Nature Genetics: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1061-4036 · ISSN 1546-1718 · Nature Portfolio · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Nature Genetics accepted in 2025 were accepted within 390 days of submission (n = 260); the middle half took 287–509 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
390 days median
middle half 287–509 · n = 260
Acceptance → online
42 days median
middle half 35–51 · n = 260
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 328 to 390 days (90% CI +35 to +88 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$12,690

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 Nature Genetics take to accept a paper?

days01503004506002020: middle half 178–379 days2782020n=1362021: middle half 218–360 days2832021n=1512022: middle half 254–416 days3282022n=1712023: middle half 246–438 days3282023n=1862024: middle half 269–456 days3672024n=2442025: middle half 287–509 days3902025n=260
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
20252602873905096910.0%0%
20242442693674565860.0%0%
20231862463284380.0%0%
20221712543284160.0%1%
20211512182833600.0%0%
20201361782783790.0%0%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 0% (0 articles)030–59 days: 0% (0 articles)3060–89 days: 2% (5 articles)6090–119 days: 2% (5 articles)90120–149 days: 4% (10 articles)120150–179 days: 3% (7 articles)150180–209 days: 5% (12 articles)180210–239 days: 3% (7 articles)210240–269 days: 4% (10 articles)240270–299 days: 7% (17 articles)270300–329 days: 9% (23 articles)300330–359 days: 7% (17 articles)330360+ days: 57% (147 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2900.0%
30–5900.0%
60–8951.9%
90–11951.9%
120–149103.8%
150–17972.7%
180–209124.6%
210–23972.7%
240–269103.8%
270–299176.5%
300–329238.8%
330–359176.5%
360+14756.5%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 42 days (middle half 35–51 days, n = 260).

From submission to online publication, the median was 434 days (middle half 327–555 days, n = 260).

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 $12,690 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Institutions reported paying a median of about $10,542 per article (2023–2025, 5 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 DOAJNo
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 1,418 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission0.0% of 2025 articles
Publication volume397 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+20% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMolecular Biology journalsGenetics 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 Nature Genetics, 390 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Cell Genomics196 (2025, n = 177)$8,900$4,308 (6 payments)YesYes
Genome biology288 (2025, n = 434)$5,690$4,388 (53 payments)YesYes
The American Journal of Human Genetics151 (2025, n = 191)≈$5,150NoYes
Genome Research234 (2025, n = 207)$4,989 (16 payments)NoYes
Genomics141 (2025, n = 206)$3,460$2,086 (6 payments)YesYes
Human Genetics and Genomics Advances135 (2025, n = 130)$2,640$2,921 (9 payments)YesYes
PLoS Genetics161 (2025, n = 373)$3,165$3,024 (77 payments)YesYes
Human Genomics91 (2025, n = 174)$3,390$2,860 (5 payments)YesYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Nature Genetics take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Nature Genetics accepted in 2025 were accepted within 390 days of submission (n = 260); the middle half took 287–509 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Nature Genetics articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 42 days of acceptance (n = 260).

Does Nature Genetics charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $12,690 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1061-4036; NLM ID 9216904; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 260 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.