IE University: 2027 Admissions Calendar, What You Need to Know (2026)

IE University’s Round 1 deadline falls on November 6, 2026, five days from now. The Early Round closed on September 18, 2026 and its decisions were due by October 23, 2026, so Round 1 is the next real window for Bachelor applicants. Here is the full official calendar, re-checked on IE University’s own admissions pages today, together with the preparation plan we use with our students.

Updated 1 November 2026

Key facts and figures

• The four official admissions rounds: Early Round, apply by September 18, 2026, decision by October 23, 2026; Round 1, apply by November 6, 2026, decision by December 11, 2026; Round 2, apply by January 15, 2027, decision by February 19, 2027; Round 3, apply by March 5, 2027, decision by April 23, 2027. IE University states that the deadlines defined for each round are global and apply to all undergraduate degrees in the same way (source: ie.edu, admissions rounds page, checked 1 November 2026).
• The decision date is a ceiling, not an appointment: it is the latest date by which you can expect a decision for your round, and offers often arrive earlier (source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026).
• You do not choose your round: the round is set by the date your application is submitted, and a file sent after a deadline is automatically reviewed in the following round (source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026).
• After Round 3: applications may still be considered from May 2027 onward, reviewed on a first come, first served basis while places remain, in what IE University calls the post-rounds period of May to August. The process stays open, but capacity narrows (source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026).
• Financial aid does not run on rounds: aid applications are handled on a rolling basis (source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026).
• The admission test: taken online in English, it measures verbal, logical and numerical reasoning rather than subject knowledge. Numerical reasoning 12 minutes and 37 tasks, verbal reasoning 12 minutes and 49 tasks, deductive logical thinking 6 minutes, learning efficiency 5 minutes, plus a 60 minute mathematics assessment for the applied mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence, data and business analytics and environmental sciences degrees and their dual degrees. IE University publishes two figures for the length of the whole exercise: a total of one and a half to two hours including instructions and practice problems, and an average completion time of 70 to 90 minutes. It may be taken only once, the score reflects both accuracy and speed, and the result goes to the admissions committee rather than to the candidate (source: ie.edu, admissions test page, checked 1 November 2026).
• Minimum scores IE University accepts from other standardised tests: SAT 1200, with published 25th and 75th percentiles of 1270 and 1460 and institution code 6293; ACT 24, code 5360; LNAT 22. The university presents its own test as a flexible alternative to these, and neither of the pages we read states that the SAT or the ACT is required (source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026).
• The interview: most candidates are expected to complete one as part of their evaluation, online, usually within the round’s deadlines, and the requirement is waived only in exceptional cases (source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026).
• Your Dream School results at IE University: 44 students admitted, within 1,100+ admission offers across 107 universities.

  Figures taken from our admissions database, 2019 to 2025 intakes. They are minimums: the 2017-2018 and 2025-2026 intakes are not yet consolidated.

• Your Dream School: more than 1,000 students guided since 2018, rated 5/5 on 160+ Google reviews.

IE University’s official four-round calendar

IE University runs on dated admissions rounds, each with its own application deadline and decision date. For Bachelor entry, the official calendar published on the university’s admissions rounds page is:

• Early Round: apply by September 18, 2026, decision by October 23, 2026 (closed)
• Round 1: apply by November 6, 2026, decision by December 11, 2026
• Round 2: apply by January 15, 2027, decision by February 19, 2027
• Round 3: apply by March 5, 2027, decision by April 23, 2027

One point deserves care, because it confuses families every year: IE University does not name the intake year next to these dates. The only year marker on the page is an example in its own FAQ, where a candidate applying in April 2027 for 2028-2029 entry is placed in the Early Round set for September 2027. That example puts the September 2026 to March 2027 rounds in the 2027-2028 cycle. If your target intake is not the one starting in 2027, confirm it with the admissions office before you build a timeline around these dates.

Two further rules shape the calendar. Rounds are not a menu: the round you fall into follows from the date you submit, and an application sent after a deadline moves automatically to the next round. And the decision date is the latest you should expect an answer, not the day it will come.

Round 1 closes on November 6: what to do with five days

Round 1 is the window we recommend to most of our final-year students, and it is the one still in reach. It delivers a decision by December 11, 2026, comfortably before the UCAS equal consideration deadline of January 13, 2027 and before most other European decisions land, which means an IE University offer in hand can be weighed against the rest of the file rather than in isolation.

Five days is enough to submit well if the work is sequenced. The application itself, the transcripts and the motivation material are administrative and can be assembled quickly. The two steps that actually decide the outcome, the admission test and the interview, do not have to happen inside those five days: what matters by November 6 is that the file is submitted into Round 1. Use the remaining time before the committee’s review for the test and the interview, not for the paperwork.

