Cell stem cell: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1875-9777 · ISSN 1934-5909 · Elsevier BV · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Cell stem cell accepted in 2025 were accepted within 266 days of submission (n = 119); the middle half took 131–346 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
266 days median
middle half 131–346 · n = 119
Acceptance → online
25 days median
middle half 22–27 · n = 92
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 176 to 266 days (90% CI +48 to +133 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$10,400

Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026

Plan submissions to a deadline — free

How long does Cell stem cell take to accept a paper?

days01202403604802020: middle half 148–361 days2432020n=1202021: middle half 198–361 days2842021n=1032022: middle half 158–354 days2602022n=812023: middle half 65–275 days1762023n=1182024: middle half 156–361 days2542024n=1252025: middle half 131–346 days2662025n=119
Line = median; shaded box = middle half of articles (25th–75th percentile). Year of acceptance.
Days from submission to acceptance, by year of acceptance
YearArticles (n)25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctAccepted <14 daysHave a revised date
202511913126634610.1%100%
20241251562543617.2%100%
20231186517627510.2%100%
2022811582603540.0%100%
20211031982843610.0%100%
20201201482433610.0%100%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 11% (13 articles)030–59 days: 3% (4 articles)3060–89 days: 6% (7 articles)6090–119 days: 3% (3 articles)90120–149 days: 8% (9 articles)120150–179 days: 4% (5 articles)150180–209 days: 7% (8 articles)180210–239 days: 6% (7 articles)210240–269 days: 3% (4 articles)240270–299 days: 8% (10 articles)270300–329 days: 12% (14 articles)300330–359 days: 8% (9 articles)330360+ days: 22% (26 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–291310.9%
30–5943.4%
60–8975.9%
90–11932.5%
120–14997.6%
150–17954.2%
180–20986.7%
210–23975.9%
240–26943.4%
270–299108.4%
300–3291411.8%
330–35997.6%
360+2621.8%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 25 days (middle half 22–27 days, n = 92).

From submission to online publication, the median was 325 days (middle half 223–393 days, n = 92).

Read these numbers carefully

  • These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
  • Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
  • Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.

Open access status and publishing fees

Hybrid (subscription journal with an open-access option). Listed APC: about $10,400 (as reported by OpenAlex).

OpenAPC has fewer than 5 reported payments for this journal in 2023–2025, so no typical amount is shown.

Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.

Integrity and indexing signals

Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.

Listed in DOAJNo
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 589 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission10.1% of 2025 articles
Publication volume113 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (-12% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMedicine journalsMolecular Biology journals

Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side

Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of Cell stem cell, 266 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Stem Cell Reports179 (2025, n = 182)$4,400$3,621 (25 payments)YesYes
Stem Cell Research91 (2025, n = 246)$2,460$733 (25 payments)YesYes
Stem Cells136 (2025, n = 77)≈$4,477NoYes
Stem Cell Reviews and Reports61 (2025, n = 80)≈$4,390NoYes
Stem Cells Translational Medicine168 (2025, n = 75)$2,822YesYes
Protein & Cell76 (2025, n = 68)$2,570YesYes
Cell Research162 (2025, n = 59)≈$5,190NoYes
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal79 (2025, n = 130)≈$2,490NoYes
STAR Protocols94 (2025, n = 720)$1,920$1,022 (56 payments)YesYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Cell stem cell take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Cell stem cell accepted in 2025 were accepted within 266 days of submission (n = 119); the middle half took 131–346 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Cell stem cell articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 25 days of acceptance (n = 92).

Does Cell stem cell charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $10,400 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1875-9777; NLM ID 101311472; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 119 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.

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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.