Cell: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 0092-8674 · ISSN 1097-4172 · Cell Press · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Half of the articles Cell accepted in 2025 were accepted within 287 days of submission (n = 478); the middle half took 185–399 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Cell take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 478 | 185 | 287 | 399 | 560 | 4.8% | 100% |
| 2024 | 507 | 147 | 239 | 337 | 463 | 7.1% | 100% |
| 2023 | 368 | 136 | 227 | 326 | 432 | 4.9% | 100% |
| 2022 | 331 | 74 | 177 | 273 | 411 | 10.0% | 100% |
| 2021 | 366 | 115 | 189 | 287 | 393 | 1.1% | 100% |
| 2020 | 413 | 101 | 182 | 268 | 367 | 0.2% | 100% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 26 | 5.4% |
| 30–59 | 6 | 1.3% |
| 60–89 | 6 | 1.3% |
| 90–119 | 16 | 3.3% |
| 120–149 | 20 | 4.2% |
| 150–179 | 40 | 8.4% |
| 180–209 | 36 | 7.5% |
| 210–239 | 36 | 7.5% |
| 240–269 | 31 | 6.5% |
| 270–299 | 32 | 6.7% |
| 300–329 | 33 | 6.9% |
| 330–359 | 34 | 7.1% |
| 360+ | 162 | 33.9% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 27 days (middle half 25–31 days, n = 418).
From submission to online publication, the median was 344 days (middle half 245–452 days, n = 417).
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 $11,400 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $10,148 per article (2023–2025, 13 reported payments in OpenAPC; converted from euros at yearly ECB average rates).
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 DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 1 retracted article among 2,081 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.48 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 4.8% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 469 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (-7% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms (10% of indexed topics)
- RNA Research and Splicing (9% of indexed topics)
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics (8% of indexed topics)
- RNA modifications and cancer (6% of indexed topics)
- DNA Repair Mechanisms (5% of indexed topics)
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering (5% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 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, 287 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The EMBO Journal | 196 (2025, n = 319) | $8,270 | $8,015 (43 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | 243 (2025, n = 163) | ≈$12,690 | $11,260 (11 payments) | No | Yes |
| Molecular Cell | 224 (2025, n = 331) | ≈$10,400 | — | No | Yes |
| Genes & Development | 116 (2025, n = 87) | — | — | No | Yes |
| Genes to Cells | 67 (2025, n = 75) | ≈$3,800 | — | No | Yes |
| EMBO Reports | 184 (2025, n = 289) | $8,270 | $8,015 (32 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Life Science Alliance | 166 (2025, n = 155) | $3,500 | $3,867 (92 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Nucleic Acids Research | 152 (2025, n = 1,496) | $4,192 | $3,862 (247 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| BioEssays | 125 (2025, n = 103) | ≈$5,330 | — | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Cell take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Cell accepted in 2025 were accepted within 287 days of submission (n = 478); the middle half took 185–399 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Cell articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 27 days of acceptance (n = 418).
Does Cell charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $11,400 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 0092-8674; NLM ID 0413066; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 478 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: over 4 years 1.
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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.