Fastest-accepting public health journals 2026

189 public health journals ranked by the median number of days from submission to acceptance, measured from the dates publishers deposit in PubMed for articles published 2024–2025. The interval includes peer review and revisions.

Journals: 189
Typical median: 127 d
Under 60 days: 14
Over 180 days: 33

Read this before using the ranking

Accepted papers only. Rejected manuscripts never receive an acceptance date, so these figures say nothing about desk-rejection speed, rejection rates or your chance of acceptance.
Not the time to a first decision. The interval runs from the “received” date to the “accepted” date the publisher deposits in PubMed. It includes editorial handling, peer review, every round of revision and the time authors spent revising.
Journals record dates differently. Some reset the received date when a revised manuscript arrives, and manuscripts transferred from another journal may keep or lose their earlier dates. Short medians are therefore not always comparable with long ones.
Past timelines are not a promise. Each figure comes from up to 100 recent articles published 2024–2025. Article types, special issues, editors and workload all change, and your paper may take much longer or much less time.
Fast is not the same as good. Check the journal’s scope, indexing, peer-review policy and editorial board before submitting. An unusually quick acceptance can be a warning sign of light peer review.

Journal Metrics is independent and is not affiliated with any journal or publisher listed. The figures are for information only, may contain errors and change as PubMed records are updated. Confirm current timelines on the journal’s own website. See how to spot predatory journals.

Public Health journals by median days from submission to acceptance

Public Health journals ranked by median days from submission to acceptance in PubMed
Rank	Journal	Median days	Middle half	Articles	Quartile	2026 score
1	HEPATOLOGY	6†	2–94	100	Q1	6.5
2	Nutrients	31	26–40	100	Q1	5.8
3	Canadian Liver Journal	33	11–54	67	Q3	1.0
4	TERAPEVTICHESKII ARKHIV	39	0–134	97	Q3	1.1
5	TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY	40	26–56	100	Q1	3.2
6	Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions	41	25–53	71	Q1	4.2
7	Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research	44	20–131	85	Q2	2.0
8	Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease	48	37–70	99	Q1	3.1
9	JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE	50	25–73	98	Q1	3.6
10	Gastroenterologia y Hepatologia	54	32–79	100	Q4	0.3
10	Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology	54	4–91	93	Q1	11.7
12	Gastroenterology	55	12–154	97	Q4	0.6
13	Infectious Diseases and Therapy	59	41–80	100	Q1	5.0
14	Medical Mycology Case Reports	60	39–93	100	Q3	1.0
15	European Burn Journal	61	50–86	94	Q2	1.4
16	ANAIS BRASILEIROS DE DERMATOLOGIA	64	43–75	100	Q2	1.7
17	Clinical and Experimental Hepatology	66	40–93	83	Q3	1.3
18	JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS	67	26–128	99	Q1	2.9
19	Frontline Gastroenterology	68	56–118	41	Q3	0.9
20	Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases	70	23–110	94	Q3	1.2
21	Tropical Medicine and Health	71	54–98	100	Q1	2.9
22	EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION	72	49–90	100	Q1	4.3
23	ACTA TROPICA	74	55–93	100	Q2	2.4
24	Clinical and Molecular Hepatology	75	22–106	100	Q1	6.3
24	Transplant Infectious Disease	75	53–111	80	Q2	1.6
26	IDCases	76	46–123	98	Q3	0.8
27	JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY	77	64–101	27	Q3	1.4
27	Nutrition Research and Practice	77	47–103	100	Q2	1.9
29	Translational Pediatrics	78	64–111	100	Q3	1.4
29	ANTIVIRAL RESEARCH	78	57–128	100	Q1	4.1
31	Hepatology International	81	63–109	100	Q1	4.9
32	Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease	82	55–130	100	Q1	3.6
33	DIGESTIVE AND LIVER DISEASE	83	44–122	100	Q3	1.1
34	Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology	85	63–114	100	Q1	3.3
35	JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY	89	64–129	98	Q1	3.4
35	Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical	89	49–135	99	Q3	1.4
37	Annals of Global Health	90	51–133	99	Q1	3.9
37	REVIEWS IN MEDICAL VIROLOGY	90	49–154	100	Q1	4.9
39	MYCOSES	91	58–125	100	Q1	3.5
40	Slovenian Journal of Public Health	92	67–140	47	Q2	1.4
41	Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports	94	65–126	99	Q1	3.2
42	GigaByte	95	80–147	66	Q1	3.8
43	Hepatic Medicine-Evidence and Research	97	74–129	23	Q2	1.6
43	Journal of General and Family Medicine	97	71–145	99	Q3	1.0
45	Medical Science Educator	98	82–119	94	Q2	1.6
45	REVISTA DO INSTITUTO DE MEDICINA TROPICAL DE SAO PAULO	98	68–127	97	Q3	1.3
45	European Journal of Midwifery	98	66–145	100	Q1	2.0
48	Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation	99	80–119	42	Q1	3.1
48	Vaccine	99	69–136	100	Q1	3.1
48	Obesity	99	68–146	99	Q1	3.7
51	Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine	100	83–112	22	Q2	1.6
51	Asian Bioethics Review	100	61–126	94	Q2	1.7
51	CLINICAL MEDICINE	100	64–154	100	Q2	1.6
54	MYCOPATHOLOGIA	101	69–136	99	Q1	3.1
54	Tropical Diseases Travel Medicine and Vaccines	101	60–141	71	Q1	3.7
56	Parasites & Vectors	102	75–119	100	Q1	3.8
56	Geospatial Health	102	73–157	70	Q3	1.4
58	npj Viruses	104	81–148	98	Q1	5.1
59	Intensive and Critical Care Nursing	105	66–134	96	Q1	3.4
59	Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives	105	77–137	100	Q4	0.7
59	Clinical Optometry	105	76–149	66	Q2	1.8
62	Advances in Medical Education and Practice	106	87–126	100	Q2	2.1
62	Current Developments in Nutrition	106	80–143	100	Q4	0.4
62	One Health	106	68–152	100	Q1	3.9
65	AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE	107	74–203	84	Q2	1.6
66	Annals of Hepatology	108	73–142	100	Q3	1.4
66	JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES	108	84–144	72	Q1	3.8
66	Jornal de Pediatria	108	65–146	100	Q1	2.6
66	Hepatology Forum	108	61–159	81	Q3	1.0
70	INDIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH	109	74–146	98	Q1	4.6
70	JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION	109	73–166	97	Q2	1.5
72	Infectious Diseases of Poverty	110	85–139	100	Q1	6.2
73	MEDICAL MYCOLOGY	112	75–155	100	Q1	3.8
73	Journal of Burn Care & Research	112	80–164	92	Q4	0.5
75	WIENER MEDIZINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT	113	83–151	99	Q3	0.9
75	REVISTA IBEROAMERICANA DE MICOLOGIA	113	61–176	34	Q2	1.7
77	INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL	115	77–174	86	Q3	1.2
78	International Journal of Hepatology	116	77–166	40	Q3	1.5
79	World Journal of Pediatrics	117	90–160	100	Q1	5.3
80	NUTRITION RESEARCH	118	96–177	100	Q1	2.9
81	INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY	120	84–161	100	Q1	3.6
81	BJGP Open	120	78–178	98	Q2	1.7
83	Birth Defects Research	121	87–173	99	Q2	1.8
83	Japan Journal of Nursing Science	121	93–173	100	Q2	1.4
85	Women and Birth	122	84–173	100	Q2	1.6
86	TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH	123	79–157	57	Q2	1.8
86	JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS	123	77–174	100	Q2	1.7
88	Journal of Addiction Medicine	124	86–171	100	Q2	2.1
88	MEMORIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ	124	89–181	100	Q2	1.7
90	MILITARY MEDICINE	125	92–147	75	Q3	1.2
90	JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS	125	97–170	99	Q2	2.2
90	MIDWIFERY	125	95–191	100	Q1	2.4
93	Contact Lens & Anterior Eye	126	77–161	100	Q1	2.7
93	Case Reports in Pediatrics	126	76–233	100	Q4	0.3
95	Perspectives on Medical Education	127	67–176	100	Q1	3.7
95	Frontiers in Epidemiology	127	80–195	100	Q1	2.5
97	Nursing in Critical Care	128	55–176	97	Q2	2.2
98	MALARIA JOURNAL	129	98–174	99	Q1	3.7
99	Journal of Optometry	131	91–169	92	Q2	1.7
99	Nutrition & Metabolism	131	91–183	100	Q1	3.9

