how long is a one page essay

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

The Best College Essay Length: How Long Should It Be?

College Essays

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program, and if you've selected a second choice. Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides multiple "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you're too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it's one of the most common word limits, after all!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 187 essay examples with analysis !

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

• Essay Editor

How Long Is An Essay

If you are a student, you undoubtedly face the question of how long your essays should be. The short answer to this question is that it depends. However, there are certain constructs that you should keep in mind regardless of the length of time your professor requires. Academic writing is a fine art, after all.

In this article, we will provide an overview of typical essay lengths and the components that they should include. 

One thing that you should keep in mind is that essays are different from research papers and theses. They are significantly shorter, but nonetheless, there is a specific structure to them that you should familiarize yourself with if you are in school.

Are there specific word requirements for essay length?

There may very well be specific requirements for word count for any given essay. This, of course, depends on your professor and the nature of what you are writing about. So, how many words should you include? 

This depends on a number of factors, as we will illustrate below. First, we should provide a breakdown of the components of the standard essay.

Breakdown of essay components

One important thing to keep in mind when constructing your essay is the relative length of your paragraphs. Keep in mind that paragraphs should be roughly equal in length, except for the introduction and conclusion, which can be shorter. 

This does not mean that you have to count every word in each paragraph to make sure they are identical, but you should be able to eyeball the main body of your essay and have the paragraphs be more or less the same length.

By the time you get to high school, your essays should be more substantial in length. You will be required to write essays that are several pages long. Nonetheless, they should continue to follow the same standard format.

Basic essay components

How many words are in an essay? Essential essay components that every essay should contain include the following:

• An introduction, a body, and a conclusion. These are absolute requirements regardless of the instructor or subject
• There are generally five paragraphs to any given essay, with three of them comprising the main body.
• There is a specific breakdown of sentences within any given paragraph. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that introduces what the paragraph will be about and have a conclusion.

Introductions

Note that introductions should be one paragraph in length for high school-level essays. Your introduction should pique the reader’s interest in what you are going to write. For college admissions essays, the word count should be about 100 words. 

It should open up with a strong statement that leads smoothly into the rest of your essay. The last sentence of an introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement. 

Your thesis statement will describe what your essay is going to be about. For longer essays that you write in college or graduate school, introductions are generally longer.

Body paragraphs

It is in your body paragraphs that you provide the substance of your essay. They should contain a logical writing series of examples that support your main thesis statement. How many paragraphs? It depends.

As you write and review an essay, you should think about the placement of your examples and whether or not they are relevant to the paragraphs you put them in, in the right order, etc. You might want to adjust them as you go along for clarity. Correct paragraph wording and paragraph writing are critical to success. There should be a word limit to any given paragraph if it is too out of proportion with the others.

Your conclusion is where you summarize the points made in the body of your essay and reiterate your main point. 

The conclusion is a short but important part of the essay as it is the last thing that people will read, and it will stay in their minds. So, you should think carefully about the way you word your conclusion and be prepared to revise it as you revise other parts of the essay.

Writing a college essay

By the time you get to college essays, word count requirements will be different. For undergraduate essays, you will be constructing pieces that are at least three pages long. For topics of greater significance or ones that are more broad, essays might be 4 or 5 pages long. 

Be mindful of the fact that an extended essay that exceeds 5 pages in length might be considered a research paper rather than an essay, and this entails an entirely different set of requirements. In other words, you should remain within the page limits of your subject and not be too long or too short. There are often word limits that you need to observe.

Rambling in a college essay will be perceived as empty for the sake of filling up space and will be frowned upon by professors. So, how long is an essay? It depends on the requirements and quality.

Requirements for different levels of education

As mentioned above, there are different requirements for essay length for different levels of education. In the sections below, we will provide general guidelines for every academic level.

University level

By the time you get to college, you should know how to write a decent essay of significant essay length.  An undergraduate college essay should start at a word count of approximately 1500 words or 5 pages and might have a word limit. 

There are many factors involved in how long undergraduate essays should be, including the subject, the college a student is in, and the department. There is also a range of course levels that dictate different lengths of essays. Word count is critical at every stage.

College courses are divided into different course levels: 100-level courses (101, 102, etc.), 200-level courses, and so on, with each level designating a different year that students might be in. 100-level courses are for freshmen, 200-level for sophomores, etc. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that many colleges require freshman-level writing courses for all new students. Some students might enter engineering programs without strong skills, for example. 

Or there may be foreign students who come in with excellent credentials in certain subject areas but are not yet strong writers. For whatever reason, students can have vastly different skills when they first start college, and this is why schools almost universally require freshman courses.

Graduate school

When students get to the point of entering master’s programs, they are expected to have mastered the art of basic writing. Master’s-level analytical essays are similar in structure to undergraduate ones but more substantial in length, although they too usually have a word limit and specific limitations on content. 

And again, the subject has a large bearing on the word requirement. Graduate essays involve data collection and can have a word count of 2000-6000 words, but sometimes shorter. Sometimes, if students have to write on a scientific topic, the length can be much shorter, but the content requirements are significantly more detailed.

Word count for research papers

Truly, academic style really starts to take shape when you get to a PhD program. Serious research papers are much more substantial. By the time you get to doing serious research - whether it be for a master’s thesis, a PhD dissertation, or a postgraduate extensive research study, they can have a word count as long as 10,000 words or even longer.

Research papers generally involve a study of a very particular subject. The goal of writing a research paper is to explore a topic that has not been explored by other authors before. While this is not always possible, you are expected to illustrate your own data analysis skills and try to analyze a subject in your own unique way. This should help you figure out how long an essay is.

Things to keep in mind

As mentioned above, essay length is important, and the length of an essay is an essential part of what professors are looking for, but it is not the only criterion for grading. There are also many specific requirements with regard to how essays are written, the kind of language used, and overall construction.

Major points to keep in mind include:

• You shouldn’t use excessively wordy expressions or run-on sentences. Unless the class you are in is poetry, you should stick to the standard constructs of the subject you are working on.
• Do not leave out any major components required by the essay instructions. When you receive any given assignment, make a note of the major requirements of the topic and devise a plan for constructing your essay. We will discuss the outline further below.

When to use your own style

The idea of expressing your personality should seem like a welcome thing in writing. After all, you want your teachers and professors to hear your own personal voice. Anyone can regurgitate something they read in a textbook, but many writers would rather show their professors what they are all about.

