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Lists / Best Colleges to Apply Early Decision 2021

Best Colleges to Apply Early Decision 2021

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Created by College Confidential

Does applying early decision really help your chances of getting into college? If you have your heart set on any of these 35 schools, applying early could give you a real advantage in the admissions process. All of these highly-selective schools admit significantly larger percentage of students who apply early decision than those that apply at the regular admissions deadline. Read on to see 35 schools with a large early decision advantage. Click the heart to save a school or your list, and visit the school profile for ED deadlines and notifications dates.

1. Grinnell College

  • 1st
    Grinnell College
    Grinnell, IA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,862
    Out-of-State
    $64,862
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • Grinnell Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 65% Regular Acceptance Rate: 19% ED Advantage: 40%

    2. Bates College

  • 2nd
    Bates College
    Lewiston, ME • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $63,478
    Out-of-State
    $63,478
    Acceptance Rate14%

    • Bates Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 46% Regular Acceptance Rate: 14% ED Advantage: 32%

    3. Denison University

  • 3rd
    Denison University
    Granville, OH • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $61,426
    Out-of-State
    $61,426
    Acceptance Rate26%

    • Denison Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 57% 2021 Overall Acceptance Rate: 28% ED Advantage: 29%

    4. Washington and Lee University

  • 4th
    Washington and Lee University
    Lexington, VA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,525
    Out-of-State
    $64,525
    Acceptance Rate17%

    • Washington and Lee Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 53% Overall Acceptance Rate: 25% ED Advantage: 28%

    5. Haverford College

  • 5th
    Haverford College
    Haverford, PA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $68,020
    Out-of-State
    $68,020
    Acceptance Rate14%

    • Haverford Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 46% Overall Acceptance Rate: 18% ED Advantage: 28%

    6. Skidmore College

  • 6th
    Skidmore College
    Saratoga Springs, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance Rate26%

    • Skidmore Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 60% Overall Acceptance Rate: 32%% ED Advantage: 28%

    7. Hamilton College

  • 7th
    Hamilton College
    Clinton, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,740
    Out-of-State
    $65,740
    Acceptance Rate12%

    • Hamilton Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 46% Overall Acceptance Rate: 18% ED Advantage: 27%

    8. Davidson College

  • 8th
    Davidson College
    Davidson, NC • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $59,510
    Out-of-State
    $59,510
    Acceptance Rate17%

    • Davidson Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 47% Overall Acceptance Rate: 20% ED Advantage: 27%

    9. Middlebury College

  • 9th
    Middlebury College
    Middlebury, VT • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance Rate13%

    • Middlebury Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 47% Overall Acceptance Rate: 22% ED Advantage: 25%

    10. Williams College

  • 10th
    Williams College
    Williamstown, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,860
    Out-of-State
    $64,860
    Acceptance Rate8%

    • Williams Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 39% Overall Acceptance Rate: 15% ED Advantage: 24%

    11. Vassar College

  • 11th
    Vassar College
    Poughkeepsie, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $67,805
    Out-of-State
    $67,805
    Acceptance Rate19%

    • Vassar Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 46% Overall Acceptance Rate: 25% ED Advantage: 21%

    12. Wesleyan University

  • 12th
    Wesleyan University
    Middletown, CT • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $67,016
    Out-of-State
    $67,016
    Acceptance Rate14%

    • Wesleyan Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 41% Overall Acceptance Rate: 21% ED Advantage: 20%

    13. Pitzer College

  • 13th
    Pitzer College
    Claremont, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,692
    Out-of-State
    $62,692
    Acceptance Rate18%

    • Pitzer Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 37% Overall Acceptance Rate: 17% ED Advantage: 20%

    14. Amherst College

  • 14th
    Amherst College
    Amherst, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $67,280
    Out-of-State
    $67,280
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Amherst Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 32% Overall Acceptance Rate: 12% ED Advantage: 20%

    15. Johns Hopkins University

  • 15th
    Johns Hopkins University
    Baltimore, MD • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,840
    Out-of-State
    $62,840
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Johns Hopkins Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 29% Overall Acceptance Rate: 9% ED Advantage: 20%

    16. Wellesley College

  • 16th
    Wellesley College
    Wellesley, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,320
    Out-of-State
    $64,320
    Acceptance Rate14%

    • Wellesley Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 39% Overall Acceptance Rate: 20% ED Advantage: 19%

