Frontiers in Immunology APC and Open Access: What the CHF 3,150 Fee Gets You

Frontiers is unusually explicit on pricing. Its live publishing-fees page for Frontiers in Immunology states:

• A-type articles: CHF 3,150
• B-type articles: CHF 2,500
• C-type articles: 0

It also defines the buckets:

• A-type: Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review, Hypothesis and Theory, Clinical Trial, Classification, Technology and Code, Study Protocol
• B-type: Mini Review, Perspective, Case Report, Brief Research Report, General Commentary, Opinion
• C-type: Correction, Editorial, Retraction

That article-type split is the first thing many authors miss. Frontiers in Immunology is not a one-price journal.

The journal page also adds two useful current signals:

• current Impact Factor 5.9
• current published decision signal of 77 days

Frontiers in Immunology is a broad, section-led journal. The APC only makes sense once those two editorial questions are settled:

1. Which article type is this really?
2. Which specialty section truly owns the paper?

That matters because authors sometimes overpay by forcing a paper into an A-type framing when the work is honestly a shorter B-type contribution. The reverse problem also happens: teams submit a thin paper as a full Original Research article and then discover they are paying the higher rate for a manuscript that still looks underpowered.

These numbers tell the honest story. Frontiers in Immunology is a real, visible immunology journal. It is not a prestige substitute for the most selective immunology brands.

The year-over-year read is mildly negative. Frontiers in Immunology is down from 6.4 in 2023 to 5.9 in 2024. That does not invalidate the journal. It does mean authors should read the APC honestly: this is a broad, credible Q1 immunology venue, but it is not moving toward a higher-selectivity prestige tier.

Frontiers' current fee pages make two support paths explicit:

• institutional partnerships may provide full or partial APC support
• authors from World Bank low or lower-middle income countries may be eligible for discounts

Frontiers also says it waived more than USD 25 million across 2023 and 2024 through its fee-support program.

That means the actual number paid can change because of:

• a Frontiers institutional partnership
• country-based fee support
• funder reimbursement or institutional OA funds
• the article-type band chosen at submission

The safe planning rule is:

• budget against CHF 3,150 unless you know the paper is B-type
• then confirm whether support reduces it

In our pre-submission review work with manuscripts targeting Frontiers in Immunology, the APC is easiest to justify when the section fit and article type are both honest.

The paper is often placed in the wrong section. That slows review and weakens the case for paying a fairly substantial APC.

Authors sometimes inflate the article type. A shorter contribution with limited mechanistic depth may belong in a Brief Research Report or Mini Review lane rather than a full A-type article.

Broad scope does not mean no editorial standard. Frontiers in Immunology still expects a real immunology contribution, clear methodology, and enough maturity for collaborative review.

That is why the best way to save money here is often to choose the right article type early rather than argue about the invoice late.

Frontiers in Immunology is a fully OA journal, so the APC is a real part of the decision. The current numbers are:

• CHF 3,150 for A-type articles
• CHF 2,500 for B-type articles
• 0 for C-type items

That makes the best decision sequence:

1. identify the honest article type
2. confirm the right specialty section
3. check whether institutional or country-based support reduces the APC