This is fine if you do it right. But you don’t want to simply start expressing ideas in an emotional or unconstructed manner without following the rules. Be sure that you are firmly grounded both in the mechanics and structure of essay writing before you start adding variations. Having a thorough grasp of the finer points of English grammar is an essential part of this. 

Construction and outlining

In order to keep within the expected word count for any given essay, it is a good idea to learn proper essay construction. Essay outlines generally look something like this:

• Introduction
• Example 2, etc

The ability to create a solid outline will do you well in your future academic career. Lower-level outlines are fairly simple, but by the time you get to graduate school, they will become much more complex. 

And you will need them to help you keep sight of your work. It is very easy to get entrenched in the details of writing, particularly at the graduate level. Outlines help us stay organized and keep an eye on the whole product of what we are doing. 

Figuring out how long an essay should be and the right word count is critical to achieving success in writing. There are different requirements for essay length at different levels of education: the high school essay, college essay, etc, are all different. How long your essays are depends on several factors: what level of education you are currently studying, the type of degree course you are in, individual essay requirements, etc.

The important thing is that you familiarize yourself with the process and get in the habit of writing early. By the time you write your college application essay, you should have already written hundreds of essays and know the basic formula. And don’t be afraid to ask people for help or for opinions about your writing; it will only help you grow.

Related articles

How to write a research paper: the ultimate step-by-step guide.

Writing a research paper can seem daunting, but breaking it down into clear steps can make the process manageable and even enjoyable. An essential part of this process is data collection, which involves gathering information systematically to support your thesis or inquiry. This guide will walk you through each stage of writing a research paper, from understanding what a research paper is to choosing an engaging topic, conducting preliminary research, crafting a thesis statement, and more. By fo ...

Perfecting How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay

Struggling to wrap up your college essay? You need a conclusion that ties everything together and leaves a strong final impression. This article will show you exactly how to write a conclusion for an essay, covering how to restate your thesis, summarize key points, highlight broader implications, and avoid common mistakes. Key Takeaways * Restate your thesis in a fresh way to remind readers of your main argument while reflecting on insights from the essay. * Summarize key points cohesively ...

How to Write A College Essay

Every high school student knows that the college essay is a make-or-break part of the application process. There are, of course, distinct requirements involved and strict scoring criteria. It is a personal statement about you and your character. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of how to write the common application essay, what colleges are looking for, and some important dos and don’ts to keep in mind for college essays. Remember that you should start writing college ...

Chicago Manual of Style: Chicago Style Footnotes

Essays and similar educational papers when you are working on your master's degree are an essential part of any student's life. Even when you become a professional, stating your opinion or establishing a viewpoint might require assembling a written article to reach the necessary audience. And 99% of the time, you will be basing your text on any kind of published work of another specialist. Surely, the process of writing an entire essay requires the most time and effort from the creator. However ...

How to Write a Hypothesis: Step-By-Step Guide

A hypothesis is a testable statement that guides scientific research. Want to know how to write a hypothesis for your research paper? This guide will show you the key steps involved, including defining your variables and phrasing your hypothesis correctly. Key Takeaways * A hypothesis is a testable statement proposed for investigation, grounded in existing knowledge, essential for guiding scientific research. * Understanding different types of hypotheses, including simple, complex, null, an ...

Mastering the Art of Essay Writing: How to Write an Essay

Struggling with how to write an essay? Before you begin writing, it's crucial to brainstorm and organize your thoughts. This guide will cover everything you need to know, from generating ideas to polishing your final draft. Let’s break down the essay writing process into simple, manageable steps that anyone can follow. Key Takeaways * A successful essay involves preparation, writing, and revisions with a clear understanding of your message and audience. * The introduction should hook the re ...

Top Transition Words for Essays: Enhance Your Writing Now

Transition words are crucial for crafting coherent, engaging essays. They help guide your readers from one idea to the next or from one paragraph to another, ensuring your arguments flow logically. In this article, we’ll explore essential transition words for essays and how to use them effectively. Key Takeaways * Transition words are essential in academic writing as they enhance coherence and clarity by connecting ideas and guiding readers through the text, helping the reader understand the ...

What Is a Dissertation? How Doctoral Students Navigate the Process?

So, when does a person start getting interested in writing a dissertation? You can still be a university student, thinking about starting the doctorate program, or maybe you are already done with the comprehensive exams, and the dissertation process is about to start. Surely, all doctoral candidates must write a dissertation to get the degree they have been working on for years, yet what else? In this article, you will learn about what a dissertation is, as well as dive into the step-by-step pr ...

How Long Is a One-Page Essay

Writing a one-page essay is as challenging as creating long ones. And as a student, the question of how long is a one-page essay may be one of those you constantly seek answers to.

Ideally, in a college essay or paper, you must write a certain number of words and include content that makes your piece worth reading. Otherwise, your article will be vague, not provide specific information, and the facts supporting your argument will be shallow.

These are some of the challenges of these short essays, and thus the need to guide on one-pagers lengths.

A one-page essay is a short essay that is 250-300 words long. Generally, there are 300 words on a double-spaced page written in Times New Roman of a 12-sized Font. Similarly, if unspaced, the page will be about 500 words and is still considered a one-page essay.

New Service Alert !!!

We are now taking exams and courses

If you are assigned a one-page essay, you have to write a complete essay in just one page or thereabout. These essays are assigned to gauge your clarity of thought and presentation skills.

Also see: How to write a 500 words essay 

In most cases, a one-page essay requires some research work. You have to find enough information about your topic and then make it into an interesting piece of writing. This may not be an easy task for everyone. However, if you have enough time and patience, you will definitely succeed in writing an excellent one-page essay.

Additionally, essay length can vary from a few paragraphs to several pages. One-page essays are often assigned as a response to a question or as an introductory paragraph in longer papers or reports.

The purpose of these short assignments is to give students practice in expressing themselves clearly and concisely. Still, some instructors may also expect them to include outside research on a topic.

How Many Paragraphs Are in a 1-Page Essay?

Generally, a 1-page essay will have a minimum of two paragraphs and not exceed five. However, there is no strict rule on the number of paragraphs these essays should have.

Writing more than three paragraphs for a one-page essay will make your writing sound choppy and make your ideas lack clarity and conciseness. On the other hand, writing fewer than three paragraphs is not enough to fully develop your arguments or explain your main idea.

The best approach is to have fewer points that will help you explain them fully and pass your message or argument in a clear and easily understood manner.

