Reference Data
Journal Acceptance Rates (2026)
Acceptance rates are one of the most searched-for numbers in academic publishing, and one of the most misunderstood.
A low acceptance rate tells you the journal is selective. It doesn't tell you whether your paper fits. A paper that's a strong match for a journal with a 20% acceptance rate has better odds than a paper that's a marginal fit at a journal with a 5% rate. Fit matters more than selectivity.
That said, the numbers are useful for calibrating expectations. If you're submitting to a journal that accepts fewer than 8% of manuscripts, you should know that going in. It changes how you prepare your cover letter, how you frame your significance, and how many backup options you line up.
The table below covers 169 top scientific and medical journals. All data comes from our detailed journal guides, where you can find full submission advice for each one. Acceptance rates are approximate and based on the most recent publicly available data from each journal or publisher.
| Journal | Impact Factor | Acceptance Rate | Time to First Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Surg Oncol | Not verified as a current 2025 JCR value | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly verified |
| Cells & Development | Not verified as a current 2025 JCR value | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly verified |
| Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. | 118 | ~5-10% (highly selective, mostly invited) | ~60-90 days median |
| Lancet | 109 | <5% | 21-28 days to first decision |
| NEJM | 84.5 | <5% | 21 days median to first decision |
| Ann. Oncol. | 80.4 | ~10-20% | ~90-120 days median |
| JAMA | 65.4 | <5% | 2-3 weeks to first decision |
| Chemical Reviews | 64.2 | ~5% | ~120 days to first decision |
| Nat. Rev. Cancer | 60.7 | ~2-5% (highly selective, mostly invited) | ~60-90 days median |
| Nature | 56.1 | <8% | 7 days median to first decision |
| Cancer Cell | 56.1 | ~8-10% | ~5 days to desk decision; ~8 weeks to first decision after review |
| BMJ | 55.1 | ~7% overall; ~4% for research articles | Days to 2 weeks for desk decisions; ~48 days median with peer review |
| Nature Medicine | 52.5 | <8% | ~30 days to first decision |
| RMP | 48.9 | Highly selective and proposal-led | Proposal and editorial encouragement first |
| Chem. Soc. Rev. | 48.3 | ~15-25% | ~150-200 days median |
| Science | 47.3 | <7% | ~14 days to first decision |
| European Heart Journal | 45.3 | ~10% | ~20 days |
| Cell | 45.1 | <8% | ~14 days to first decision |
| J. Clin. Oncology | 44.7 | ~15% | ~30 days |
| Nature Biotechnology | 44.5 | <10% | 4 days median to first editorial decision |
| Circulation | 41.3 | ~7% | 17 days median to first decision |
| Cell Metabolism | 37 | ~5-8% | 3-7 days to desk decision; ~9-10 weeks to first decision after review |
| Lancet Oncology | 33.7 | ~8% | ~14 days (very fast) |
| Immunity | 30.6 | ~8-10% overall; ~25% of manuscripts sent for peer review | 3-5 days to desk decision; 3-4 weeks to first decision after review |
| Gastroenterology | 29.7 | ~12% | ~25 days |
| Lancet Infectious Diseases | 29.5 | ~12% | 2-4 weeks to first decision |
| Advanced Materials | 29.1 | ~6% | ~40 days to first decision |
| Nature Methods | 28.3 | ~8-10% | 7 days median to first editorial decision |
| Nature Cancer | 28.0 (2025 JIF) | Not publicly disclosed | 8 days median to first editorial decision |
| Nature Immunology | 26.5 | ~5-8% | 5 days median to first editorial decision |
| Nature Genetics | 25.5 | <10% | ~30 days to first decision |
| Adv. Energy Mater. | 25.5 | ~15-25% | ~100-140 days median |
| Gut | 24.6 | ~12% | ~2 weeks for desk decisions; 24 days median with peer review |
| Blood | 23.9 | ~20% | ~30 days |
| JAMA Oncology | 23.9 | ~8% | ~21 days |
| EnergyChem | 23.8 (publisher-displayed) | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly verified |
| Lancet Neurology | 22.8 | ~10% | 2-4 weeks initial decision |
| Cancer Res. | 22.6 | ~15-20% | ~100-130 days median |
| Diabetes Care | 22.6 | ~30-40% | ~100-130 days median |
