If you’ve considered a liberal arts education, you’ve likely felt overwhelmed by the thousands of options. But that’s a good thing. After all, with so many liberal arts schools to choose from, there’s definitely one that’s perfect for you!
If you haven’t considered a liberal arts education yet, find out what a liberal arts college is and consider why you should apply.
A liberal arts college emphasizes a well-rounded approach to learning. Transitioning from high school to college is difficult, but for students attending a liberal arts college, these challenges are weakened. Teacher-student ratios are much smaller than they would be at public institutions, which helps students focus and integrate as they contribute to classroom discussions. In more intimate environments, students gain more value from their education, as they are able to build strong and lasting relationships with those around them.
Most of these schools cater mostly to undergraduate students — and the college experience is amplified as a result. Even though liberal arts schools are typically more expensive than research and state universities at first glance, they tend to offer more generous financial aid packages, allowing students to graduate debt-free and ready to take on the world.
Here are a few schools with great programs:
Amherst College
Located in Massachusetts, Amherst is a liberal arts college that encourages a flexible selection of courses. There are no core requirements, allowing students to explore various courses and areas of study. Contrary to the typical curriculum, students create their own majors by enrolling in a combination of classes that they find interesting.
In terms of extracurriculars and socialization, Amherst encourages its students to live on-campus to foster that sense of community that liberal arts colleges often promote. Mathematics and economics are two popular majors at this school, and there are plenty of opportunities for undergraduate research.
Wellesley College
Wellesley College is located in Massachusetts – specifically, in the city of Wellesley. It is a women’s liberal arts college that has helped pave the way toward a more equitable future, inspiring women to seek opportunities in higher education. In partnership with other institutions, Wellesley allows students to simultaneously pursue a BA at Wellesley and a BS at MIT and the Olin College of Engineering. The college’s priority is to provide students with a quality education.
Wellesley promotes a balance between work and socialization, as their sports teams, student organizations, and scenic routes offer students the opportunity to relax between classes.
Middlebury College
Located in Vermont, Middlebury College is a liberal arts college that revolutionized environmental studies, pioneering such a program. One of two schools with a skiing program in the East Coast, Middlebury boasts 31 NCAA Division III, varsity teams. The Middlebury Panthers belong to the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
To promote the college experience, Middlebury ensures that first-year students reside in one of five Commons, as the school encourages social integration just as much as academic success.
Pomona College
Pomona College is based out of Los Angeles, California, in a suburb called Claremont, even though it is known to resemble a “New England” institution. There are various liberal arts schools in that area that make up a network, and Pomona allows students to take up to half of their classes at the other “network” schools.
Requirements at this school include a first-year course that explores critical thinking, a foreign language, and a course that focuses on public speaking. As a liberal arts college based out of Southern California, this school offers great programs for those looking to explore a career in performing arts.
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College, which is based in the outskirts of Philadelphia, is a liberal arts college that is also an arboretum. The school requires that students complete a minimum of three courses in the college’s three areas of focus, which consist of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences & engineering (offering students a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, which is not the case in other liberal arts schools).
Students at Swarthmore are eligible to take courses at the University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, and Bryn Mawr College. First-year students encounter an interesting reality at this school, as their classes are merely pass or fail, allowing students to adjust to life after high school. The college expects students to hold themselves to high academic standards, but also to enjoy their college experience.
Should you consider a liberal arts college?
When comparing colleges, it is important to look at the big picture and zoom into each component, including the best financial aid package, curriculum requirements, potential research interests, and geographic location. While liberal arts colleges used to indicate debt, it is clear that employers are now more open about the prospect of hiring well-rounded liberal arts graduates. They are becoming ever more affordable, and if research is completed with adequate time and preparation, it may even be a better financial choice. As for the social life, students connect to their peers and professors at a level only achieved by smaller classrooms, and living on campus tends to be pertinent to the college experience, especially at these institutions.