    17. Washington University in St. Louis

  • 17th
    Washington University in St. Louis
    St. Louis, MO • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,982
    Out-of-State
    $62,982
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • WashU Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 35% Overall Acceptance Rate: 16% ED Advantage: 19%

    18. Claremont McKenna College

  • 18th
    Claremont McKenna College
    Claremont, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,150
    Out-of-State
    $64,150
    Acceptance Rate10%

    • 2021 Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 28% Overall Acceptance Rate: 10% ED Advantage: 18%

    19. Colgate University

  • 19th
    Colgate University
    Hamilton, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $67,024
    Out-of-State
    $67,024
    Acceptance Rate12%

    • 2021 Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 45% Overall Acceptance Rate: 27% ED Advantage: 18%

    20. Northeastern University

  • 20th
    Northeastern University
    Boston, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $60,192
    Out-of-State
    $60,192
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Northeastern Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 38% Overall Acceptance Rate: 20% ED Advantage: 17%

    21. Dartmouth College

  • 21st
    Dartmouth College
    Hanover, NH • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,511
    Out-of-State
    $65,511
    Acceptance Rate6%

    • Dartmouth Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 26% Overall Acceptance Rate: 9% ED Advantage: 17%

    22. Duke University

  • 22nd
    Duke University
    Durham, NC • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,992
    Out-of-State
    $65,992
    Acceptance Rate6%

    • Duke Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 25% Overall Acceptance Rate: 8% ED Advantage: 17%

    23. Northwestern University

  • 23rd
    Northwestern University
    Evanston, IL • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,997
    Out-of-State
    $65,997
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Northwestern Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 25% Overall Acceptance Rate: 9% ED Advantage: 16%

    24. Rhode Island School of Design

  • 24th
    Rhode Island School of Design
    Providence, RI • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $59,760
    Out-of-State
    $59,760
    Acceptance Rate17%

    • RISD Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 42% Overall Acceptance Rate: 27% ED Advantage: 15%

    25. Swarthmore College

  • 25th
    Swarthmore College
    Swarthmore, PA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,412
    Out-of-State
    $62,412
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Swarthmore Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 24% Overall Acceptance Rate: 9% ED Advantage: 15%

    26. Boston University

  • 26th
    Boston University
    Boston, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $65,168
    Out-of-State
    $65,168
    Acceptance Rate14%

    • BU Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 33% Overall Acceptance Rate: 20% ED Advantage: 13%

    27. Bowdoin College

  • 27th
    Bowdoin College
    Brunswick, ME • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance Rate9%

    • Bowdoin Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 22% Overall Acceptance Rate: 9% ED Advantage: 13%

    28. Tulane University

  • 28th
    Tulane University
    New Orleans, LA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $58,666
    Out-of-State
    $58,666
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • Tulane Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 23% Overall Acceptance Rate: 11% ED Advantage: 12%

    29. Barnard College

  • 29th
    Barnard College
    New York, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • Barnard Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 26% Overall Acceptance Rate: 14% ED Advantage: 12%

    30. Cornell University

  • 30th
    Cornell University
    Ithaca, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $66,014
    Out-of-State
    $66,014
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • Cornell Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 23% Overall Acceptance Rate: 11% ED Advantage: 12%

    31. University of Virginia

  • 31st
    University of Virginia
    Charlottesville, VA • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $21,381
    Out-of-State
    $56,837
    Acceptance Rate21%

    • UVA Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 34% Overall Acceptance Rate: 23% ED Advantage: 11%

    32. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

  • 32nd
    In-State
    $46,820
    Out-of-State
    $46,820
    Acceptance Rate13%

    • Cooper Union Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 24% Overall Acceptance Rate: 13% ED Advantage: 11%

    33. University of Pennsylvania

  • 33rd
    University of Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia, PA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $66,104
    Out-of-State
    $66,104
    Acceptance Rate7%

    • UPenn Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 19% Overall Acceptance Rate: 9% ED Advantage: 10%

    34. Columbia University

  • 34th
    Columbia University
    New Yrok, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $68,400
    Out-of-State
    $68,400
    Acceptance Rate4%

    • Columbia Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 17% Overall Acceptance Rate: 6% ED Advantage: 11%

    35. Brown University

  • 35th
    Brown University
    Providence, RI • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $68,230
    Out-of-State
    $68,230
    Acceptance Rate6%

    • Brown Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 18% Overall Acceptance Rate: 8% ED Advantage: 10%

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