Early Decision Acceptance Rates for the Class of 2029

Are you thinking about making Early Decision part of your college admissions strategy? Below you’ll discover updated information about Early Decision acceptance rates for the Ivy League and other highly selective schools for the Class of 2029, along with insights into other emerging Early Decision admissions trends. With the admissions landscape as competitive as it has ever been, an Early Decision application strategy could give you an edge. But to make the best decisions, it's helpful to see how Early Decision acceptance rates stack up at the schools you're most interested in!

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Why do thousands of students apply under Early Decision or Early Action each year? One reason is to find out sooner if you've been accepted or not.

However, one of the most important reasons students apply Early Decision is in order to take advantage of higher acceptance rates.

When we talk to students and families, they're often aware of the overall acceptance rates at their prospective schools. Using this metric to gauge how selective one top school is compared to another.

However, the overall rate doesn't truly reflect what you're up against statistically, that really requires comparing early round application statistics vs. regular decision acceptance rates.

Students who apply during the regular round will contend with an acceptance rate that’s lower than the overall acceptance rate.

Conversely, if you apply in an early round, you’re typically going to benefit from an acceptance rate that’s higher than the overall acceptance rate, and much higher than the Regular Decision rate.

This is why applying Early Decision can give you a big edge in admissions, and why it’s helpful to track early decision rates and trends.

Below you’ll find more information about Early Decision statistics for the Class of 2029.

At the end, we’ll offer some tips for planning your next steps, with a brief overview of ED policies and related application strategies, along with links to other helpful posts that could help you make informed decisions for your college journey.

Class of 2029 Early Decision Admissions Results

Enough schools are reporting Early Decision results to give us a good glimpse into Early Decision admission statistics. However, we have to accept that some schools report statistics only much later, or elect not to report them, meaning that some of the figures below, where noted, are based on estimates.

Ivy League Early Decision (ED) Acceptance Rates

Acceptance rates at Ivy League schools have been the lowest on record over the past three years, pushing more and more students to look for ways to get an edge.

At Crimson, we've found that an Early Decision application strategy can be one part of a comprehensive strategy that helps students beat the odds in such a competitive landscape.

But how high are Early Decision acceptance rates for the Class of 2029 at top schools? After all, before you commit to an ED strategy, you'll want to think through the potential pros and cons and research just how big an edge you might get by applying ED. At many selective schools the advantage of applying ED is significant, but more so at some schools, and less at others.

Currently, only four of the eight Ivy League schools are releasing their early round admissions figures. Harvard (early action), for example, has recently joined UPenn (early decision), Princeton (early action), and Cornell (early decision) in withholding admissions data.

Here's a look at recent Early Decision statistics for the Ivy League schools that offer Early Decision — updated for the Class of 2029, based on available data, and in some cases based on estimates:

Class of 2029 Early Decision Acceptance Rates at Top-Ranked Universities (non-Ivies)

Admissions is also highly competitive at the universities and colleges ranking among the top 25 nationally. Of those, the ones that have Early Decision admissions options include schools such as Johns Hopkins, Duke, Rice, and more.

It’s always important to remember that applying ED involves a binding commitment to attend if accepted, but in the right circumstances, applying ED and adhering to other strategies used by top applicants will typically boost your chances for admissions because you're part of a smaller applicant pool compared to the Regular Decision application cycle.

The table below shows you exactly how high acceptance rates can go at top schools for Early Decision applicants:

Early Decision results for the Class of 2029 and 2028 show that the acceptance rates for ED admissions are significantly higher than Regular Decision rates, but still highly selective.

In addition, notice that ED rates from last year to this year haven't changed significantly at most top schools. This means the ED results for the Class of 2029 are likely to be a fairly reliable guide for estimating next year's ED acceptance rates at your dream school.

Early Decision Admissions Trends

If you’re thinking about applying under Early Decision, you may also find it helpful to consider not only acceptance rates, but some broad trends impacting Early Decision admissions at selective universities.

1. Overall Decline in ED Acceptance Rates

There has been a general increase in the number of students pursuing early decision strategies — as more and more students are looking for ways to get an edge at a time of historically low overall acceptance rates.

Ivy League Schools: Schools like Dartmouth, Brown, and Columbia have reported steady declines in ED acceptance rates over the past decade. This is a result of growing interest students have in leveraging ED admissions to get into top schools during the same decade in which Covid lockdowns led many universities to eliminate testing requirements, with some now reinstating those requirements.

Smaller Liberal Arts Colleges: While still competitive, some liberal arts colleges have experienced less dramatic declines in ED acceptance rates.

