Astrophysical Journal APC and Open Access: AAS Pricing, Page Charges, and the Gold OA Transition
Astrophysical Journal charges $2,300-$3,500+ based on article length. Gold OA since 2022. AAS page charge model explained. How it compares to MNRAS and A&A.
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Quick answer: The Astrophysical Journal charges based on article length, typically $2,300-$3,500 for standard papers. All AAS journals became fully gold open access in 2022, so every article is immediately free. There is no subscription option. The page-charge model is unique among major journals and means short papers cost significantly less than long ones.
What the Astrophysical Journal charges
AAS journals use a page-based pricing model rather than a flat APC:
Paper Length | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|
Short paper (4-6 pages) | ~$2,300-$2,500 |
Standard paper (8-12 pages) | ~$2,500-$3,000 |
Long paper (15-20 pages) | ~$3,000-$3,500 |
Extended paper (20+ pages) | $3,500+ |
The exact per-page rate is published by AAS and IOP Publishing (the production partner) each year. The fee includes all production costs: typesetting, hosting, DOI registration, and permanent archiving.
This model is a holdover from the print era, when page charges literally funded the printing of journal issues. Most journals have moved to flat APCs, but AAS has kept the page-charge structure because astronomers generally accepted it, and because it creates a financial incentive for concise writing.
The gold OA transition
In January 2022, all AAS journals transitioned to fully gold open access. This was a major shift:
Before 2022: AAS journals were hybrid. Authors could pay page charges for subscription-track publication. OA was optional at higher cost.
After 2022: All AAS journals are gold OA. Every article is immediately and permanently free. The page charges now function as the APC. There is no subscription-track option.
The AAS journals covered by this transition:
- Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
- Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL)
- Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (ApJS)
- Astronomical Journal (AJ)
- Planetary Science Journal (PSJ)
- Research Notes of the AAS (RNAAS) - no charge for short research notes
How the transition was funded
AAS didn't simply shift costs to authors. The transition was supported by a consortium model where institutions that previously paid subscriptions now pay "Publish and Read" agreements that subsidize page charges for their researchers.
Major institutional support:
Support Type | Details |
|---|---|
AAS Library Consortium | Institutions pay annual fees that subsidize author page charges |
Individual institution agreements | Some universities have negotiated reduced or waived page charges |
NASA/NSF grants | Astronomy grants routinely include publication cost line items |
AAS member benefits | AAS membership supports the journal infrastructure |
In practice, most US astronomy departments have budget lines for AAS page charges, and NASA/NSF grants almost always cover publication costs. The page charge model is less of a burden in astronomy than flat APCs are in biomedical sciences.
Waivers: astronomy's strong tradition
AAS has one of the most generous waiver cultures in academic publishing:
- No paper will be rejected for inability to pay. AAS has stated this policy explicitly and consistently.
- Waiver requests are common and accepted. Particularly from graduate students, postdocs without grants, and researchers at institutions without AAS consortium agreements.
- International researchers: AAS is particularly supportive of astronomers from countries with limited research funding. Many international authors publish in ApJ without paying page charges.
- The community subsidizes waivers. Institutions in the AAS consortium effectively pay for researchers who can't. This redistribution is built into the model.
If you're a graduate student or early-career researcher without grant funding for page charges, request a waiver. The approval rate in astronomy is high.
Funder mandate compliance
Funder/Policy | Compliant? | Route |
|---|---|---|
Plan S (cOAlition S) | Yes | Gold OA with CC BY (since 2022) |
NIH Public Access | Yes | Immediate gold OA |
NSF | Yes | Immediate gold OA |
NASA | Yes | Immediate gold OA |
UKRI | Yes | CC BY |
ERC | Yes | CC BY |
Since all AAS journals are now gold OA under CC BY, every funder mandate is automatically satisfied. There's nothing to configure and no license to choose. This is one of the simplest compliance stories in academic publishing.
How ApJ compares to competing astronomy journals
Journal | APC/Fee | Model | IF (2024) | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Astrophysical Journal | $2,300-$3,500+ (page-based) | Gold OA | ~5 | AAS/IOP |
Monthly Notices (MNRAS) | $0 (subscription) | Hybrid | ~4.8 | RAS/OUP |
Astronomy & Astrophysics | ~$500-$800 (page charges) | Hybrid (mostly OA via ESO) | ~5.4 | EDP Sciences |
Nature Astronomy | $12,850 | Hybrid | ~15 | Springer Nature |
Physical Review D | ~$2,100-$2,700 | Hybrid | ~5 | APS |
Journal of Cosmology & Astroparticle Physics | ~$2,000 (SCOAP3 covered) | Gold OA | ~5.3 | IOP |
The three major astronomy journals (ApJ, MNRAS, A&A) have very different cost structures:
ApJ: Page-based charges, gold OA. You always pay (unless waived), but your paper is always free to read.
MNRAS: Free to publish, hybrid. The Royal Astronomical Society funds the journal through subscriptions. You pay nothing, but your paper is behind the paywall (unless you choose and pay for OA).
A&A: Low page charges (~$500-$800), mostly OA through ESO agreements. European astronomers often have A&A charges covered through their observatories.
For cost-sensitive authors, MNRAS is the cheapest option ($0). For OA compliance, ApJ is the simplest (already gold OA). A&A is the best value in Europe (low charges, OA coverage through ESO).
Hidden costs
- Length matters financially. Unlike flat-APC journals, ApJ rewards concise writing. A paper cut from 20 pages to 12 saves roughly $500-$800. This creates a genuine incentive for tight manuscripts.
- Supplements are charged separately if they add significant paginated content. Supplementary data files (tables, code) hosted in external repositories are free.
- Color figures are free. ApJ doesn't charge for color in online or print editions.
- RNAAS is free. If you have a short result (2-3 paragraphs with a figure), Research Notes of the AAS charges nothing.
- ApJL (Letters) costs less than standard ApJ papers because letters are shorter. Budget ~$1,500-$2,000 for a typical letter.
The practical decision
For astronomers:
- Check your grant budget. NASA and NSF grants almost always include publication costs. If yours does, ApJ page charges are a non-issue.
- No grant? Request a waiver. AAS is genuinely supportive of researchers who can't pay.
- Cost is the priority? Submit to MNRAS ($0) if you don't need immediate gold OA.
- European and OA required? A&A may be cheaper than ApJ, especially with ESO coverage.
- High-impact result? Nature Astronomy ($12,850 for OA) is the prestige option, but ApJ and MNRAS papers are equally valued by most astronomy departments.
Before submitting to any astronomy journal, make sure your data analysis and statistical methods are solid. Reviewers in astronomy check quantitative rigor carefully. Run a free readiness scan to verify your manuscript's technical quality.
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