University Admission Strategy: Early Decision College & Universities

Building a university list, deciding where to apply, and maximizing your admission opportunities requires strategy including early action applications and early decision applications.

Below is a list of colleges and universities organized by state that offer binding Early Decision application plans to help you build a university list.

Please note that this lists the most popular colleges in each state that Blue Admission clients have chosen or considered for Early Decision applications. While it is not meant to be a comprehensive list of early decision plans, it is likely very close.  This list is compiled to assist with university list building, application strategy, and early decision applications.

Additionally, it is worth noting that colleges and universities can add or drop Early Decision programs at their discretion. While we work hard to verify and update this list annually, application plans and deadlines should always be confirmed during your application process. 

California

• Claremont McKenna College*

• Harvey Mudd College*

• Loyola Marymount University*

• Occidental College*

• Pitzer College*

• Pomona College*

• Santa Clara University*

• Scripps College*

• University of San Francisco

Connecticut

• Fairfield University*

• Trinity College*

• Wesleyan University *

District of Columbia

• American University*

• George Washington University*

Florida

• University of Miami*

Georgia

• Emory University*

 Illinois

• Northwestern University

• University of Chicago* 

 Iowa

• Grinnell College*  

Louisiana

• Tulane University*

Maine

• Bates College*

• Bowdoin College*

• Colby College* 

Maryland

• Johns Hopkins University* 

Massachusetts

• Amherst College

• Babson College*

• Boston College*

• Bentley University*

• Boston University*

• Brandeis University*

• Clark University*

• Mount Holyoke College*

• Northeastern University*

• Smith College*

• Tufts University*

• Wellesley College*

• Wheaton College*

• Williams College

Minnesota

• Carleton College*

• Macalester College*

Missouri

• Washington University in St. Louis* 

New Hampshire

• Dartmouth College

New Jersey

• Stevens Institute of Technology*

New York

• Bard College

• Barnard College

• Colgate University*

• Columbia University

• Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

• Cornell University

• Fordham University

• Hamilton College*

• New York University*

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute*

• Rochester Institute of Technology*

• Sarah Lawrence College*

• Skidmore College*

• St. Lawrence University

• Syracuse University*

• University of Rochester*

• Vassar College*

North Carolina

• Davidson College*

• Duke University

• Elon University

• High Point University*

• Meredith College

• Wake Forest University*

Ohio

• Case Western Reserve University*

• Denison University*

• Kenyon College*

• Oberlin College and Conservatory*

Oregon

• Reed College*

Pennsylvania

• Allegheny College*

• Bryn Mawr College*

• Bucknell University*

• Carnegie Mellon University*

• Dickinson College*

• Drexel University

• Franklin & Marshall College*

• Haverford College*

• Lafayette College*

• Lehigh University*

• Swarthmore College*

• University of Pennsylvania

• Washington & Jefferson College 

Rhode Island

• Brown University

• Rhode Island School of Design 

Tennessee

• Rhodes College*

• Sewanee: University of the South*

• Vanderbilt University* 

Texas

• Austin College

• Rice University

• Southern Methodist University*

• Texas Christian University

• Trinity University* 

Vermont

• Middlebury College*

Virginia

• College of William and Mary*

• Hampden-Sydney College

• University of Richmond*

• University of Virginia

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)

• Washington and Lee University*

Washington

• Whitman College*

*School offers both Early Decision I and II