Stem Cells: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1066-5099 · ISSN 1549-4918 · Oxford University Press · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Stem Cells accepted in 2025 were accepted within 136 days of submission (n = 77); the middle half took 92–193 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
136 days median
middle half 92–193 · n = 77
Change since 2023
No clear change since 2023 (median 122 → 136 days; 90% CI -8 to +36 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$4,477

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 Stem Cells take to accept a paper?

days0601201802402020: middle half 81–168 days1352020n=1252021: middle half 93–206 days1462021n=1122022: middle half 98–178 days1322022n=822023: middle half 82–164 days1222023n=922024: middle half 118–218 days1552024n=792025: middle half 92–193 days1362025n=77
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
202577921361932.6%1%
2024791181552180.0%0%
202392821221640.0%0%
202282981321780.0%0%
2021112931462061.8%12%
2020125811351681.6%44%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 3% (2 articles)030–59 days: 4% (3 articles)3060–89 days: 16% (12 articles)6090–119 days: 17% (13 articles)90120–149 days: 14% (11 articles)120150–179 days: 13% (10 articles)150180–209 days: 14% (11 articles)180210–239 days: 6% (5 articles)210240–269 days: 4% (3 articles)240270–299 days: 1% (1 articles)270300–329 days: 1% (1 articles)300330–359 days: 0% (0 articles)330360+ days: 6% (5 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2922.6%
30–5933.9%
60–891215.6%
90–1191316.9%
120–1491114.3%
150–1791013.0%
180–2091114.3%
210–23956.5%
240–26933.9%
270–29911.3%
300–32911.3%
330–35900.0%
360+56.5%

From acceptance to online publication

Not enough articles with both an acceptance date and an online publication date to measure the time to online publication.

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 $4,477 (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 462 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission2.6% of 2025 articles
Publication volume84 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+10% 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 Stem Cells, 136 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Stem Cell Reviews and Reports61 (2025, n = 80)≈$4,390NoYes
Cell stem cell266 (2025, n = 119)≈$10,400NoYes
Stem Cells Translational Medicine168 (2025, n = 75)$2,822YesYes
Stem Cell Reports179 (2025, n = 182)$4,400$3,621 (25 payments)YesYes
World Journal of Stem Cells111 (2025, n = 124)NoNo
Stem Cells International217 (2025, n = 96)$2,830YesNo
Stem Cell Research91 (2025, n = 246)$2,460$733 (25 payments)YesYes
Stem Cell Research & Therapy125 (2025, n = 727)$3,290$3,043 (19 payments)YesYes
Regenerative Therapy70 (2025, n = 206)$1,800YesNo

Frequently asked questions

How long does Stem Cells take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Stem Cells accepted in 2025 were accepted within 136 days of submission (n = 77); the middle half took 92–193 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

Does Stem Cells charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $4,477 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1066-5099; NLM ID 9304532; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 77 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.