Is 2 Paragraphs Enough for an Essay?

Two paragraphs are ideally not enough for an essay, even though this practice has no written rules. In many instances, pieces have a minimum of three paragraphs comprising an introduction, body, and conclusion.

If you decide to go the 2 paragraph route, ensure your supporting or body paragraph is comprehensive enough. This is necessary so that you do not seem to have anything valuable to write about. But if you decide to write more than two, let each paragraph have enough meat and content such that readers get value from your essay.

How to Write a 1 Page Essay

Writing a 1-page essay is not as easy as it sounds. You must be able to condense all your arguments into one page, usually around 300 words. And this can be challenging for most students.

However, the following guidelines will help you sail through.

Read your instructor’s instructions

The first step to writing a good essay is following the guidelines given by your instructor. If you look at the assignment sheet, you should find a list of required elements and general guidelines for writing the essay.

The guidelines will help you organize and structure your thoughts and ensure you have all the necessary information to complete the task.

Create an outline

The writing process is highly subjective, but some steps can be taken to ensure that your writing is clear and concise, and one way to do this is by using an outline.

Outlining is the process of planning your essay before you start writing. You can use an outline to organize your thoughts and ideas and help you determine which facts to include and which details to omit.

You do not have to write in complete sentences or paragraphs. Instead, ensure that each point relates directly to the topic.

An outline helps you stay on track and prevents you from getting off-topic or rambling in your writing. Additionally, it enables you to organize your thoughts before putting them down on paper or typing them into your word processor.

Writing the introduction, body, and conclusion

The introduction, body, and conclusion are three major parts of an essay. Writing them ensures your paper is well-organized, readers can see the logic, and guarantees better marks.

The introduction is a summary of what you are going to discuss in your essay. However, it should not just be a summary but an exciting opening that draws the reader’s attention to your work. It can be a quote from the text or another source relevant to your essay’s topic.

The body is where you present all your arguments and support them with evidence from different sources. It should also include counterarguments that you have made against other people’s arguments or views on the subject matter. The body also contains examples and case studies that support your argument.

The conclusion is where you summarize what you have discussed in the body section of your paper. It also includes recommendations.

Is Cornell University a Good Choice? What is Known For?

Should you study music at college is a music degree worth it, why is college so boring and depressing top 10 reasons, what are common mistakes made by college students, how important is college life in your career building, how can i be a successful graduate student 9 tips, how much do professors make 2023 guide, what makes college life challenging 7 challenges you’ll face in college, is 26 too old to enjoy college life tips for starting college at 26.

How Long Is An Essay? A Guide To Essay Length

Learn the length of six different essays and the factors that affect the essay length.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your academic level, your field of study, your department’s policies, and the requirements of your particular course. In most cases, the length specifications are listed on your assignment sheet. It can be expressed as a range of words, paragraphs, or pages, or as a specific number.

In college, the majority of professors will provide you with a general outline of how long your essay should be. Please continue reading if you want to learn more about essay length.

Table of Contents

How Long Is An Essay?

An essay is typically a brief composition that aims to be clear and concise. In the academic setting, essays can be useful in demonstrating your knowledge and in presenting an idea, but they are not as in-depth as a thesis or research paper.

A higher education assignment will typically include instructions on the expected number of pages or words. Typically, this will be a range, say between 2500 and 4000 words.

Verify the assignment’s specifics and any guidelines your teacher may have before you begin formulating a plan for “how to write my paper.” Here are a few quick reminders:

• Every essay must have a beginning, a body, and a conclusion. This means that in order to cover everything, your essay must have at least three sections.
• Typically, a basic paper will have a five-paragraph essay. The introduction and conclusion paragraphs in this essay are typically much shorter.
• One of your essay’s main ideas should be covered in each body paragraph.

The best thing you can do when submitting an essay, whether it’s for a college application or an academic assignment, is to carefully read the instructions. Most of the time, you should gain a basic understanding of the word count required of you.

The fact that you don’t have to lengthen your essay to reach the highest number should be noted if you are given a “range” for your essay’s word count. Simply use the language you need to support your position. And here is the information about the essay length in 6th grade , 7th grade , and 8th grade .

• High school essay: 300-1000 words
• Essay for college admissions: 250-650 words
• Essay for college students in their first year: 1500-5000 words
• Essay for graduate school admission: 500-1000 words
• essays for graduate school: 2500-6000 words

Essay Length Tips

The advice provided below is relevant to academic essays that are assigned as writing assignments. The following section will cover every topic related to admissions essays.

• For essays, there should be a minimum of three paragraphs—an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
• An essay with five paragraphs is the most typical format for a basic paper.
• The opening and closing sentences are always proportionately shorter in length.
• Only one main idea, which is your topic sentence, may be covered in each body paragraph.
• About 275 words typically appear on a page of Times New Roman (12pt) text that is double-spaced.
• Double that, or about 550 words, can fit on a single page.

How Long Are The Six Types Of Essays?

Here are the six types of essays you should know:

The One-paragraph Essay

The one-paragraph essay, which is typically between 150 and 250 words in length, may be given by academic tutors simply as practice for the fundamentals of paragraph writing, or it may be used for specific purposes like practicing summarizing an article that has been read in class or writing an extended definition of a concept.

One-paragraph essays can be used as a diagnostic tool to quickly assess a student’s writing ability. For the one-paragraph essay, you must combine at least some of the introduction, body, and conclusion into a single paragraph, unlike other essay lengths.

The Three-paragraph Essay

The three-paragraph essay, which is typically 500 words long, is used to introduce students to the idea that all essays should have an introduction, a body section, and a conclusion if the writer wants to produce coherent and logical writing.

The first and last paragraphs will be the introduction and conclusion, which are typically a little shorter in length. The central body paragraph will contain the essay’s content or argument.

The Five-paragraph Essay

The five-paragraph essay is typically set by teachers who are satisfied that their students understand the introduction-body-conclusion essay structure and who want to give them more freedom to elaborate on the ideas and arguments the writer has presented in the body section of the essay. It is typically 1,000 words long.

With an essay of this length, the introduction and conclusion are still each given one paragraph, but the body of the essay can have three paragraphs devoted to the discussion of the theme. Now that the essay has reached this length, it is acceptable to use certain essay types, like cause and effect essays, and compare and contrast essays.