Median days: half of the journal’s accepted articles took less time from submission to acceptance and half took more. Middle half: the 25th to 75th percentile. Articles: how many recent PubMed articles had both dates. Journals with the same rounded median share a rank.

Median under 30 days. Very short intervals usually reflect how a journal records its dates (for example a new received date after revision) or invited and fast-track article types such as reviews and editorials, not unusually quick peer review. Check the journal’s peer-review policy before reading anything into them.

Showing the 100 fastest of 189 public health journals. Every journal’s figure is on its own page and in the acceptance times dataset.

Questions about public health journal acceptance times

Which public health journals accept papers fastest?

Among the 189 public health journals with enough PubMed dates, the shortest median times from submission to acceptance (leaving out medians under 30 days, which usually reflect how dates are recorded) are Nutrients (31 days), Canadian Liver Journal (33 days), TERAPEVTICHESKII ARKHIV (39 days), TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY (40 days), Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions (41 days). These medians include peer review and revisions, and cover accepted papers only.

How long does a public health journal take to accept a paper?

The typical public health journal on this page has a median of 127 days from submission to acceptance. 14 of 189 journals have a median under 60 days and 33 take more than 180 days.

Is this the peer review time?

No. PubMed records when a manuscript was received and when it was accepted, not the individual review stages. The interval includes editorial handling, peer review, revisions and the time authors spent revising, so it is longer than the time to a first decision. For first-decision times, check the journal’s own website.

Does a fast journal mean my paper is more likely to be accepted?

No. Only accepted papers have an acceptance date, so this ranking says nothing about acceptance rates or how quickly a journal rejects papers. A very fast acceptance can also be a sign of light peer review. Check the journal’s scope, indexing and peer-review policy before submitting.

About this data

Source: the received and accepted dates publishers deposit in PubMed, read through the public NCBI E-utilities for articles published 2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31, up to 100 recent articles per journal. Data checked 2026-11-03.
A journal is ranked only when at least 20 articles have both dates and at least half of the articles checked have them. Journals that do not deposit dates in PubMed, including most journals outside the life sciences, cannot be ranked here.
The ranking uses each journal’s median: half of its accepted articles took less time and half took more. The middle-half range shows the 25th to 75th percentile.
Fields come from the OpenAlex classification of each journal’s research topics. A journal joins a field when at least two of its four main topics are in it, so a journal can appear in more than one field and some classifications are imperfect.
Quartile and score are the journal’s best OpenAlex subfield quartile and its Journal Metrics Score, shown for context; they play no part in the order.

The full journal-level dataset is in the journal acceptance times study (with a CSV download). Spot an error or a journal whose dates look wrong? Tell us.

Other fields