2. Increased Use of Early Decision To Shape Classes

While increasing numbers of ED applications are bringing ED acceptance rates lower at many top schools, another trend is helping ED applicants maintain a stronger edge. Namely, more schools are leaning on ED applicant pools to recruit a larger percentage of their incoming classes.

• Many top schools fill as much as 40-60% of their incoming classes through ED rounds. For example:
  • University of Pennsylvania fills about 50% of its class via ED.
  • Dartmouth, Cornell, and Brown have similar percentages.
• Vanderbilt and Tulane have strategically increased their ED admissions numbers, resulting in relatively stable ED acceptance rates even as the ED applicant pool increases.
• Many universities may also be accepting more ED applicants as a way to manage yield rates or to try and maintain or increase diversity, with ED applicants among the most likely applicants to accept an offer of admission due to student preference and ED's binding commitment.

3. Growing Popularity of Early Decision 2 (ED2)

• ED2 is becoming an important second chance for applicants rejected or deferred from their ED1 choice.
• It offers students another opportunity to benefit from higher acceptance rates in a binding decision round.
• Schools like Vanderbilt, NYU, and Johns Hopkins use ED2 strategically to admit high-caliber students later in the admissions cycle.

Ivy League Application Trends 2018 to 2024

Hundreds of thousands of ambitious students apply to the Ivy League each year, and the numbers are growing! Over the past three years the number has topped 400,000. And, most Ivy League schools have overall acceptance rates dropping to 8% or even lower.

Which Ivy League receives the most applications?

Cornell University and UPenn receive the most applications each year, numbering well over 60,000.

Which Ivy League receives the least number of applications?

Dartmouth University is the Ivy League school that receives the least amount of applications. Last year (Class of 2028), Dartmouth received 31,656 applications, resulting in an Overall Acceptance Rate of 5.4%.

The chart below highlights the trend in the number of applications to all eight Ivy League schools over the last ten years.

Is Applying Early Decision Worth It?

Applying Early Decision (ED) typically involves a binding agreement: you must enroll if admitted and withdraw all other applications. On top of that, to apply ED you obviously have the added stress of meeting the earlier application deadline, usually around November 1st.

So why do students apply ED?

It can be a great way to help your application get noticed because your commitment demonstrates your strong interest in attending the school.

And, as we've just seen, ED acceptance rates can be 2x or 3x higher, or more, compared to Regular Decision acceptance rates.

Choosing Between Early Decision and Early Action

Just like Early Decision, Early Action (EA) requires applying on an earlier timeline than Regular Decision rounds. But, while both present the challenge of completing your application months in advance, there are some differences to remember.

• EA is non-binding and allows students to keep options open, while ED is binding and should only be used if a student is sure about attending the school.
• Restrictive Early Action (REA) limits the number of schools a student can apply to early but remains non-binding.

Check out these resources to learn more:

Your Guide to Early Applications to The Ivy League

Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision Explained

How To Decide If Early Decision Is Worth It?

Choosing to apply Early Decision involves a commitment if you're admitted, so it's worth considering all your options carefully.

Remember, if you're accepted elsewhere you have to reject those offers, and your options for financial aid may be more limited as well.

However, when applying to highly selective schools, an ED strategy can give you a significant edge for admissions — at least statistically — especially if it's used alongside other effective strategies that help top applicants stand out.

Want more help making important decisions for your college journey? Check out these resources:

What Is a Good SAT Score?

What Is a Good ACT Score?

US College Admissions Calculator

How Can a College Admissions Counselor Help You with Your College Application?

Final Thoughts

With university acceptance rates at some of their lowest and application numbers at their highest, you're smart to be thinking about how to get an edge.

You now know that several Ivy League schools and a handful of other leading institutions in the US offer an ED option. And, at the most selective schools, applying ED can make a tremendous difference in the acceptance rate — in your favor!

Students and their guardians should remember, however, that applying ED is only a fitting strategy for some applicants, and it involves a binding commitment if you're accepted.

It also makes little sense to think of applying ED as a viable strategy all on its own. As all application rounds are fairly selective at the most competitive US colleges and universities, you'll want to be sure you're on track to stand out as a top applicant, regardless of the admissions round.

No admissions consultancy has ever had over 100 students accepted in the early round to the Ivy League, but this year we achieved that, with 103 Crimson students succeeding in the early round, getting into leading universities.

How do we do it? One key to our success is the knowledge we have at our fingertips across our large network. But most important, perhaps, is that we use a team approach, with specialists helping students with each core application component, including essays, extracurriculars, and testing and academics.

If you want to learn more, it's easy to get started.

Signing up for a free feedback session with a Crimson strategist is usually the best next step — an easy and convenient way to ask questions and find out more about the Crimson network and our team approach.

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Join our free webinars on US university applications
• Free eBooks and guides to help with the college application process