The Extended Essay

While it’s uncommon for such essays to be longer than 5,000 words, the extended essay is the most typical type of essay that’s assigned during a bachelor’s or master’s degree. It may be any length. With a plus or minus 10% word count tolerance, the most typical lengths for an extended essay are 1,500, 3,000, and 5,000 words.

Such essay types may also start to follow more complex structures, such as those found in dissertations and theses, rather than just adhering to the introduction-body-conclusion structure of shorter essays, which will undoubtedly require research and referencing skills.

The Dissertation

Generally assigned as the final project for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, the typical length of an academic dissertation is 10,000 or 15,000 words. Unlike shorter essay types, dissertations have more complex structures and are almost always based on primary research (original research that the writer has conducted themselves).

Last but not least, the thesis is the longest style of academic essay and is only used by Ph.D. candidates. The doctorate thesis, which is typically between 40,000 and 60,000 words long, may include all the components of a dissertation, but in much greater detail and with more thorough research.

Such essays are almost certainly original and are based on primary research, with a larger focus on the accuracy of the literature review, data collection, and data analysis. Many students will never write an essay of this kind.

How Long Does Each Essay Section Need To Be?

Each paragraph in a short essay (400–1000 words) usually contains 100–200 words. Shorter than the total number of words in the body section, the introduction and conclusion should be about the same length.

For a 1000-word essay, the introduction and conclusion should each be 4–5 sentences long, according to Jennifer Duncan from The Writing Centre at the University of Toronto at Scarborough. The length of these sections can be several paragraphs or even entire pages if your word count must be higher.

You may have seen conversion charts that state, “This number of words equals this number of paragraphs.” They are all based on fixed paragraph lengths and are therefore not very accurate.

Yes, you can convert an essay that is 400–800 words long in this way. But, when your paper is bigger than a thousand words, your paragraphs can scale along, which means their number won’t grow exponentially with the overall essay size.

A long essay (2000 words) won’t necessarily have fifteen paragraphs, for example, if a 700-word essay has five paragraphs.

How Long Is The Introduction In An Essay?

Typically, your introduction, or first paragraph, is referred to as a hook. Here, you should catch the attention of the reader and introduce the topic of your essay. When choosing a length, keep it brief and sweet whenever possible.

It’s usually a good idea to do some planning ahead of time to make sure every section of your essay is the proper length. A seasoned essay writer will carefully read the instructions to make sure you comprehend the task.

Your essay’s complexity and depth should be apparent from the recommended word count. Give a high-level overview of your topic if your essay is only supposed to be a few paragraphs long. You can delve more deeply into the details in longer essays.

You must be as clear and concise with your argument as you can in short essays. When you’re given a higher word count, however, you shouldn’t use this as an excuse to “waffle”. Follow the outline you create for your essay and stay on point.

When deciding how much information and support you should include in each section, an outline should serve as a road map.

How Long Is A Paragraph In An Essay?

As mentioned above, the answer to “how long should a college essay be?” usually starts with a base answer of “at least five paragraphs”. This makes it possible for you to introduce your thesis or commentary, follow it with three supporting paragraphs, and then end with a summary.

Your essay will have a range of paragraph length s. In the majority of academic essays, the main body of the argument should occupy the majority of the paper. Here, you should develop your ideas and support them with examples.

Generally speaking, the introduction should match the essay’s overall length. The introduction can be one or two paragraphs long if your text is only about 3,000 words. A longer, more detailed introduction that provides background information and context may be necessary for complex essays.

A single paragraph should typically serve as your essay’s conclusion. A paragraph might not be enough to summarize everything you’ve said, especially if your paper is longer and more involved.

How Long Is The Conclusion In An Essay?

The last section of your essay is the conclusion . For shorter essays, it is typically one paragraph. In this section, you should restate the main ideas from the body and summarize your analysis. Depending on how long the essay is, the conclusion may be 300–700 words long.

How Long Is The Outline In An Essay?

For a university-level essay or argumentative essay, you’ll need a more thorough outline with the same elements as a simpler outline, but with more specifics that include evidence and justification for your supporting points. The length of an outline should be no longer than 1 to 2 pages .

What Influence An Essay’s Length?

The length of a typical essay is influenced by a variety of factors. The word count of your paper depends on

Academic Level

In terms of presentation and length, essays written for high school and primary grades differ from those written for universities and colleges. Before beginning an academic essay, it is crucial to read the guidelines for each level.

Depending on the subject, different essay length requirements apply. Long and short essays are common in papers in the humanities, social sciences, and law. The length of the long essays can be anywhere between 20 pages and 6 pages, double-spaced, while the short essays are between 500 and 875 words long.

Essay lengths can also vary depending on the instructor and the subject matter, including English literature, composition, linguistics, leadership, and business. You will see different length requirements for essays depending on the subject you are studying.

Departmental length requirements for essays vary between universities and colleges. The length requirements of the department should be understood because they can guide your decision regarding how many words to use in your essay.

Essay Prompt Or Tutor’s Instructions

The guidelines provided in the essay prompt are another important factor in determining the number of pages or words you must use. The essay prompt not only specifies the essay topics, but also how many words, lengths, or pages your essay should be.

Spacing Of The Sentences

Pages in a typical academic essay are double-spaced due to the essay’s typical structure. The essay instructions may, on occasion, demand that you write your essay using only single spaces.

A single-spaced page has about 550 words on it, compared to about 275 words on a double-spaced page. By this analogy, a single double-spaced page would have twice as many words as a single single-spaced page. An essay that is one page long and single-spaced contains the same number of words as an essay that is two pages long and double-spaced.

Other times, teachers will instruct students to write 1.5-spaced-line essays. The length of your essay in this situation should be determined by the word count per page.

As a result, even as you read the assignment instructions, pay attention to the kind of page spacing that your professor or instructor requires. The preferred word count, which is always plus or minus 10%, is made easier to stay within.

Fonts Used In The Essay Paper

Papers are typically written in font 12 for academic writing. Most academic institutions have adopted this size as the standard for essays.

Making the font larger results in more pages, but fewer words. Always write your essay using the font size and style suggested by the teacher in the essay prompt, given the wide variety of fonts available.

Paragraph Lengths And Formats

150 words or so would be considered a typical paragraph length. It will depend on how many pages you are writing and how many paragraphs you will have. For instance, as we shall see later, a 6-page essay with double spacing will contain a total of 1650–1800 words.

10% of the word count is allocated to the introduction and conclusion paragraphs, which means that they each have between 165 and 180 words. You will have the final word count to balance the paragraphs at your discretion because the other body paragraphs will split it.