| JACC | 21.7 | ~5% | 14-21 days for initial decision |
| IEEE TPAMI | 20.4 | Highly selective | Editorial screening first |
| Nature Neuroscience | 20.3 | ~9% | 45-60 days to first decision |
| Adv. Funct. Materials | 19.9 | ~12-18% | ~21 days median to first decision |
| Cell Stem Cell | 19.8 | ~10% | 30-45 days |
| Appl. Catal. B | 19.7 | ~30-35% | 5 days to first decision |
| Cell Host & Microbe | 18.7 | ~12% | 30-45 days to first decision |
| Nature Communications | 18.1 | ~20% | ~9 days to first editorial decision |
| Trends Mol. Med. | 18.1 | ~10-20% (primarily invited reviews) | ~60-90 days median |
| Hepatology | 18 | ~15% | ~30 days |
| Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. | 18 | ~30-40% | ~120-180 days median |
| Angewandte Chemie | 17.6 | ~8% | ~30 days to first decision |
| ACS Nano | 17.3 | ~8.4% | 31.9 days median to first decision with peer review |
| Neuron | 16.9 | Not disclosed | 4 days to first decision |
| JACS | 16.6 | ~8% | ~45 days to first decision |
| Circulation Research | 16.5 | ~10% | 21-35 days for initial decision |
| Nature Struct. & Mol. Biol. | 16.5 | ~12% | 30-45 days to first decision |
| Science Immunology | 16.4 | Highly selective | Fast editorial triage for poor-fit submissions |
| Molecular Cell | 16 | ~13% | 3-5 days to desk decision; 3-4 weeks to first decision after review |
| Nature Chemical Biology | 15.8 | Not publicly disclosed | 11 days median to first editorial decision |
| JAMA Cardiology | 15.6 | ~8% | 14-21 days to first decision |
| Science Translational Medicine | 15.6 | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Nucleic Acids Research | 15 | ~45% | ~45 days |
| Drugs | 14.7 | Proposal and invitation led | Presubmission inquiry before invited Review development |
| Tourism Management | 14.5 | Highly selective Elsevier tourism journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after theory and method fit |
| J. Clin. Investigation | 14.3 | ~8-10% | 2-4 weeks to first decision |
| Science Advances | 13.9 | ~10% | 1-4 weeks to first editorial decision |
| ACS Catal. | 13.6 | ~20-30% | ~100-130 days median |
| Cell Death and Differentiation | 13.6 | Selective Springer Nature cell-death journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit |
| Carbohydr. Polym. | 13.2 | ~45-55% | ~90-120 days median |
| Water Res. | 12.8 | ~25-35% | ~100-120 days median |
| Brain | 12.6 | ~15% | 6-8 weeks for first decision |
| Chemical Engineering Journal | 12.5 | ~20-30% | 10 days to first decision |
| JCR | 12.4 | Highly selective Elsevier drug-delivery journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after delivery-mechanism fit |
| PRX Quantum | 12.3 | Not publicly reported | 5 days before review; 58 days after review (2025 APS aggregates) |
| Environ. Sci. Technology | 12.2 | ~25-30% | ~90-120 days median |
| Appl. Energy | 12.2 | ~35-45% | 1 day to first decision |
| Cell Death & Disease | 12.2 | Selective Springer Nature open-access journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit |
| Genome Biology | 12.0 | ~15% | 30-45 days to first decision |
| Small | 11.8 | ~15-25% | ~100-140 days median |
| JEM | 11.6 | ~15-25% | ~60-90 days median |
| The Plant Cell | 11.6 | Selective ASPB and OUP plant-science journal | The journal reports fast first-decision timing for reviewed manuscripts |
| Phytomedicine | 11.3 | ~20-25% | ~4-8 weeks |
| Molecular Psychiatry | 11.0 | ~12% | 45-60 days to first decision |
| Clin. Cancer Res. | 10.9 | ~20-30% | ~100-130 days median |
| J. Cleaner Production | 10.7 | ~20-25% | ~45 days median to first decision |
| Acta Materialia | 10.7 | ~20-30% | ~3-5 months to first decision |
| Journal of Energy Storage | 10.7 | Selective Elsevier energy-storage journal | Elsevier insights report first decision and review timelines at journal level |
| J. Hazard. Mater. | 10.6 | ~30-35% | ~90-120 days median |
| Food Chem. | 10.4 | ~35-40% | ~80-120 days median |
| Diabetologia | 10.4 | ~15-20% | ~3-6 weeks |
| Energy | 10.1 | ~40-50% | ~100-140 days median |
| Struct. Biol. | 10.1 | ~25-35% | ~90-120 days median |
