Journal Acceptance Rates by Field: 2026 Data
Before you submit, know your odds. This report compiles acceptance rate data for 50+ peer-reviewed journals across 8 major research disciplines — from elite journals like Nature (8%) to more accessible Q1 venues. Use this data to set realistic expectations and choose the right target journal for your paper.
Note on data accuracy:Acceptance rates fluctuate year to year and are not always publicly disclosed by journals. The figures below are compiled from journal websites, publisher reports, and academic sources as of early 2026. Treat them as directional estimates, not precise figures. Always check the journal's current editorial statistics page before submitting.
Multidisciplinary & High Impact
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | 8% | ~10,000/yr | Elite |
| Science | 7% | ~13,000/yr | Elite |
| Cell | 10% | ~5,000/yr | Elite |
| PNAS | 17% | ~18,000/yr | Q1 |
| Nature Communications | 28% | ~30,000/yr | Q1 |
| PLOS ONE | 45% | ~70,000/yr | Q1 |
| Scientific Reports | 42% | ~50,000/yr | Q1 |
Medicine & Health Sciences
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEJM | 5% | ~5,000/yr | Elite |
| The Lancet | 6% | ~8,000/yr | Elite |
| JAMA | 8% | ~9,000/yr | Elite |
| BMJ | 7% | ~10,000/yr | Elite |
| Annals of Internal Medicine | 6% | ~3,500/yr | Elite |
| PLOS Medicine | 15% | ~3,000/yr | Q1 |
| BMC Medicine | 22% | ~4,000/yr | Q1 |
| Journal of General Internal Medicine | 18% | ~2,500/yr | Q1 |
Economics & Finance
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Economic Review | 8% | ~3,000/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Finance | 8% | ~1,500/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Financial Economics | 10% | ~2,000/yr | Elite |
| Review of Financial Studies | 9% | ~1,500/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Accounting & Economics | 12% | ~1,000/yr | Q1 |
| Finance Research Letters | 30% | ~3,000/yr | Q1 |
| International Review of Economics & Finance | 25% | ~2,000/yr | Q1 |
| World Development | 18% | ~3,500/yr | Q1 |
Psychology & Behavioral Science
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological Science | 12% | ~4,000/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Personality & Social Psychology | 10% | ~2,500/yr | Elite |
| Psychological Review | 15% | ~800/yr | Q1 |
| Computers in Human Behavior | 28% | ~5,000/yr | Q1 |
| Journal of Applied Psychology | 12% | ~2,000/yr | Q1 |
| Frontiers in Psychology | 55% | ~25,000/yr | Q2 |
Education
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Educational Research Journal | 8% | ~1,200/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Educational Psychology | 15% | ~1,500/yr | Q1 |
| Computers & Education | 18% | ~4,000/yr | Q1 |
| Higher Education | 20% | ~1,800/yr | Q1 |
| Teaching and Teacher Education | 22% | ~2,500/yr | Q1 |
| British Journal of Educational Technology | 25% | ~2,000/yr | Q1 |
Computer Science & AI
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| NeurIPS | 26% | ~15,000/yr | Elite |
| ICML | 28% | ~10,000/yr | Elite |
| ICLR | 32% | ~8,000/yr | Elite |
| ACL | 25% | ~5,000/yr | Elite |
| IEEE TPAMI | 18% | ~3,000/yr | Q1 |
| Journal of Machine Learning Research | 22% | ~2,000/yr | Q1 |
| Expert Systems with Applications | 20% | ~15,000/yr | Q1 |
Management & Business
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Management Journal | 8% | ~1,500/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Management | 8% | ~1,200/yr | Elite |
| Strategic Management Journal | 10% | ~1,500/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Marketing | 10% | ~1,200/yr | Elite |
| Journal of Business Research | 20% | ~8,000/yr | Q1 |
| International Business Review | 22% | ~2,000/yr | Q1 |
Environmental Science
| Journal | Acceptance Rate | Annual Submissions | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature Climate Change | 8% | ~3,000/yr | Elite |
| Global Change Biology | 15% | ~3,500/yr | Q1 |
| Environmental Science & Technology | 20% | ~7,000/yr | Q1 |
| Journal of Environmental Management | 28% | ~5,000/yr | Q1 |
| Science of the Total Environment | 35% | ~15,000/yr | Q1 |
What these numbers actually mean for your submission
A 10% acceptance rate does not mean 90% of papers are bad
Top journals receive thousands of submissions, many of which are technically sound but simply not novel or significant enough for that venue. A rejection from Nature does not mean your paper is poor — it may mean you targeted the wrong journal tier.
Desk rejection happens before the 10% figure
Acceptance rates are typically calculated on papers that make it to peer review. Desk rejection rates (papers rejected by editors before review) can be 40-60% at elite journals, meaning the effective submission-to-acceptance rate is far lower than the published figure.
Journal fit matters more than quality at the margin
A methodologically sound paper submitted to the wrong journal — wrong scope, wrong methodology type, wrong audience — will be rejected regardless of quality. Matching your paper to the right journal is the highest-ROI action you can take before submitting.
Higher acceptance rates are not necessarily easier to publish in
Journals like PLOS ONE (45%) use a technical soundness criterion rather than significance — they accept more papers but have a different bar. A paper rejected from a 10% journal may need extensive revision, not just a different venue.
How to improve your acceptance odds
Use AI journal matching before you target a venue
Tools like Scholix match your abstract to journals based on topic, methodology, and contribution level — not just keyword similarity. This removes the guesswork from venue selection.
Get pre-submission feedback on your methodology
The most common rejection reason at Q1 journals is methodological weakness. Getting structured feedback on your methods before submission lets you fix problems reviewers would otherwise flag.
Read your target journal's last 12 issues
Editors can tell when a paper was not written for their journal. Read what they have published recently and calibrate your framing, contribution claims, and reference list accordingly.
Address alternative explanations preemptively
Anticipate the 3 most likely reviewer objections and address them in your discussion section. Reviewers who cannot find a fatal flaw are more likely to recommend acceptance.
Check your abstract against IMRaD structure
A significant proportion of desk rejections happen because the abstract does not clearly communicate the problem, method, finding, and implication. Fix this before anything else.
Know your acceptance odds before you submit
Scholix gives you simulated peer review, journal matching, and an acceptance score in 60 seconds — so you submit with confidence, not guesswork.
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