Using Length As A Guide To Topic And Complexity

The suggested word count not only helps you determine how long your essay should be but also makes it easier for you to determine how much complexity and information you can fit into the available space.

The creation of your thesis statement, which establishes the parameters of your overall argument and identifies the primary subject of your essay, should be guided by this.

A focused, narrow topic and an obvious, unambiguous line of reasoning are requirements for a short essay. A longer essay should still have a clear focus, but it may also need to take a more comprehensive approach to the subject or make a more complex, ambitious argument.

Make sure you have a clear understanding of how much evidence, detail, and argumentation will be required to support your thesis as you create the essay’s outline.

Consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific if you discover that you lack the ideas to fill out the word count or that you require more space to present your case effectively.

The amount of time you will need to spend editing and proofreading the essay will also depend on how long it is.

What To Do If My Essay Is Too Long Or Too Short?

It’s usually best to stick to the range you’re given if you’ve taken the time to determine how long your essay should be for high school or college. You should try to write an essay that is at least as long as what was asked of you in the assignment.

If you’re struggling to hit the suggested word count, you can consider:

• To make your points stronger and more credible, add more examples, supporting data, and in-depth analysis to each paragraph.
• Ensure that you thoroughly analyze and clarify each of your points without leaving any room for doubt.
• additional research is being done in order to examine a subject from a different perspective.

Don’t add any filler to simply increase the word count. Aim to avoid becoming overly fixated on a particular number and stick to simple sentences whenever possible. Get as much useful information as you can into your essay—that’s the key.

Notably, just as you should reach at least the minimum word count, you should avoid exceeding the maximum word count. You may occasionally go 10% over the maximum word count. You might be able to use 3300 words for an assignment with a word count of up to 3000, but it’s best to double-check with your instructor to be sure.

If the additional words are irrelevant to your argument, exceeding your suggested word count won’t impress your professor. You should probably proofread your writing to make sure everything is accurate and as brief as possible.

Get rid of extraneous words and keep in mind that it will take longer for your instructor to grade an essay the longer it is.

Always strive to write your assignment for the minimum amount of time specified. In the event that you have trouble writing enough words:

• To strengthen or clarify your points, include more examples and supporting data in each paragraph.
• Aim to elaborate on your points more fully and make sure each example has been fully explained or analyzed.
• In a new paragraph, elaborate on a different aspect of your subject. In order to make a more ambitious argument, you might need to revise your thesis statement.
• Don’t use filler; doing so will weaken your essay and obscure your argument.
• Keep your focus off on a precise figure. It’s more important that your argument is compelling and sufficiently developed for an essay of the advised length than whether you use 50 or 100 words to convince your reader of your point of view.

What Is The Ideal Essay Length For College?

Here, “college essays” imply essays written for admissions. Compared to the ones you write for homework, admissions essays are very different. They usually want to convince the committee that you are a deserving candidate.

The appropriate section of the college website should have all the information about such essays available to the public. However, you still have some options if you don’t know the word count requirement and can’t find it. Below is a quick answer to the “how long is a college essay” question.

An essay for college typically has 500 words.

Admissions Essay Length Tips

• Once you open the college’s site, look for phrases like “essay questions,” “information about supplemental essays,” “application instructions,” etc.
• Because board officers must read a large number of them every day, admissions essays are typically brief (250–600 words).
• Keep the length within the specified range; for example, if it says 500–550 words, the maximum length would be 600.
• Don’t go over the word limit because it might prevent someone from reading your essay all the way through.

What If There Are No Restrictions On Length?

College essay prompts occasionally don’t specify a maximum length. But don’t worry just yet; there are a number of ways to handle this circumstance.

A Sample Of Your Writing Must Be Submitted

Potential candidates may have a variety of options. Amherst College offers you two options: (Option A) compose a response to one of the quotations on the list, or (Option B) turn in a graded essay that best demonstrates your writing abilities.

The final option implies that your options are constrained by the number of words in the papers you can pick from. However, there is usually a page with instructions for paper sample submissions.

The Description Makes It Clear How Long It Should Be

Wellesley College does not specify a word count or a number of pages in the instructions for the essay prompt. Instead, it says, “in two well-developed paragraphs.” So, paragraphs can be as long as 450–500 words, which is a reasonable maximum. Therefore, this is when you’ll need to make an estimate or even a little guess.

You Must Look For The Length Specifications

It can happen that the essay length requirements are not listed on the same page as the prompts. But if you Google it, you can discover posts on social media sites and forums that cover these essay writing requirements.

You can also try searching “long” or “length” within the college site by typing “site:yourcollegewebsite.com” with those words.

Call The Admissions Department Right Away

Call the admissions office if you can’t find the word limit guidelines anywhere. Even if they don’t have a precise figure, they can estimate the length of your essay based on the ones they have already read.

Why Is Adherence To Expected Essay Length Important?

Remember that the length of the essay the professor expects will vary depending on the student’s academic standing. Even if you are unsure of the precise word count requirements for an essay for a particular class or university course, follow the general guidelines.

The tutor may conclude that the student did not submit the assignment with sufficient effort if the student writes an essay that is shorter than anticipated.

In fact, if the essay has a large word count, the student may have added unnecessary information without doing proper analysis or used wordy constructions.

Conclusion: Polish Your Essay

Most assignments include explicit instructions on how many words or pages you are required to write. Instead of being a precise number, this is frequently a range (for instance, 2500–3000 words or 10–12 pages). Finding the ideal essay length can seem like a challenging process.

Fortunately, using the aforementioned advice, you ought to be heading in the right direction. Don’t forget to share this post if it helps you.

How Long is a Short Essay?

Short essays usually involve answering a question related to course content and could be anywhere from 200 words to 750 words long, depending on the professor’s guidelines. Writing a short essay can be difficult because you have to decide what information is most crucial to include and what can be skipped.

How Long is a 200-word Essay?

A 200 words essay will be 0.4 pages single-spaced or 0.8 pages double-spaced . 500 words make up one standard single-spaced page.

Is a 500 Word Essay Too Short?

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay . In fact, the word limit is pretty typical.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related Posts

How can teachers help students be successful 10 strategies, how to get students to stop talking 9 effective strategies, how long is an argumentative essay how to write a good argumentative essay, how long is the introduction of an essay perfect introduction length, 6 effective tips on how to maximize instructional time in the classroom, 13 reasons why should students get paid for good grades.

