The Journal of Cell Biology: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 0021-9525 · ISSN 1540-8140 · Rockefeller University Press · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Half of the articles The Journal of Cell Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 212 days of submission (n = 232); the middle half took 157–280 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does The Journal of Cell Biology take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 232 | 157 | 212 | 280 | 401 | 0.0% | 100% |
| 2024 | 220 | 137 | 194 | 259 | 363 | 0.0% | 100% |
| 2023 | 214 | 158 | 231 | 322 | 497 | 0.5% | 100% |
| 2022 | 191 | 131 | 200 | 270 | — | 0.0% | 99% |
| 2021 | 220 | 128 | 207 | 292 | 395 | 0.4% | 100% |
| 2020 | 235 | 115 | 185 | 247 | 334 | 0.0% | 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 | 2 | 0.9% |
| 30–59 | 5 | 2.2% |
| 60–89 | 11 | 4.7% |
| 90–119 | 20 | 8.6% |
| 120–149 | 15 | 6.5% |
| 150–179 | 18 | 7.8% |
| 180–209 | 43 | 18.5% |
| 210–239 | 29 | 12.5% |
| 240–269 | 26 | 11.2% |
| 270–299 | 13 | 5.6% |
| 300–329 | 13 | 5.6% |
| 330–359 | 10 | 4.3% |
| 360+ | 27 | 11.6% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 35 days (middle half 26–47 days, n = 232).
From submission to online publication, the median was 258 days (middle half 189–326 days, n = 232).
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). No listed APC found in DOAJ or OpenAlex. That does not mean publishing is free — check the journal's author guidelines.
Institutions reported paying a median of about $4,001 per article (2023–2025, 16 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 | 0 retracted articles among 1,179 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.0% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 254 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+2% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics (12% of indexed topics)
- Cellular transport and secretion (11% of indexed topics)
- Cellular Mechanics and Interactions (7% of indexed topics)
- Cell Adhesion Molecules Research (6% of indexed topics)
- RNA Research and Splicing (5% of indexed topics)
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior (5% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMolecular Biology journalsCell 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 The Journal of Cell Biology, 212 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journal of Cell Science | 155 (2025, n = 210) | — | $5,192 (5 payments) | No | Yes |
| Trends in Cell Biology | 91 (2025, n = 86) | ≈$7,030 | — | No | Yes |
| Current Opinion in Cell Biology | 94 (2025, n = 100) | ≈$4,390 | — | No | Yes |
| Nature Cell Biology | 335 (2025, n = 151) | ≈$12,690 | $11,819 (6 payments) | No | Yes |
| Cytoskeleton | 61 (2025, n = 100) | ≈$3,920 | — | No | Yes |
| Experimental Cell Research | 108 (2025, n = 299) | ≈$3,270 | — | No | Yes |
| Developmental Cell | 280 (2025, n = 205) | ≈$10,400 | $8,789 (6 payments) | No | Yes |
| Life Science Alliance | 166 (2025, n = 155) | $3,500 | $3,867 (92 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Genes to Cells | 67 (2025, n = 75) | ≈$3,800 | — | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does The Journal of Cell Biology take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles The Journal of Cell Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 212 days of submission (n = 232); the middle half took 157–280 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are The Journal of Cell Biology articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 35 days of acceptance (n = 232).
Does The Journal of Cell Biology charge an article processing charge (APC)?
No listed APC found in DOAJ or OpenAlex. That does not mean publishing is free — check the journal's author guidelines.
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 0021-9525; NLM ID 0375356; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 232 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.