If November 6 is genuinely out of reach, nothing is lost. Round 2 closes on January 15, 2027 with a decision by February 19, 2027, and an application submitted after November 6 rolls into it automatically.

What an IE University application actually includes

Beyond Year 12 and Year 13 transcripts, or their equivalent, IE University evaluates the coherence of the study project, the motivation shown at interview, and performance on the university’s own admission test. The test is the standard route: IE University describes it as a flexible alternative to other standardised exams and publishes the minimum scores it accepts in their place, SAT 1200, ACT 24 and LNAT 22. Neither the admissions pages nor the test page states that an SAT or ACT score is required, so a candidate without one is not disadvantaged by that fact alone. Structured coaching across the three areas, academic record, interview and test, is often what separates an application that meets the deadline from one that convinces the committee.

Inside the admission test

The test is sat online in English, either on a machine-proctored basis available at any hour or with the admissions team monitoring, subject to their availability. You need a computer with a camera and microphone and a basic calculator. It is built from short, strictly timed sections: numerical reasoning, 12 minutes for 37 tasks; verbal reasoning, 12 minutes for 49 tasks; deductive logical thinking, 6 minutes; learning efficiency, 5 minutes. Candidates for the applied mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence, data and business analytics and environmental sciences degrees, and their dual degrees, also sit a 60 minute mathematics assessment. There is no scheduled break, the total score reflects how quickly as well as how accurately you answer, and the test may be taken only once. That single attempt is the whole argument for preparing before you sit it.

How to use the weeks before the committee reviews your file

Three concrete priorities, in this order: build confidence in spoken English for the interview, train on the format of the admission test itself, meaning verbal and numerical reasoning under real time pressure, and sharpen the study project so it holds together in a few clear, personal sentences rather than generic phrases. This is exactly the work we do with students through premium admissions coaching, alongside dedicated test preparation. Our full walkthrough of the file itself sits in our IE University application guide.

IE University at a glance

Based in Madrid and Segovia, IE University is one of the most sought-after private universities for international families considering studying in Spain, thanks to its fully English-taught programs and international student body. Forty-four of our students have been admitted there, which is why the calendar above is one we watch closely every cycle.

Round 1 itself is four days away, and our dedicated note on the 6 November 2026 Round 1 deadline works through what can still be finished in the last week and what the December decision window means for a file submitted now.

Frequently asked questions

What is the next IE University application deadline?

Round 1 closes on November 6, 2026, with a decision communicated by December 11, 2026 at the latest. It is the next open window: the Early Round closed on September 18, 2026. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

What happens if I apply after November 6, 2026?

Nothing is lost. IE University states that an application submitted after a deadline is automatically reviewed in the following round, so a file sent after November 6 moves into Round 2, which closes on January 15, 2027 with a decision by February 19, 2027. You cannot pick your round yourself: it follows from your submission date. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

Can I still apply to IE University after Round 3?

Yes. Applications may be considered from May 2027 onward, on a first come, first served basis while places remain, during what IE University calls the post-rounds period of May to August. The process stays open, but availability by program and campus narrows at that stage. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

Do I need to take the SAT to apply to IE University?

No. The university’s own admission test is the standard route, and IE University presents it as a flexible alternative to other standardised exams, publishing the minimum scores it accepts instead: SAT 1200, ACT 24, LNAT 22. An SAT or ACT score already in hand can be added to the file, but neither page states that it is required. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

How long is the IE University admission test, and can I retake it?

It may be taken only once. IE University publishes two figures for its length: a total of one and a half to two hours including instructions and practice problems, and an average completion time of 70 to 90 minutes. The sections are short and strictly timed, with no scheduled break, and the score reflects both accuracy and speed. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

Does the round you apply in affect your admission chances?

IE University publishes no admission rates by round, so there is no published advantage to applying early. What the calendar does change is competition for places: after Round 3, files are reviewed only while places remain. A well-prepared Round 1 or Round 2 application beats a rushed one at any point in the cycle. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

Is there a deadline for IE University financial aid?

Not a round-based one. IE University states that financial aid applications do not have rounds and continue on a rolling basis. In practice that means applying for aid as early as your admission file allows, rather than waiting for a published cut-off. Source: ie.edu, checked 1 November 2026.

Considering IE University or another Spanish university for 2027 entry? Get in touch with a Your Dream School advisor to map out your test and interview preparation before the committee reviews your file.

Author

About Adam Girsault

With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam co-founded Your Dream School in 2018. Since then the company has coached more than 1,000 students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.

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