How Long Is an Essay? The Ultimate Essay Length Guide

It’s safe to say that most students struggle with the word limit within an essay. Sometimes, it’s hard to find ideas for a text and meet the word requirement for every part of the paper. With so many factors influencing essay length, it’s easy to get confused.

Luckily, our custom-writing team has your back. In this article, our custom-writing experts will answer all your questions regarding essay length. We will also help you write papers with an ideal number of words!

📜 Is Essay Length Important?

📏 essay parts: recommended length.

• 🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer
• 📑 Essay Length & Formatting
• ❓ Different Academic Levels FAQ
• 📚 Essay Length: Different Types
• ⭐ Other Aspects
• 📝 Essay Examples

🔍 References

Often, the phrase “word limit” causes panic among students. After all, if an essay is too long or too short, your grade will be lowered. However, in reality, there’s nothing to worry about. When it comes to words, limitations are beneficial for both the students and the professors.

Let’s see what exactly it means.

Many people believe that the longer an essay is, the better. However, according to Frontiers, research shows that it’s a bias that couldn’t be further from the truth. A perfect-length paper is one that allows students to express their ideas and showcase their knowledge fully while keeping it clean and simple.

What Influences Essay Length

Various factors determine the length of an essay. Here are the most important ones:

Let’s start with the essentials. Usually, assignment length is given as a number of words rather than pages. Unless your supervisor or instructor mentions any specific limitations, it’s acceptable to be 10% below or above the word limit.

It’s also worth knowing the 80/20 rule . According to it, the body should constitute 80% of the text, while the intro and the conclusion take up the remaining 20%.

Keep reading to learn more about the recommended length of each essay part. The main numbers are shown in the table below:

How Long Should an Introduction Be?

An introduction is the first section and the face of your essay. For that reason, it needs to be compelling and well-thought-out. Usually, it consists of 3 to 5 sentences or 50 to 80 words .

An introduction must have a hook, some background information, and a thesis statement. While the attention grabber and the thesis are usually brief, you may need 2 to 3 sentences for the background. To avoid going overboard, try to stay on topic and don’t add any filler.

How Long Is a Body Paragraph in an Essay?

The length of a body paragraph may vary. Sometimes, it can be limited to a single sentence. In other cases, it may take up a whole page. Usually, it’s recommended to have between 80 and 200 words (5-8 sentences) per body paragraph.

Since the paper’s body contains the most information, it’s necessary to explain and support your ideas properly. That’s why it’s no big deal if your body paragraphs go slightly over the word limit.

How Many Body Paragraphs Should Be in an Essay?

Like the word count, the number of paragraphs is determined by the type of paper and its topic. The minimum is 1. Generally, however, the body consists of 3-5 paragraphs , 1 for each argument.

To improve your paper’s structure, ensure that there are as many paragraphs as there are points in your thesis statement. Each one should have a purpose and support your arguments. If there’s any fluff, it’s better to get rid of it.

How Long Should a Conclusion Be?

Like the introduction, the conclusion consists of 50-80 words . It’s essential to keep it simple and only mention the central ideas. A weak concluding sentence may affect the reader’s understanding of the topic and spoil the overall impression of your paper.

🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer: Best Tips

Undoubtedly the essay’s content is more important than the number of words you use. But there are times when students go more than 10-15% below or over the limit. Is there a solution to this problem?

Yes, there is! In this section, we will share the most useful tips to help you stay on point with your paper’s word count.

How to Make Essays Longer

Since having enough words is essential for a good grade, we’ve collected the best tips that can help you lengthen your essay without teachers noticing:

• Use relevant quotations.  You don’t need to litter your essay with citations, but using them whenever appropriate is a great idea. For instance, if you’re working on a book analysis, referencing a couple of direct quotes from the source text will make your essay more credible and increase the word count.
• Give examples.  Go through the claims in your paper and provide additional evidence where possible. It will make your essay longer and more informative.
• Use transitional expressions.  Adding transition words and phrases is a natural way of increasing the number of words. It will also improve your essay’s readability. 
• Add more references.  Providing references is always a good idea when writing a formal essay. That way, you will increase the number of words and make your paper more credible.
• Work on your descriptions.  If you struggle to develop new ideas, go over what you’ve already written and consider adding some descriptive words. It’s a great idea for creative essays to include more imagery. 

How to Shorten an Essay

Another struggle of academic writing is cutting down the number of words in your essay to meet a set limit. We are here to tell you that it’s not that hard. Writing straightforwardly and keeping your sentences short is a key to concise content. Here are several strategies you may use to tighten a lengthy essay:

• Choose the active voice.  It takes up less space than passive voice. Using it also makes your writing more professional and compelling.
• Remove needless transitions.  Transitions can indeed maintain the flow of the paper. But some transitional phrases can be easily removed.
• Get rid of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.  Some students tend to overuse adjectives and adverbs. It adds wordiness to their writing.
• Avoid running starts.  Some students like to start their sentences with long phrases like: “there are,” “it is believed,” or “the fact that.” Getting rid of them makes texts much more concise.
• Delete “that.”  In most cases, the word “that” can often be easily removed from texts.

Another cool trick is to use our summarizing tool as essay shortener. Try it out!

📑 How Long Is an Essay Depending on Formatting?

As we mentioned earlier, the essay’s length is usually limited by the number of words. But sometimes, a teacher may ask you to write a specific number of pages. This is trickier because the amount of text you can place on the page depends on the formatting. By using the font size and spacing properly, it’s possible to make the paper visually longer or shorter. Let’s discuss it in more detail.

Essay Spacing: How Does It Affect the Length?

• Adjusting the spacing between lines.  Try to make the changes as slight as possible. For instance, if you were asked to double-space the paper, use 2.1 or 2.2 spacing instead. Another option is to slightly extend spaces between paragraphs.
• Extending the margin size.  You can increase the right and bottom margins by a quarter to make very subtle changes in length. For example, if the margins are 1 inch , you can set them at 1.25 inches instead. 
• Increasing the spacing between characters.  It is less noticeable than the line spacing. Still, try not to overdo it and keep the numbers between 1.2 and 1.5 . 
• Adjusting the footer.  Add a footer with page numbers to stretch the bottom margin even further.
• Lengthening the header.  You can extend your header by adding your name, e-mail address, or other relevant information. Another option is double-spacing it.