If you've considered a liberal arts education, you've likely felt overwhelmed by the thousands of options. Don't stress out though, that's why we're here! Read this blog post to see our list of top Liberal Arts Colleges and their programs.
Do you know just how important your high school GPA is? In this blog post, we'll put the definition of your GPA into perspective and even help you calculate it.
Are you applying Early Decision to any schools? If so, and make sure you understand the difference between Early Decision and Early Decision II! Click here to see the list of colleges in the US offering Early Decision and their due dates.
Applying to a college through Early Decision is an excellent choice for many students, especially if they are applying to Ivy League institutions or other highly-selective colleges such as MIT or Vanderbilt University. Whether Early Decision or Early Action are offered varies between institutions and is liable to change over the years. You need to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information.
In this article, we will review key differences between Early Action and Early Decision applications as well as discuss Early Decision 2026 application trends. Read on to see Class of 2026 Early Decision dates and learn everything you need to know to have a successful college application season.
Colleges that allow Early Action and Early Decision programs allow applicants to submit their college applications at a much earlier date. You can usually apply Early Action to multiple schools — unless the school specifies that they offer restrictive Early Action, also known as Single Choice Early Action or SCEA. In contrast, you can only apply to one school through Early Decision. Early Decision is binding for admitted students. If accepted, the student must attend that school.
Because of the benefits offered by applying early, any high school student going through the admissions process — especially minority students such first-generation students and students of color — should understand and consider Early Decision.
Schools that offer Early Decision may also offer Early Decision II. Early Decision II applications are binding decisions submitted either near or on the Regular Decision deadline. With Early Decision II, you get more time to work on your application than for Early Decision I, and it may increase your chances of being accepted over Regular Decision. You lose the benefits, however, of Early Decision I: Early Decision II will have a lower acceptance rate, and you will still have to apply to other schools through Regular Decision.
It’s important to stay current with Early Decision statistics, especially in regards to how they compare to last year’s statistics and the less specified Class of 2026 college acceptance rates. This will help you prepare and plan ahead for your anticipated admissions cycle. Look at the chart below for important information concerning:
Below are the top 14 universities that offer Early Decision and Early Action application options. Review the Early Decision Class of 2026 statistics below to gauge the size of each school’s applicant pool, admission rates, as well as your probability of admittance.
|
College |
Number of early applicants |
Number of early applicants accepted |
Early acceptance rate for class of 2026 |
Early acceptance rate for class of 2025 |
Link to college website |
|
Brown University |
6,146 |
896 |
15% |
16% |
|
|
Columbia University |
6,305 |
650 |
10% |
10% |
|
|
Cornell University |
TBD |
TBD |
TBD |
21% |
|
|
Dartmouth College |
2,633 |
530 |
20% |
21% |
|
|
Harvard University |
9,406 |
740 |
7.9% |
7.4% |
|
|
University of Pennsylvania |
7,795 |
1,218 |
16% |
15% |
|
|
Princeton University |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Yale University |
7,288 |
800 |
11% |
10.5% |
|
|
Boston College |
4,443 |
1,250 |
28% |
39% |
|
|
Duke University |
4,015 |
855 |
21% |
17% |
|
|
Emory University |
2,205 |
804 |
37% |
39% |
|
|
Georgetown University |
8,832 |
881 |
10% |
11% |
|
|
John Hopkins University |
2,500 |
520 |
21% |
N/A |
|
|
Northwestern University |
N/A |
N/A |
25% |
N/A |
|
|
Rice University |
N/A |
440 |
N/A |
16% |
|
|
Tulane University |
N/A |
N/A |
10% |
N/A |
|
|
Vanderbilt University |
2,700 |
650 |
24% |
18% |
|
|
University of Virginia |
3,466 |
1,097 |
32% |
33% |
The total number of applicants for Brown Early Decision 2026 increased by 11% from last year. Of the admitted Early Decision students, 51% identify as students of color, 17% identify as first-generation college students, and 57% applied for financial aid.
