Study in USA

University Intakes in the USA: Spring, Summer, and Fall

5 min read
Blog Summary Unlock your academic journey with the USA's three intakes: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Choose wisely based on course availability, weather, and application volume. Don't miss your chance at top universities like MIT, Hofstra, and California State. Plan ahead for tests, applications, emails, finances, and visas. Your dream education begins now!

Being the centre of technology, research, and popular culture, the United States is one of the desirable study-abroad destinations over decades. If you are one of the many students who want to study in the USA, you need to be aware of factors like “when” and “which” university to apply to. In short, you need to know university intakes in the USA. Need more info? Continue reading to know about intakes in the USA, along with the best universities during each intake. 

Browse courses in all three intakes

How Many Intakes are There in the USA?

Intakes in the USA are admission events where all or some of the courses are open for students. American universities accept new batches of students three times a year. These intakes/admissions are separated based on different seasonal periods. The three university intakes in the USA are

  1. Fall/September Intake
  2. Spring/January Intake
  3. Summer/May Intake

The decision of which intake to join should only be made after weighing- in multiple factors. For instance, universities don’t offer all of their courses during every one of these intakes. So, if you are looking for a particular course, then you might not have the option of all three intakes. Other factors to consider are the country’s weather, competition due to during high and low volume of applications, etc.

Fall Intake in the USA

Fall intake in the USA admits students in September. It is the most popular of the three intakes for multiple reasons. For starters, all courses are available during Fall intake, and for this reason, there is more competition in the application. Students applying for the Fall intake have a higher chance of scholarship and financial aid. Also, it makes it easy for you to get internships and job opportunities as you will finish the degree at the right time when most companies will take new employees. 

Fall intake in the USA Timeline

Take Standardised Test (IELTS/TOFEL/PTE/GRE/GMAT)

May - September of the previous year

Submit the Application Form

November - July of the enrolling year

Await and Reply to College Emails

January - July of the enrolling year

Get Finances and Visa in Order

April - July of the enrolling year



Fall Intake Universities in the USA

Fall intake universities in the USA

Location 

Popular Courses

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts, United States

  • Mechanical Engineering 
  • MBA

University of Utah

Utah, United States

Auburn University at Montgomery

Alabama, United States

University of the Pacific

California, United States

Northern Arizona University

Arizona, United States

Florida Atlantic University

Florida, United States

Harvard University

California, United States

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Commerce

California State University

California, United States

Hofstra University

New York, United States

Stanford University

California, United States

  • Architecture 
  • Humanities

Spring Intake in the USA 

Spring Intake in the USA admits students in the month of January. This is a secondary intake to which students who missed the Fall intake will apply. Spring intake has most programs from the university except for some courses, which is only found in the fall intake. The admission is less stressful than the fall intake due to the lower volume of applicants. Spring intake also offers scholarships and financial aid to an extent.

Spring intake in the USA Timeline

Take Standardised Test (IELTS/TOFEL/PTE/GRE/GMAT)

April - June of the previous year

Submit the Application Form

July - August of the previous year

Await and Reply to College Emails

September - October of the previous year

Get Finances and Visa in Order

November - December of the previous year

Spring Intake Universities in the USA

Spring intake universities in the USA

Location 

Popular Courses

Hofstra University

New York, United States

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York 

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Chemistry

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, New Jersey

  • Applied Mathematics
  • MBA

University of Bridgeport

Bridgeport, Connecticut

  • Biology
  • Data Analytics

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Neuroscience

California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach

  • Accountancy
  • Civil Engineering

University of Cincinnati

Ohio, United States

  • Computer Engineering 
  • Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

University of New Haven

West Haven, United States

  • Cyber Risk Management
  • Nutrition Sciences

Stevens Institute of Technology 

Hoboken, New Jersey

  • Bioengineering
  • Machine Learning

Drew University

New Jersey, United States

Summer Intake in the USA

Summer intake in the USA admits students during the month of May. This intake has fewer flagship programs from the university, and to compensate for that, some universities offer a lot of short courses and vocational courses. The competition is less during the summer intake and therefore has high acceptance rates. Students applying during this time can also benefit from the summer internship program provided by universities in the United States.

Summer intake in the USA Timeline

Take Standardised Test (IELTS/TOFEL/PTE/GRE/GMAT)

September - November of the previous year

Submit the Application Form

November - January of the enrolling year

Await and Reply to College Emails

February - March of the enrolling year

Get Finances and Visa in Order

April - May of the enrolling year

Summer Intake Universities in the USA

Summer intake universities in the USA

Location 

Popular Courses

Drew University

New Jersey, United States

Auburn University at Montgomery

Alabama, United States

University of the Pacific

California, United States

University of Utah

Utah, United States

Hofstra University

New York, United States

Northern Arizona University

Arizona, United States

California State University

California, United States

Kent State University

Ohio, United States

Troy University

Alabama, United States

  • BSc Applied Computer Science
  • BSc Marine Biology

Southeast Missouri State University

Missouri, United States

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jan intake called in the USA?

The January intake in the USA is called as the Spring intake. The application window for this intake will be open as early as July.