Length of an Essay: Font and Size

• Using the right type of font.  If your instructor didn’t specify which font you should use, go for the bigger ones. We suggest Arial, Bangla Sangam MN, Cambria, or Quicksand. They will make your text look longer without being too on the nose.  
• Using a bigger font size.  This is another technique that can come in handy. However, be careful and don’t increase your font by more than 0.1-0.5 pt.  
• Increasing the size of periods and commas.   This is one of the less noticeable tricks you can use. For instance, if your paper’s font is 12 pt. , increase it to 14 pt. only for punctuation marks. Italicizing periods and commas will also add several lines of length to your essay. 

What to Do if There Are No Length Guidelines

Sometimes a teacher sets no word limit for a written work. What to do in that case? Well, first, you can ask your professor to confirm if they have simply forgotten to mention it. But if that’s not the case, here are a couple of helpful solutions:

• Think of the paragraph number.  Sometimes, you may be given the number of paragraphs instead of words. In that case, you can decide on the number of words depending on how many paragraphs you have. 
• Think about the topic’s complexity.  The length of your paper is also directly dependent on the theme. If the topic is simple, 4-5 paragraphs will be enough. A more complex issue may require an in-depth explanation, so your essay can be 6-8 paragraphs long.

❓ Essay Length for Different Academic Levels FAQ

How long is an essay in elementary school.

The length of the elementary school essay is usually short. Usually, a paper needs to have around 3-5 paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences per paragraph. Primary school essays can be 1-2 paragraphs long.

How Long Is an Essay in Middle School?

The word limit for a middle school essay is usually between 300 to 1000 words. The most common essay length is 500 words, which is about 5 paragraphs. However, it may differ from school to school.

How Long Is a High School Essay?

The length of the high school essay may differ depending on the school and the complexity of the task itself. Usually, however, a paper can be between 300 to 1000 words long.

How Long Is an Undergraduate-Level Essay?

The length of the undergraduate college essay often falls within the range of 1500 to 2100 words. It translates into roughly 5-7 pages. 5 pages is the most common essay length at this level.

How Long Should an Essay Be at a Graduate College Level?

When it comes to the graduate school admission essay, the word limit is usually between 500 and 1000 words. It’s possible to go slightly over or below the set limit; however, it’s best to stick to the requirements as closely as possible.

📚 How Long Should an Essay Be: Different Types

Now, let’s talk about different types of essays. How long should they be? Keep reading to learn about the length of college essays, short and extended ones, scholarship essays, and research papers.

How Long Is a College Essay?

When it comes to a college essay, it’s more important to stick to the word limit than with any other paper. Some teachers may refuse to read it unless it meets all the requirements.

The shortest limit for a college essay is about 250 words which is the shortest length of a Common App personal statement. It’s also rare to see a good college essay with over 650 words . So, an average piece usually has between 150 and 650 words ; you can go over or below the limit by 50.

How Long Is a Paragraph in College Essays?

A college essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs . One paragraph takes about 1/3 of the page, which is roughly 5 sentences . Each sentence corresponds with one of the following components:

• Topic sentence.
• Explanation.
• Transitions.

College Essay Length Requirements: Top 5 Schools

To understand the requirements for a college application essay even better, take a look at the table below. It showcases the top 5 schools and their length criteria for personal statements. Keep it in mind when writing your college essay:

How Long Is a Short Essay?

A short essay is usually 500 words long. Using 12pt Times New Roman font with standard margins and double spacing should result in about 2 pages of text.

Extended Essay Length

An extended essay is different from a short or a standard one. It requires extensive research and thorough explanation. That’s why the upper limit for this kind of essay is 4000 words . In this case, a typical essay length is 3500 words or 18 paragraphs .

Scholarship Essay Length

Generally, scholarship papers have a limit of 500 words , which is 1 page in length. Most scholarship programs provide additional requirements that indicate the minimum number of words or pages. If there are no set limitations, you can stick to the limit.

How Long Is a Research Paper?

Typically, a research paper is between 4000 and 6000 words long. Sometimes, there are shorter papers, which have around 2000 words, or in-depth ones with over 10000 words.

⭐ Other Aspects of Essay Length

When it comes to essay length, many different aspects come into play. Here, we’ve gathered all the essential information regarding an essay’s number of pages, paragraphs, words, and references.

How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

Sometimes, it is more convenient to count paragraphs rather than words. Let’s now figure out how many paragraphs are in essays of different lengths. You may also check out the examples to see what such an essay looks like:

• 250 -word essay length is 4 paragraphs Example: The Film “The Great Debaters” by Denzel Hayes Washington
• 300 -word essay length is 4-5 paragraphs Example: Symbols in Ancient Sculptures of Zeus
• 600 -word essays are 7 paragraphs long Example: Shonagon’s “The Pillow Book” as Historical Document
• 800 -word essays are usually 8-9 paragraphs long Example: “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” and “The Subjection of Women”
• 1000 -word essay length is 10 paragraphs Example: Why You Should Not Have Grades in School
• 2000 -word essays are 18-19 paragraphs long Example: Instagram: Ethical and Legal Issues in The Content Production and Distribution

How to Count Paragraphs in an Essay Based on Word Count

You can also count the number of body paragraphs for your essay using the formula below:

Number of body paragraphs (average) = (TWC – TWC*0.16)/100

• TWC – total word count
• 0.16 – an average percentage of total word count for introduction and conclusion
• 100 – an average number of words per paragraph

How Many Pages Are in an Essay?

The number of pages in your essay may vary from subject to subject. But it’s still possible to determine the number of pages based on word count. Check out the numbers below to see the conversions: 

250 words = 1 page

Diabetic Nutritional Plan For a 15-Year-Old Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patient

400 words = 1,5 pages

Technology and Dating: Social Media and Committed Relationships

500 words = 2 pages

Aspects of Child Adoption

800 words = 3 pages

Nutritional Supplements, Weight Loss Plans and Working Out

900 words = 3,5 pages

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biotechnology in Improving the Nutritive Value of Foods

1000 words = 4 pages

Prerequisites of Cold War During Yalta Conference

1500 words = 6 pages

College Students’ Weight Gain and Its Causes

You can also use a specialized calculator such as Word Counter to determine a number of pages in your essay.

What Does an Essay Look Like when Typed?

You might be wondering: what do essays of different lengths look like when typed? Well, here’s the table where you can find out the metrics for single- and double-spaced papers.

How Many Pages Are in a Handwritten Essay?