| PLOS Medicine | 9.9 | ~15% | 6-8 weeks to first decision |
| J. Colloid Interface Sci. | 9.6 | ~40-50% | ~100-130 days median |
| PNAS | 9.5 | ~15% | ~45 days to first decision |
| Physical Review Letters | 9.4 | ~7% | ~30 days to first decision |
| ESWA | 9.4 | Selective | 5 days to first decision |
| Current Biology | 9.2 | ~35% | 30-45 days for initial decision |
| Developmental Cell | 9.2 | ~18% | 30-45 days initial decision |
| Int. J. Hydrog. Energy | 9.2 | ~40-50% | ~90-130 days median |
| Journal of Materials Chemistry A | 9.2 | ~35-40% | ~100-140 days median |
| Nano Lett. | 9.1 | ~15-20% | ~90-120 days median |
| Constr. Build. Materials | 8.9 | ~30-35% | ~100-150 days median |
| BMC Medicine | 8.7 | ~20% | 3 days median to first editorial decision |
| Int. J. Biol. Macromol. | 8.7 | ~45-55% | ~90-120 days median |
| Journal of CO2 Utilization | 8.6 | Selective Elsevier CO2 utilization journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit |
| The EMBO Journal | 8.4 | ~10-15% est. | 4-day median first decision |
| J. Power Sources | 8.4 | ~30-40% | ~100-130 days median |
| Building and Environment | 8.4 | Selective Elsevier built-environment journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit |
| Clin. Infect. Dis. | 8.3 | ~25-35% | ~90-120 days median |
| Bioresour. Technol. | 8.2 | ~35-45% | ~90-120 days median |
| Environmental Research | 8.2 | ~15-25% | 2 days submission to first decision on ScienceDirect |
| Sci. Total Environment | 8.0 | ~18% | ~60 days to first decision |
| ACS Appl. Materials | 7.8 | ~25-30% | ~30 days median to first decision |
| Fuel | 7.8 | ~40-50% | ~100-130 days median |
| Cell Reports | 7.7 | ~15-20% | 5 days median to first editorial decision |
| AJHG | 7.7 | ~20-30% | ~60-90 days median |
| Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy | 7.5 | Selective Elsevier pharmacotherapy journal | Editorial screening first; peer review after editor fit |
| Anal. Chem. | 7.3 | ~35-45% | ~90-120 days median |
| Journal of Hydrology | 7.3 | Selective environmental science journal | Editorial screening first |
| Frontiers in Immunology | 7 | ~40% | ~80 days |
| PLOS Biol. | 6.9 | ~10% | ~60-90 days median |
| AMP | 6.9 | ~10-20% | ~6-12 weeks |
| J. Alloys Compd. | 6.7 | ~40-50% | ~100-130 days median |
| J. Agric. Food Chem. | 6.7 | ~40-50% | ~90-120 days median |
| MSB | 6.7 | ~15-25% | ~60-100 days median |
| Applied Surface Science | 6.6 | 19% | 9 days to first decision |
| JCAP | 6.4 | Selective specialist journal | Editorial screening first |
| Genome Res. | 6.3 | ~25-35% | ~60-90 days median |
| RSC Adv. | 6.1 | ~60-70% | ~60-90 days median |
| Astron. Astrophys. | 6.1 | ~40-50% | ~120-150 days median |
| JCB | 6.1 | Selective RUP cell-biology journal | Presubmission replies often within about two days; peer-review timing depends on editor fit |
| Ceram. Int. | 6 | ~45-55% | ~90-120 days median |
| Front. Plant Sci. | 5.9 | ~50-60% | ~80-110 days median |
| Nutrients | 5.8 | ~50-60% | ~60-90 days median |
| Front. Microbiol. | 5.8 | ~40-50% | ~90-120 days median |
| ApJ | 5.7 | ~70-75%; rejection is primarily editorial/scope-based | ~60 days median to first peer review decision |
| IJMS | 5.6 | ~30% | ~45 days to first decision |
| Bioinformatics | 5.5 | ~20-25% | ~23 days median first decision |
| Front. Pharmacol. | 5.4 | Not officially published | Varies by specialty section and review path |
| Colloids and Surfaces A | 5.4 | Not publicly stated | 7 days to first decision |
| Physical Review D | 5.3 | ~50-60% | ~60-90 days median |
| Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. | 5.2 | ~50-60% | ~90-120 days median |
| Molecules | 5.1 | ~50-60% | ~60-90 days median |
| Microchem. J. | 5.1 | Not publicly disclosed | 3 days to first decision; 29 days after review |
| Scientific Reports | 4.9 | ~57% | 21 days median to first editorial decision |
| Appl. Catal. A | 4.8 | Not publicly reported | Check current publisher guidance |
| Journal of Neuroscience | 4.4 | ~25% | 45-60 days |
| Chem. Commun. | 4.3 | ~20-30% | ~90-120 days median |
