NEJM Group · General medicine

New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM): acceptance rate, review time, and how to prepare

NEJM says it receives more than 16,000 research and other submissions a year and publishes about 5% of original research submissions. It publishes no median decision times: it says a presubmission inquiry is generally answered within one week and a Rapid Review typically reaches an initial decision within two weeks. Every figure below is quoted from NEJM's About page and Author Center, captured 2026-11-14.

Submission requirementsPreview your manuscript free
Sources: 3 journal and publisher pages · Scimago 2024
16,000+
Submissions a year
research and other
About 5%
Original research submissions published
1 week
Reply to a presubmission inquiry, generally within
2 weeks
Initial decision under Rapid Review, typically within
Last verified 2026-11-14
Source: About NEJMJournal: New England Journal of Medicine at NEJM Group ↗
Acceptance rate

What is NEJM’s acceptance rate?

NEJM does not publish an annual statistics table. Its About page gives the figures it does publish: more than 16,000 research and other submissions each year, about 5% of original research submissions published, and more than half of submissions from outside the United States. The 5% covers original research only; the page gives no rate for other article types.

What is reportedFigurePeriodSource
Submissions received each year (research and other)More than 16,000As stated on the About page; no year givenAbout NEJM
Original research submissions that are publishedAbout 5%As stated on the About page; no year givenAbout NEJM
Submissions originating outside the U.S.More than halfAs stated on the About page; no year givenAbout NEJM
Timelines

How long does NEJM take to reach a decision?

As published by the journal or its publisher. Nothing here is estimated.

NEJM publishes no median time to a first decision. Its Author Center states three response times. Approval for Rapid Review guarantees neither acceptance nor faster publication.

What is reportedFigurePeriodSource
Reply to a presubmission inquiryGenerally within one weekAs stated in the Author CenterNEJM Author Center: New Manuscripts
Reply to a Rapid Review requestGenerally within three business daysAs stated in the Author CenterNEJM Author Center: New Manuscripts
Initial decision on publication under Rapid ReviewTypically within two weeksAs stated in the Author CenterNEJM Author Center: New Manuscripts
Median time to first decision, standard trackNot published——
Other top general medicine journals in our 49-journal survey
Rejection

What gets papers rejected at NEJM?

NEJM's pages publish a publication rate and response times; they do not itemize reasons for rejection. This is the general evidence, cited.
statistics #1

In a content analysis of 151 medical-education manuscripts, the top reasons for rejection were inappropriate or incomplete statistics, overinterpretation of results, and inappropriate or suboptimal instrumentation. [12][14]

44–76%

Lack of new or useful knowledge was the most common reason for rejection at AJR, accounting for 44–76% of rejections in every country. [3]

2.58 of 9

BMJ reviewers found an average of 2.58 of nine major errors deliberately inserted into a test paper; training raised this only to about 3. [18]

Before you submit

What NEJM requires.

From the journal's author pages, captured 2026-11-14. Instructions change; verify on the journal's page before submitting.
Original Article requirements
  • 2,700 words maximum, counted from introduction through discussion (abstract, figure legends and table notes excluded)
  • Abstract of not more than 250 words in four labeled paragraphs: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions
  • Maximum of 5 tables and figures in total
  • Up to 40 references
  • Protocol and statistical analysis plan with the manuscript; required for all interventional trials
  • Clinical trials: registration number and registry name, with the trial registration number in the abstract
  • Manuscripts far exceeding the word-count limits are returned unread
  • Preprints: NEJM accepts manuscripts previously posted on a nonprofit preprint server; authors should notify the journal
Reporting guidelines the journal names
  • CONSORT: "Authors should provide a flow diagram in CONSORT format"; the editors also encourage submitting the CONSORT checklist information
  • NEJM Statistical Reporting Guidelines for all studies: effect estimates with confidence intervals, two-sided P values, a prespecified plan for multiplicity, and a described approach to missing data
  • Observational studies: a statistical analysis plan is required, and causal language should not be used where only associations can be estimated
Cover letter: Not required; the submission system has a text field for information such as a meeting presentation date or a major conflict of interest.

What are NEJM’s word limits by article type?

Limits count the text from introduction through conclusion or discussion and exclude abstracts, figure legends and table notes. NEJM says they apply to initial submissions and that stricter limits may follow if a paper is selected for revision. Captured 2026-11-14.
Article typeLimits and required elements
Original Article2,700 words · Abstract · ≤5 tables and figures · Up to 40 references
Special Article2,700 words · Abstract · ≤5 tables and figures · Up to 40 references
Brief Report1,600 words · Summary (100 words maximum) · ≤3 tables and figures · Up to 25 references
Clinical Problem-Solving2,500 words · ≤5 authors · Up to 15 references
Clinical Practice Review2,500 words · ≤2 authors · Small number of tables and figures · Up to 50 references
Other Review3,000 words · ≤3 authors · ≤5 figures and tables · Up to 75 references
Editorial750 words · ≤2 authors · ≤1 figure or table · Up to 10 references
Perspective1,200 words · 1–2 authors preferred · Usually 1 figure or table · ≤5 references
Clinical Implications of Basic Research750 words · ≤2 authors · May include 1 figure · ≤5 references
Letter to the Editor175 words when about an NEJM article published within the most recent 3 weeks; 400 words otherwise · ≤3 authors
Special Report2,700 words · ≤5 tables and figures · Up to 40 references
Health Law, Ethics, and Human Rights or Health Policy Report2,500 words · Contact the editors before submitting
Medicine and Society2,000 words
Sounding Board2,000 words
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Sources

Where every number on this page comes from.

  1. About NEJM. www.nejm.org/about-nejm/about-nejm (captured 2026-11-14).
  2. NEJM Author Center: Article Types. www.nejm.org/author-center/article-types (captured 2026-11-14).
  3. NEJM Author Center: New Manuscripts. www.nejm.org/author-center/new-manuscripts (captured 2026-11-14).
  4. Scimago Journal Rank, 2024 edition: SJR 19.076, Q1, H-index 1231, ISSN 00284793, 15334406.

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