In case you need to turn in a handwritten paper, you should check out the table below.

Counting Words in a Handwritten Essay

If you don’t have enough time to count the words in your handwritten essay one by one, here’s what you can do:

• Count how many words there are in one line. Take the first and last lines and a line in the middle of a page. Let’s say there are 15, 14, and 15 words in them. Then, the average number of words per line is 15.
• Next, count how many lines there are on one page. Let’s say there are 17 lines on a page.
• Take the number of words per line and multiply it by the number of lines per page. In our case, we multiply 15 by 17. So, there are 255 words per page on average.
• Finally, multiply the number of words per page by the number of pages. If your essay has 3 pages, it is approximately 765 words long.

How Long Does it Take to Write an Essay?

It is crucial to know how long writing will take you, especially if you are working on an exam essay or just short on time. Note that you need to consider the time for typing and researching necessary to complete a piece. Research time may vary. Usually, it’s 1-2 hours for 200-250 words .

Below, we’ve gathered the average writing time for average and slower writing speed:

And here are the results in pages:

How Many References Does an Essay Need?

Another essential part of any composition is the reference list. Different academic levels require different references. You’ll find out how many of them should be in your paper in the table below!

📝 Essay Examples: Different Length

Finally, we’ve gathered some excellent sample essays of different lengths. Make sure to check them out!

• 200 words: The Impact of Physical, Chemical, and Biological Agents on Marine Mammals
• 400 words: Types of Parenting Styles Analysis
• 500 words: Chemical Reactions and the pH Scale
• 600 words: The Measures of Central Tendency and the Descriptive Statistics
• 800 words: Isolation of Gram Positive and Gram Negative Bacteria
• 900 words: Vacation in Mexico City: Worth Visiting Sites
• 1000 words: The Impact of COVID-19: “The World After Coronavirus” by Y. N. Harari vs. “We Can’t Go Back to Normal” by P. C Baker
• 1500 words: Brown vs. The Board of Education: Reality of the XXI Century
• 3000 words: Lab Experiment on Photovoltaics
• 4000 words: Data Protection: Term Definition

We also recommend you check out our free essay samples sorted by pages:

• 1-Page Essay Examples
• 2-Page Essay Examples
• 3-Page Essay Examples
• 4-Page Essay Examples
• 5-Page Essay Examples
• 10-Page Essay Examples
• 20-Page Essay Examples
• 30-Page Essay Examples
• 40-Page Essay Examples
• 50-Page Essay Examples

Now you know all about essay length, word limits, and ways to lengthen or shorten your text. If you know other interesting tricks, make sure to share them in a comment! Good luck with your writing assignments!

You may also like:

• How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline
• How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples 
• How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide
• How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples
• How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example
• Word Limits and Assignment Length: Massey University
• The Paragraph in the College Essay: California State University, Long Beach
• Introductions & Conclusions: The University of Arizona Global Campus
• How Long Should a Paragraph Be?: Daily Writing Tips
• Paragraphing (Length Consistency): Purdue University
• Hitting the Target Word Count in Your College Admission Essay: Dummies.com
• How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What is the Ideal Length?: College Vine
• Writing Personal Statements Online: Issues of Length and Form: Penn State University
• Pen Admissions: Essays: University of Pennsylvania
• Essay Questions: University of Michigan
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
• Components of a Good Essay: University of Evansville
• Write Your Essay: UNSW Sydney
• College Writing: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 21 Helpful and Easy Tips to Make an Essay Longer: Seventeen
• How to Make a College Paper Longer: ThoughtCo
• Share to Facebook
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Do you dream of being successfully admitted to college? Well, you probably know that admission is a long process that includes many challenging steps. One of them is a recommendation letter: a document written on your behalf that describes your characteristics as a student. If done well, such a letter...

Almost everyone feels insecure when they start working on their first resume. Suddenly, innumerable questions occur and need to be answered. What should I write? How should I do it? What must I include in my resume to make it winning? If you’re looking for answers to CV-related questions, you’ve...

What’s the first thing we do when facing the unknown? We Google it, of course! Google is fundamental to our experience of the Internet. According to the statistics, more than 100 000 people press “search” on Google every second! At first glance, the process is straightforward. You type in what...

Ever heard of a smart egg tray? Welcome to 2024! Today, there are gadgets for everything, and the variety of intelligent devices available increases every day. Some of them can improve your life. Others seem a bit useless. Will a smart egg tray actually add value to your life, or...

Dorms become like second homes to many students during their university experience. And while dorm life can mean making new friends and having exciting adventures, adjusting to new routines is not always easy. Since most students who come to the dorms have no prior experience living outside their parents’ homes,...

Imagine you’ve just written a paper. You’re going to proofread it, right? But is proofreading enough to ensure the absence of any factual errors or unfounded conclusions? Can you say with 100% certainty that you cited every reference correctly? If you want to learn how to fact-check like a pro,...

Every year, millions of U.S. students decide which university they want to attend. Around 20% of students rely on college rankings to make their final decision. Over the last two decades, such rankings have significantly grown in popularity. But are these lists reliable? Which criteria can be trusted? And which...

Have you ever seen someone else’s success and thought to yourself: “Why can’t I do the same?” What was your thought process like? Perhaps you believed you lacked some innate quality. Or did you think you could have achieved the same thing if you had put in enough effort? The difference in these attitudes is defined by two distinct mindsets—growth or fixed. You will read all about them in this article by Custom-Writing.org. You’ll also...

Are you interested in having a side hustle? If you have a hobby you are passionate about, look no further. A hobby-based side hustle is a great way to spend time doing something you love, a great source of income, and a way to boost your resume! In this article by Custom-Writing.org, you will find: a list of 7 inexpensive hobbies available to anyone; ways to monetize them; their benefits for...

In 2024, online education remains one of the most searched terms. Not only can you undertake short courses, but it is now commonplace to get Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees online. Is this the right fit for you? Keep reading to find out! In this article, our custom writing team will:...

What is the number one reason for becoming a volunteer? You may already know that charitable organizations help people in need and allow everyone to make a difference. However, there are some material benefits as well. Volunteer experience can boost your career prospects: it increases your chances of getting into...

Are you excited about grammar? Have you ever read the dictionary for fun? Do you become enthralled by your textbooks? Whether you are a language nerd or not, crossword puzzles are here to help. In this article, you will find dozens of exciting puzzle resources to support your learning. You...