| Remote Sens. | 4.3 | ~50-60% | ~60-90 days median |
| RNA | 4.3 | ~25-35% | ~45-75 days median |
| IEEE Access | 4.2 | ~40-45% | ~30 days median to first decision |
| Sustainability | 4.1 | ~35-45% | ~2-6 weeks |
| J. Biol. Chemistry | 4.1 | ~30-35% | ~8-12 weeks |
| Sensors | 4 | ~50-60% | ~60-80 days median |
| J. Immunol. | 4 | ~40-50% | ~90-120 days median |
| Physical Review B | 3.9 | ~35% | ~60 days to first decision |
| Appl. Phys. Lett. | 3.8 | ~40-50% | 24 days to first decision |
| J. Chem. Phys. | 3.7 | ~35-40% | ~80-110 days median |
| Materials | 3.7 | ~50-60% | ~70-100 days median |
| J. Phys. Chem. C | 3.4 | ~45-55% | ~90-120 days median |
| Appl. Sci. | 2.9 | ~50-60% | ~60-90 days median |
| PLOS ONE | 2.8 | ~31% | 40 days median to first decision |
| J. Appl. Phys. | 2.7 | ~50-60% | ~90-120 days median |
| BMJ Open | 2.5 | 27% | 134 days median with review |
| Carbohydr. Res. | 2.5 | Not publicly disclosed | 4 days to first decision |
| Chemical Physics | 2.4 (publisher-displayed) | Not publicly disclosed | 5 days submission to first decision (publisher display) |
| eLife | N/A | ~15% | ~30 days to editorial assessment; reviewed preprints published regardless |
| Current Research in Translational Medicine | Verify current JCR | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
How to read these numbers
Acceptance rates measure the percentage of submitted manuscripts that eventually get published. But the number you see isn't always calculated the same way across journals.
Some journals count only papers that make it past the desk and into peer review. Others count every submission, including the ones desk rejected in the first week. A journal that desk rejects 70% of submissions and then accepts 40% of what goes to review might report either number. That's why you'll sometimes see different acceptance rates for the same journal depending on the source.
The rates in this table are the overall rates (including desk rejections) where available, since that's the number that matters to you as a submitting author. If a journal desk rejects most papers, that's part of the reality you're facing.
What acceptance rates don't tell you
They don't tell you whether your specific paper will be accepted. A 20% acceptance rate doesn't mean you have a 1-in-5 chance. If your paper is a strong fit, your odds are much better. If it's a marginal fit, your odds are much worse. The aggregate number washes out the thing that matters most: how well your paper matches what the journal actually publishes.
They also don't tell you about the quality of feedback you'll receive. Some journals with high acceptance rates provide excellent, detailed reviews. Some with low rates send form rejections with no useful information. The review experience varies more between journals than acceptance rates suggest.
Using this data to pick a journal
Don't pick a journal by acceptance rate. Pick it by fit, audience, and scope. Then use the acceptance rate to calibrate your expectations and your backup plan.
If you're targeting a journal that accepts fewer than 10% of submissions, have your second and third choices ready before you submit. Read our guide on how to choose the right journal for a step-by-step process.
If you're not sure whether your paper is competitive for your target journal, that's what pre-submission review is for. An experienced reviewer can tell you in a few days whether you're in the right ballpark.
Not sure if you're competitive?
Find out before you submit
Acceptance rates tell you the odds. The free pre-submission diagnostic tells you where your specific manuscript stands, with section-by-section feedback, live citations, and a journal fit score calibrated to your target journal's current criteria.
Get the quick diagnosticRelated resources
- All Journal Publishing Guides - detailed submission advice for each journal
- How to Choose the Right Journal for Your Paper - a practical, step-by-step guide
- Desk Rejected? Here's Why - the 7 most common reasons and how to fix them
- Journal Comparisons - side-by-side comparisons of similar journals