the December 1 group is your breathing room.

And if a public university's October 15 round passed you by, it isn't over. Georgia Tech's out-of-state round is open until November 2, and every Regular Decision date is listed in one place.

If one school on your list is getting your binding application, check that it's the right one before it goes in. Put your whole list in and see, free, what each college published about its early round and where your score sits. The answer across your whole list is the paid document.

Source: the Common App's 2026–27 first-year deadlines, fees and requirements grid (updated September 25, 2026), as each member college entered its dates, read October 19, 2026. Georgia Tech's residency split and Georgetown's Early Action rule are from those universities' admissions pages.