A total of 6,305 students applied to Columbia ED in 2026, compared to 6,435 applicants from its previous admissions cycle. The admit rate increased slightly to 10.3%.
Cornell has opted not to disclose its Cornell Early Decision Class of 2026 statistics until the end of the admissions cycle. The university disclosed, however, that there are approximately 9,500 Cornell Early Decision 2026 applicants.
Dartmouth’s ED acceptance rate for 2026 decreased slightly from last year, falling from 21% to 20%. They accepted 530 Early Decision students this year. This will account for about 46% of the incoming class of 2026.
Harvard’s Early Decision acceptance rate increased slightly to 7.9% this year. They accepted 740 of 9,406 Harvard Early Decision applicants.
Penn received 7,795 Early Decision applications this year, a slight decrease from last year’s Early Decision applicant pool of 7,962. Of these students, Penn admitted 1,218, which will account for approximately 50% of Penn’s incoming Class of 2026.
Princeton University has chosen not to release any Class of 2026 admissions statistics at this time.
Yale University admitted 800 Early Action applicants, 11% of a total of 7,288 applicants.
Of the 4,443 Boston College Early Decision 2026 applicants, only 1,250 students were offered admission, giving Boston College an 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate of 28%.
Of the 4,015 Duke Early Decision 2026 applicants, only 855 were admitted. This gives Duke a 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate of 21%, an increase from its 2025 Early Decision acceptance rate of 17%.
Emory’s 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate decreased slightly from the year before. Their 39% acceptance rate dropped to 37% this year. In total, they accepted 804 Early Decision applicants.
Georgetown University’s Early Decision acceptance rate dropped from 11% to 10% this year. Of 8,832 Early Decision applicants, 881 gained admission.
John Hopkins University admitted 520 of 2,500 Early Decision applicants this year, giving them an overall Early Decision acceptance rate of 21%.
Northwestern University admitted 25% of their Early Decision applicants during the Class of 2026 college admissions cycle.
Rice University accepted 440 Early Decision applicants during this year’s college admissions cycle.
Due to over-admittance last year, Tulane ED acceptance rate for 2026 has decreased significantly to 10%.
Vanderbilt’s Early Decision 2026 acceptance rate increased this year from 18% to 24%. There were a total of 2,700 Vanderbilt ED 2026 applicants; of these, 650 applicants were offered admission.
Of 3,466 Early Decision applicants, 1,097 students were offered admission, granting the University of Virginia a 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate of 32%, a slight decrease from its 33% acceptance rate from the year before.
College acceptance rates are currently at a record low. This includes 2026 Early Decision statistics. With the rise of test-optional admission policies, more and more students are applying to top universities, especially Ivy League institutions. Overall, students with average test scores are widening their application reach. This has caused serious applicants to consider early admission programs at higher rates than in previous application Cycles.
Other Class of 2026 college application trends include:
Many of these admissions statistics concerning the 2026 incoming class are largely reflective of the social and financial effects of the pandemic. This is important to keep in mind as you review admissions decisions and statistics.
An essential part of well-planned college admissions is prioritizing and planning out your applications. Starting
applications early and periodically working on them will ensure a polished product when the deadlines approach. Overall, it is inefficient to work on all your applications around the same time. You want to be able to focus and finish one set of applications so you can fully apply yourself to another.
Then, you need to decide which applications to start early so that some will be ready by the early deadlines. Even if you decide that Early Decision is not the best idea, you may want to still complete some applications by the Early Action deadline. This is a way to pace yourself so you don’t have to scramble during December. If you get accepted through Early Decision or Early Action, you are done dealing with college admissions before the New Year! This will help alleviate some stress as you continue to prepare for college by completing financial aid documents before your enrollment.
Make sure to check the Early Decision deadlines for all colleges you have on your list. As with regular decision deadlines, Early Action and Early Decision vary between schools.
Here are Early Decision Dates for the class of 2026 for some of the top schools in the US:
Remember, this list is not exhaustive. Add the relevant Early Decision Date to your calendar, and good luck!
